Exhibitions

Century of Trams

In 2010 the Great Exhibition Hall was redisplayed with the ‘Century of Trams’ exhibition. The exhibition takes you on a fascinating journey through a hundred years of tramway development, from 1860 – 1960, taking in horse trams, steam trams and electric trams.  

With funding from the Wolfson Foundation and Derbyshire Economic Partnership the exhibition now features new interpretive panels, audio sounds to represent each decade of the timeline and interactives for all the family to enjoy.

Take a look at the story of Blackpool’s trams which features some of the earliest archive film footage the Museum holds, or see the last days of the tramway systems from the 1950s and how the Museum came to be the home of these vintage vehicles. All contributing to our reputation as one of the best Derbyshire attractions for all the family.

Our security measures include the fact that we may randomly request to search your bags on entrance.

Michael Holroyd Smith – Electrifying the Future explores the work of ‘History Maker’ Michael Holroyd Smith, with exhibits, and previously unseen items from the archive.

Holroyd Smith was a pioneering inventor of the late 19th and early 20th century, who changed the course of tramway history in the UK and had far reaching influence in the engineering world.

Funded by AIM Biffa Award. See the History Makers website: https://www.history-makers.co.uk/

Stephenson Discovery Centre

Built in the 1800s, the two storey Stephenson Workshop stands in the heart of the Museum. It was originally used as a smithy and wagon works for George Stephenson’s one metre gauge mineral railway to transport limestone from what was then Crich Cliff Quarry to kilns at Ambergate.

The building has been fully restored and is now home to a state of the art learning facility on the ground floor and the Stephenson Discovery Centre on the first floor.

The award winning Stephenson Discovery Centre is a vibrant space. Visitors can explore what there is to do at Crich Tramway Village, as well as how the Museum started, the history before the Tramway Village and how overcrowding in expanding towns and cities paved the way for in the introductions of trams to Britain in the 1800s.

Please note that our security measures include the fact that we may randomly request to search your bags on entrance.

Workshop Viewing Gallery

Now connected to the Stephenson Discovery Centre via a glass bridge link, the Workshop Viewing Gallery gives visitors the chance to watch the Museum’s skilled workshop staff restoring trams and keeping our operating fleet in tip top condition.

The Workshop is vital to Crich Tramway Village as it restores and maintains trams to a high standard for our visitors to enjoy. Many of the trams that arrive here are in a sorry state of repair and it can take many years to restore each tram to the standard available for visitors to ride on.

Survive and Thrive – The Electric Era

Located behind the old Derby Assembly Rooms façade, the Survive and Thrive exhibition looks at the reintroduction of modern tramway systems in cities around the UK. Find your town on the wall map showing first and second generation tramways. This building also houses our temporary exhibition space.

Please note that our security measures include the fact that we may randomly request to search your bags on entrance.

The Art of Trams

Visit our temporary exhibition in 2024 to explore how trams have inspired us and been used creatively in artwork, memorabilia and popular culture. The exhibition includes a variety of items from our collection including paintings, prints, souvenirs and decorative items. We have used the opportunity to display some objects for the first time to illustrate the wide range of material that we hold in our collection.