Le Rambolitrain, model train museum in Rambouillet (78)

The Musée du Rambolitrain is one of Rambouillet's not-to-be-missed cultural attractions, and for good reason: it boasts a collection of over 4,000 items based on toy trains, earning it the prestigious "Musée de France" label. Housed since 1984 in the former Rambouillet home of Jacques Visbecq, a compulsive collector of toy train locomotives, the museum was built thanks to a donation of the building and Mr Visbecq's collection, which he later joined forces withAlain Baldit, a passionate model builder.

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On the second floor, it's time to discover thehistory of the train, through toys! From the first tinplate models dating from the 1860s to the more modern plastic and wooden models we see today, the museum invites you to discover the history of the train, which evolved in parallel with that of the toy train. Explore the showcases to discover miniature ticket machines, semaphores, lamp posts, original directional signs, steam locomotives (and their carriages), small-scale reproductions of vintage stations... But also, scale models of legendary trains, such as the Orient Express. All in all, over 100 years of toy train history is brought together in these unusual showcases for children to explore.

During your visit, children aged 3 to 6 or 7 to 12 are given free game booklets to make their visit to the Rambolitrain even more fun. For older children, you can explore the museum in the company ofAnne-Mésia, searching for clues and leading an investigation at the heart of the Rambolitrain, by downloading the free Anne-Mésia's Investigations app.

After a visit to the animated window displays, which reproduce the storefronts of famous Parisian toy stores, we head up to the second floor to discover theincredible network of models. This is the highlight of the visit, where you can plunge into the heart of the Gare de l'Est railway station - reproduced in miniature - admire the L'Orient Express on the move, plunge into country landscapes where the railroad passes... These incredible models were all built by volunteers from the museum's association, who spent hundreds of hours creating every detail of each one.

Throughout the year, the Rambolitrain offers guided tours for the whole family, with baby visits for toddlers, kid visits for children, LEGO workshops and many other activities to delight young and old alike. On certain special days (and during school vacations), you can also climb aboard the museum's garden train, notably during Rambolitrain Rétro or the Vapeur Vive festival, two annual events at Rambolitrain, always with a passion for the little train at the heart of the program.

The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 5:30pm, except for two weeks in January after the Christmas school vacations (for annual closure). Admission is €4.50 full price, €3.50 concessions. As the museum is housed in an old bourgeois house, it is not accessible to wheelchairs, although strollers are allowed in the museum.

The Rambolitrain can be reached by car, in just over an hour from Paris, or by public transport, taking the TER or Transilien line N from Montparnasse station (Rambouillet stop).

40 years of Christmas at Rambolitrain: the event exhibition for Christmas, at Rambolitrain (78)
From December 26, 2024 to January 5, 2025, the Rambolitrain will be retracing 40 years of festivities and toys under the Christmas tree, in a never-before-seen retrospective exhibition. [Read more]