The Workshops Rail Museum in North Ipswich is closed until further notice. Hail damaged its roof on 26 October 2025, and as of 14 November 2026 the museum’s own website still gives no reopening date. Restoration work is underway, and the museum says it will post updates on its social media channels and newsletter.
It is a railway museum inside the heritage-listed North Ipswich Railway Workshops, where Queensland’s steam locomotives were built and repaired. The Museum Shop, the Dining Hall and the pop-up cafe are closed too. For reopening news, check the museum’s temporary closure page or call (07) 3432 5100.
Officially it is now called the Queensland Museum Rail Workshops, and it is part of the Queensland Museum network. Most people still search for the Workshops Rail Museum, so that is the name used here. The rest of this guide describes the museum as it is when open, so you know what to expect when it reopens.
The railway workshops
When open, the museum is spread across the original workshop buildings. The Boiler Shop holds the main exhibits, and visitors come in through the former Timekeeper’s Office. The North Ipswich Railway Workshops complex is on the Queensland Heritage Register, with 16 heritage-listed buildings on about 24 hectares.
Construction began in 1863. At the peak of World War II the workshops employed around 3,000 people, and they built more than 200 steam locomotives.
A short history of the Ipswich railway workshops
The workshops built their first locomotive in 1877, and the first locally designed engine, the B17 class, followed in 1908. In all they built more than 200 steam locomotives and 13,000 carriages. Regular steam services ended in the 1960s, with the last one running on 21 December 1969.
The museum itself grew out of the Queensland Railways Locomotive Museum at Redbank, which opened in 1970 and closed to the public in the early 1990s. Its collection moved to Ipswich, and the Workshops Rail Museum opened in August 2002. It won the 2007 Australian Tourism Award for Heritage and Cultural Tourism.
Locomotives and exhibits to look for
The exhibits are arranged in themed zones across the site. A few to look for once it reopens:
- A10 No. 6: built in 1865, restored and operational.
- Vice Regal Carriage: built in 1903 for the Governor of Queensland and visiting royalty.
- DL1: the first diesel locomotive to enter service in Queensland, in 1939.
- EMU 01: the first electric multiple unit to enter service in Queensland, in 1979.
- Ipswich Railway Workshops War Memorial: unveiled in 1921 and also heritage-listed.
Two more engines are operational steam locomotives, BB18¼ 1089 and C17 974.
When open, the museum runs family exhibitions with hands-on activities, and there is a museum shop. All exhibitions are included with admission. Significant items have been moved to secure locations during the repairs, so check what is on display once it reopens.
Planning your visit
- Opening hours: the museum is closed until further notice. Its usual hours are 9:30 am to 4 pm daily.
- Tickets: when open, general admission is $14.50 for adults, $12.50 concession, $11.50 for children 3 to 15 and $44.50 for a family (2 adults, 2 children). Children under 3 are free. Buy at the ticket office or online through the museum website. Annual Pass holders get their passes extended for the closure period.
- Food: the Dining Hall (formerly the Trackside Cafe) is on site when the museum is open.
- Facilities: toilets, baby change rooms, sensory kits and wheelchair access to most exhibits. Read the museum’s plan your visit page for accessibility details.
Getting there and parking
The museum is on North Street, North Ipswich, about 45 minutes by car (roughly 40 km) from the Brisbane CBD. Follow the signs to the free museum car park, on North Street to the left of the ticket office. Street parking is also available on North Street. Taxis, coaches and school buses use a set-down area in front of the ticket office.
By public transport, Queensland Rail trains run from Brisbane’s Central and Roma Street stations to Ipswich. The museum is not at the station, but TransLink route 515 leaves Ipswich Train Station on Bell Street and stops about 20 metres from the museum on North Street. Plan your trip with the TransLink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30.
Nearby
- Old Ipswich Court House – a sandstone courthouse from 1859 in the Ipswich CBD.
- Queens Park Ipswich – playground, nature centre and cafe.
- Ipswich Nature Centre – free animals in Queens Park.
- Nerima Gardens – a Japanese garden in Ipswich.
- Brisbane Valley Rail Trail – starts at Wulkuraka, on the former Brisbane Valley railway line.
Browse more museums, history and landmarks and things to do in Ipswich.
You might also like
- Brisbane Tramway Museum – Sunday tram rides if you want more transport history.
- Qld Maritime Museum (South Brisbane)
- Beenleigh Historical Village (Logan)
Quick answers
Is the Workshops Rail Museum open?
No. It has been closed since hail damaged its roof on 26 October 2025, and as of 14 November 2026 the museum’s website gives no reopening date. Check the museum’s temporary closure page for news.
What are the Workshops Rail Museum opening hours?
The museum is closed until further notice. When open, it runs 9:30 am to 4 pm every day, except Good Friday, Anzac Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Is there parking at the Workshops Rail Museum?
Yes. There is a free museum car park on North Street, to the left of the ticket office.
How do you get to the Workshops Rail Museum by public transport?
Take a train to Ipswich, then TransLink route 515 from Ipswich Train Station on Bell Street. The stop on North Street is about 20 metres from the museum.
Is the Workshops Rail Museum the same as the Queensland Museum Rail Workshops?
Yes. The museum is now officially the Queensland Museum Rail Workshops, and it sits inside the North Ipswich Railway Workshops.
How much does it cost?
When open, adults pay $14.50, children aged 3 to 15 pay $11.50, and under 3s are free. A family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) is $44.50, and all exhibitions are included. Check the museum website for current prices.
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