Edwardian Tea Room in Carrickfergus

Fab museum with loads of great stuff AND yesterday we got to ride on a steam train.

We went here today and we absolutely loved it. My two kids (12 & 10) were fascinated with the history behind the steam trains. We took our time around the museum and looked at all the objects on display. The staff were very very helpful and welcoming. We had a coffee and milkshakes in the cafe, highly recommend.

We had a great family day here last weekend! Could have stayed all day. The staff were so lovely and had some great information to share. Just also want to say thank you so much to the cafe staff Keily and Neil for helping us when our wee boy got sick! Keily was so lovely and made sure he was ok before we left. Absolute honey! Will be back again soon!

My wife and I had a great experience at the Whitehead Railway Museum, Absolutely brilliant and our tour guide Michael Jackson,was so friendly and knowledgeable, so much to learn about how the railway worked and how Whitehead continues with it's preservation of rolling stock and those beautiful steam engines of yesteryear. The cafe is so quaint and the staff are so friendly. Keep up the great work Whitehead and we will see you again.

Great experience. My kids 11 and 13 year old kids really enjoyed it. I recomend to take the tour, it lasted aprox 2h but you learn so much, I feel that we wouldn't have enjoyed the museum as much if we would have just walked around on our own. Staff are so friendly and full of knowledge and passion about trains and their museum.

Traveled with 11 yr old grandson. On enterprise.we had great day in Belfast.we visited whitehead museum and loved every minute. Would highly recommend to go around with tour guide. Our guide was very friendly and very knowledgeable. As were the lady’s in cafe. Thanks for a great day. Peter and Lee .

Afternoon tea lovely place friendly staff 🥰🥰

Very nice display of station etc. Fantastic atmosphere at the cafe

Family day out, 4 generations of the family together. Nice little journey on the train, the volunteers are rightly proud to steam and share the experience. Fantastic exhibit areas to explore and view engines and carriages at different stages of restoration. The history of rail travel across the region displayed well and very informative. Finally, I give a massive shout out to the staff of the cafe on site. Serving some great value and wonderful food! DOG FRIENDLY our 4 legged friends were welcomed and made for a longer stay! Overall a wonderful experience and visit!

Wow amazing work goes on behind the scenes to restore steam engines & old carriages. Volunteers are so dedicated well done to you all. 👏👏

Very disappointed in the cafe this time

Amazing train conservation museum. Guided tour is recommended. Trevor has such an amazing knowledge and you can learn a lot.

Fantastic place, really friendly and knowledgeable volunteers, nice cafe

Fantastic exhibits and really friendly volunteers, with great knowledge. Nice food in the cafe, and the folk singer/guitarist really added to the ambience. Well worth a visit.

Good museum. Thanks to the staff and volunteers who guided us around and made it come alive. Also, a lovely, family run cafe that has excellent food and service.

Good food, large portions, friendly staff, prices average, very noisy.

Only visited Pier 3 but the café was excellent

A beautiful day with my daughter and grandkids at the Victorian Santa experience.. we loved every moment and the simplicity of this place. Such a fab little place!

Took our grandaughter on the Santa train. Fantastic. Warm welcome, friendly staff, great day out!

Fabulous experience yesterday meeting Santa. The volunteers where amazing, super informative and just awesome. Very relaxing magical experience. Highly recommended. Can't wait to return to see the rest of the museum. Definitely worth the travel down to it. Thanks for everything ♥️

Went to a murder mystery. I wasn't all that excited by it tbh. It included a quick tour of the shed housing an old engine. Not that exciting either tbh. But the volunteers were all very helpful and keen to please.

Fantastic place (not only for rail world fans). Super tour (almost 2 hours) with such a nice gentleman who's knowledge was amazing.

Wow wow wow lads and lassies of the Liffey Leesider - what a weekend to everyone involved in the organisation and carrying out of this weekend - a huge big thank you.

Well worth a visit! This is a small but excellent museum. The museum offers 3 free guided tours per day and I would strongly recommend going on one if you visit. I did and it was excellent with a very knowledgeable and interesting guide. The tour lasted around 2 hours and the time just flew in. I reckon that if I had opted to go on the self-guided tour instead, I would have been finished in less than and an hour and felt somewhat underwhelmed. The café is nice. Everything is made fresh from scratch and there is no pre-cooked food sitting in heating cabinets to keep warm for hours like in some other cafes. Prices are maybe slightly below average, but the food is definitely above average, and the portions (at least for my meal) are massive

Great breakfast and tour of the museum. I would recommend

Really cool place ram by enthusiasts. They are helpful and explain every little detail there. I would change only one thing to get the 100% vibe - remove all modern stickers and hand sanitisers from the carriages and that would be 5 star location.

Well worth an hour or so of your time. Best to take one of the guided tours. Good cafe.

Fantastic experience! We learned of the museum from trips on No.85merlin in Dublin and had to visit to see where Merlin was restored. On arrival we met Keeley in the station house/cafe who introduced us to Don who was our tour guide. Don brought us about the museum where we got setting the signals, get up close with some amazing trains and see restoration work in progress. We met John was restoring No.184 and gave us a wealth of information about the trains in they workshop. After the tour we had a lovely lunch in the station house cafe. The whole experience was fantastic, very informative and relaxed. Perfect outing for a family and we will definitely be back.

Absolutely fantastic museum. I had a personal guided tour (having turned up unexpectedly so they had to happily abandon their lunch) of the extensive site, with lots to take in. The displays were some of the best I have ever come across at a railway museum. The more dangerous workshop areas had great viewing galleries and there was plenty to explore including a signal box with leavers to pull and carriages to walk through including getting behind the bar in a buffet car. The cafe was lovely, and well patronised by locals so clearly the food is consistently good. The only thing I'd say this place needs is a shop! The cafe had a calender and guide book, but was surprised there was none of the usual array books, DVDs, pens, Thomas toys etc that all other heritage railways seem to carry. It just meant I couldn't give them more of my money (at 7 quid entrance was a real bargain). Well worth a visit, and easy to get to by train from the centre of Belfast.

Fabulous day on the steam train to Whitehead, special thanks to Mark for a fantastic experience.

Went for afternoon tea in a steam train carriage. It was a wonderful 5 star experience. The food and the very attentive staff. The museum was also open.

Admirable historic railway museum run by dedicated enthusiasts. Good café too!

Very short ride very little to see .children very disappointed thought it would be a longer more scenic route not worth the money

Love it was at it today with larne base

It was a nice experience with my granddaughter but it didn't go very far. But hey if you don't do it and pay the fare, it will disappear! They need contributions x

Today's visit was for a bite of lunch in the Cafe, after a bracing walk on Whitehead coastal path.Good service and food.

Food was lovely. Service great. ONLY negative is the building was very cold. We will definitely be back

Tour guide was hard work he got visibly upset that my 3 year old didnt want to listen to the history of NI railways 🤣

Very kind staff we go there every week for 1h. Sometimes it is closed on Thursdays but otherwise Very good cafe!! Very organised! My grandson Ethan loves it!

Lovely little coffee shop, reasonable prices and excellent staff

Train ran nearly an hour late. Missed connections.

Absolutely lovely steam train journey...Staff so friendly

Went on the santa 🎅 steam train from Central Station. For 2 adults and 2 children £100. We'll let me tell you is certainly wasn't worth the money. Very rushed and as you can see from the pictures santa never even greeted the children. A total waste of money and time. And the present couldn't have cost more than £3. Never again. My daughter 4 loved it. My son 5 was bored 😴 to death. He really didn't like it. So save your money 💰 and go to the Ark open farm.

Quaint and good restaurant Extremely interesting tour and various reconstruction projects being carried out Just a great day out more than worth a visit

We turned up on spec, not knowing what to expect apart from that the café would be open. But we had a fabulous impromptu look around the whole site, and were really warmly welcomed. A terrific bonus to a great holiday!

Super day out for those interested in trains. Cafe was excellent, friendly staff. Guide for the tour was friendly and informative. Enjoyable day.

Superb displays and knowledgeable guide made for a very enjoyable afternoon.

The guided tour is great and there are several interactive exhibits in the recreated signal box. If you like trains you will enjoy this museum. Whitehead is easy to get to by rail from Belfast. The route is scenic towards the later stops. Regular train service. The museum is a 5 minute walk from the station and the towns promenade is quite pretty. Be warned the gift shop only opens on days where they operate vintage trains and holiday peak time.

Rip off we went for the "steam train ride 😳😳😳😳 joke . We booked 2 tables as the web site said 2to a table there was 4 of us. The Web site said admission to museum included it wasn't. We got there and were told that the table seats 4 😳 then we were charged £20 to visit the museum. Then to cap it all the cafe was very disorganised. I know its all voluntary but children SHOULD NOT be allowed behind the counter and in the kitchen regardless especially at the moment with covid. So I gave it 3 stars . Will give it 1 more try .

Loved it. U get a guided tour its £7 for adult and even seen a steam train go past.

Very good all round experience friendly staff

Sadly it was not open on my visit to the town but it did look small with very little to do except look at a train.

Lovely wee place and looks a nice place for lunch in the café Next time I'm around here think we will go for breakfast and possibly take a tour.

Great time had with grandchildren, friendly staff

Steam train was good fun though very short trip..

Stopped in here today while out and about in Whitehead. We had a bite to eat in the Edwardian tea room, then had the guided tour. Very informative and interesting tour. Some hands on, some no touch displays. A great way to burn an hour or so.

Great atmosphere in little restaurant, good quality food plus entertainment on a Friday afternoon

Took the grandkids for a first trip on the steam train and they loved it great experience for us all for some of the grandkids it was a first time on a train ever as one of them said I can tell my teacher about this. So was educational as well great time had by all

Thanks so much to Lisa and Don for their patience and kindness. My little boy decided to throw a temper tantrum from hell but Don and Lisa were so kind and worked with him. It's a lovely place to visit and Don was a really informative guide. We enjoyed the signal box and hearing all the stories from the past. The cafe is beautiful too. They host lots of events throughout the year and are staffed by volunteers. It's a great day out, really interesting and insightful. Something a little bit different.

Wonderful. My nine year loved it

Great to see the RPSI Museum... hadn't been before and it was well laid out and interesting. The volunteers are so friendly. Looking forward to the resumption of railtours.

Went on one of the short trips up and down the track. My 3yo loved it. Great value for money

Great place to visit if you like trains and how the railways work ,no trains running when I was there because of covid , we got a guided tour of signal box ,station buildings and the story of the museum then it's a self guided tour of the other buildings with information boards ,I enjoyed the whole trip as a railway enthusiasts who goes to different Railway museums and heritage railways in UK .

We took our 5 year old on the steam train and he loved it! Back to the cafe for lunch. Friendly staff and a nice family day out!

Brought my son here for his birthday. The staff are lovely, really went above and beyond to make his day special. Great fun on the train and the wee play park nearby

Great place. The children and us adults loved riding on the steam train. Lovely staff, very helpful, pleasant and caring. Thank you.

Fantastic work restoration on old steam trains

Absolutely fabulous day out the museum is brilliant and the trip on the train was fantastic. Staff could not have done enough for us . Thanks especially to sue and Norman , you made a little boy extremely happy.

Fabulous experience! The staff at Whitehead Railway Museum are so knowledgeable and obviously love what they do! It is a must visit for any railway enthusiast- trains, carriages, railway memorabilia and all the stories to go with them, the museum has it all!! The cafe has a wide selection of food, is clean and tidy and also has a lovely seating area on the platform for dining outside. The staff in the cafe are also very social and happy to help. Covid measures were all adhered to, social distancing and lots of hand sanitising stations. A thoroughly enjoyable experience! Keep up the good work Whitehead Railway Museum!!

Absolutely fantastic place well worth a visit

Throughly enjoyed my visit very interesting and plenty to see and very helpful staff it's well worth a visit

Nice food staff volunteers very keen and belpful

Great place to pull up for a fry to set you up for the journey.

Nice museum, has a cafe and steam train rides.

Staff were brilliant on the train and cafe, lovely day out

A comprehensive array of steam and diesel locomotives, as well as carriages and other rolling stock. Although we arrived without having pre-booked, we were welcomed cordially and shown around the various exhibits by enthusiastic knowledgeable volunteers. If you are a railway geek, this is a great place to be. And the Platform Three Café serves delicious light meals. I cannot recommend this place enough; I must have spent about three hours there, and would have stayed longer, but felt that I had tried my wife's patience enough. The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland does marvellous work, restoring rolling stock that would otherwise be lost to us for ever. Go to Whitehead and pay them a visit, and have a poke around their amazing exhibits. They do steam train rides too - though not when we were there - and special events throughout the year, COVID restrictions permitting. Definitely a destination not to miss! Thank you for a fascinating few hours.

Absolutely superb experience great service from all the staff at the railway museum.

Interesting visit. Nice cafe for relaxing.

Was there to visit the the railway And had steam train rides within The station very good must say Was a bit late had to wait till Turn

Paid a visit to get some of their take-away Irish stew. It was a very good meal, it came with slices of bread and the little packets of butter. The restaurant has been re-named as Platform 3, and a new chef is working there. He does great work.

I went in 2018 and this place was fantastic. There were no official tours on but still one of the staff took nearly two hours out of his day to show just the two of us around. A fantastic place. Well worth the visit. Even if you're not a massive railway fan there's lots to learn and the people here could not be more friendly and helpful if they tried. A treasured memory of our trip to NI.

Lovely place to trip with children.

Went on the steam train. It didn't go very far. You got 3 trips back and forth. It wasn't very expensive 20£ for 8 people. The museum is extra its good for a day out with the kids especially if they like trains

Friendly staff and excellent job of maintaining the vintage trains. A great day out.

Well wot a interesting we fine the staff were brilliant and full of knowledge. Social distancing was well maintained hand sanitizer was at every entrance. When we went to the signal control house we were allowed to pull the leaver to move the sign thr kids thought this was good fun!!

Great tour with Trevor, more interesting than the trains at the Transport Museum

What has happened here ordered vegetable soup hard veg sausage roll was microwaved to oblivion staff not very friendly wont be back although we found a lovely cafe at the train station where food was lovely and staff very attentive

Friendly staff showing off these wonderful machines

Absolutely fantastic day out for granddad's birthday. Tour was great and they really looked after us.

The whitehead railway museum is a very interesting place to visit it has some nice engines we got sausage rolls and salad and chicken and chips in the tea room it was delicious would recomend a visit

This place is a hidden gem. Steeped in history, it presents a fascinating snapshot of both what it takes to bring the old, historic, railway engines back to life and what it took to run the local railway system back in the day. First class facilities are second to none and it is totally, safely accessible for all members of the public, especially the disabled. The tearoom evokes the Victorian period and serves food that is both tasty and quality. During the Summer, you can experience first hand getting on a steam train too! The sights, sounds and smells recreate what I would call a true time machine and the whole experience adds up to a "grand day out" for family, adults, children and enthusiasts alike!

I wouldn't even rate it a one tbh

Nice day out for the whole family

This IS the place to find Irish railway history incarnate. Bring a tissue as you will both cry for joy and with sadness looking at the unbelievable restoration of these beloved memories and the state of those still to be restored. The town and stations are a walk in to the past. Bring your camera and check the timetable to actually see the trains running. Remember a train is not just for Christmas.

Really interesting place to visit. Even if your not big into old trains.

Excellent small museum for the enthusiast

A hidden gem in the restoration of old steam engines and rolling stock. The guided tour is a must do.

More to see than you would think also today had a model railway exhibition too.

Excellent museum with loads to see.

Great Place, Very Very nice Volunteers, Came here on the 9th of June 2018, 24th of November 2018, 13th of July 2019 and I am coming back in two weeks from today, The 9th of November 2019 Fun Fact: My favorite Engine is GSR & CIE 461/DSER 15