It’s really good fun having a goal of 80 days out in one year. Why? Because not only does it get us out as much as possible but we are trying so many places we’ve never managed to visit before. In the past, we’d visit a few of our favourites a number of times and only visit a few new places in a year. This year we have been to more new places than old. It’s a great way of not only supporting local businesses but providing me with more content for my website. Sandtoft Trolleybus museum was one of those places that I was glad we visited and supported. Having a diverse range of days out is also great for teaching the little one about the world.
Sandtoft Trolleybus museum has a Doncaster address but it is located in North Lincolnshire. It has the largest collection of Trolleybuses in the UK. We have also visited Crich with the largest collection of Trams in the UK. What I hadn’t truly appreciated is how a tram is different from a trolleybus. The Trolleybus museum is clearly for enthusiasts and of them, we saw a few. It is, however, a lovely place to spend a few hours as a family.
This was day 25 of our #80dayschallenge to have at least 80 days out in one year.
Sandtoft Trolleybus Museum Doncaster – A Review
On arrival at the Trolleybus museum, we did actually wonder if we’d manage to pass more than an hour there. It’s not big by any means but if you go on a couple of trolleybus rides, stop for some lunch and go on the bus tour of the area then you can spend around 3-4 hours here.
The main thing to note about visiting the Trolleybus museum is that you will need cash. They have no card machines at all. Luckily my Mum always carries cash so entrance to the museum and lunch were all on her. I hadn’t thought to check first!
Trolleybus Rides
When you purchase your tickets you are each handed an old coin for the Trolleybus rides. This is exchanged for an all day rider ticket when you go on your first trolleybus ride. They had three trolleybuses rotating during our visit and all were double deckers. They were like the old style London buses and they have a series of lines around the site which the trolleybuses use to ride around. They change the lines over a few times during each ride which is fun to watch. We went on a ride before and after lunch on two different buses.
1950’s house, cinema and more
They have a really cute 1950’s house that you can have a look around. There is so much in such a small space. Trolleybuses were an important and much used form of transport in the 1950’s so it was nice to link the buses up to things from that era.
They also have a few ‘shop’ windows that you can look in over by the cafe. If you walk in the opposite direction to the trolleybus hangar and past the cafe, you will find a small bike shop with old bikes to look at. There’s also a couple of fun petrol pumps outside to pose by. The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft is run by volunteers and even the bike shop had two friendly volunteers waiting inside.
There is also a small cinema room which was playing old videos of Trolleybuses back in the day. There is an old telephone exchange in here which my son loved playing with. Next door to here they will soon be opening up a display with a miniature train track and old style toys.
The Trolleybus Hangar
The Trolleybus museum is on the site of the old RAF base for Sandtoft. The old plane hangar is where they now house their large collection of Trolleybuses. We actually found this quite disappointing and we felt that it really needs to be improved on. There were just far too many trolleybuses in one space. It was virtually impossible to walk around and look at the buses.
My 5 year old managed to squeeze down more aisles than us but we really struggled which seemed a shame. It would be nice to have seen less with more room to move around. If any of the trolleybuses aren’t roped off you are able to wander in to have a look around.
Bus ride in the villages
It is worth going on the afternoon bus ride of the local villages. You get to ride on an old double-decker bus and the volunteer who gave the commentary upstairs was very good. He was very informative about the local area and made the drive around a lot more interesting than had he not been there.
Play Area
There is a play area with a slide and two swings at Sandtoft Trolleybus museum. But with declining funds it has gone to ruin and it is no longer usable. This is a shame but understandable. I am hoping that this post will inspire more people to visit and in return hopefully they will upgrade their facilities for children.
They also had a room next to the playground with a couple of play buses for toddlers. These were very cute but I fear families could be disappointed by a playground that is unusable. We are all for supporting small attractions and I hope that you will visit.
The Cafe
The cafe certainly has the feel of stepping back in time to the 1950’s. They are limited in what they serve but it was cheap and it was tasty. I think my Mum only spent just over £10 on our hot food and drinks. It’s basically bacon or sausage in a bap, cheesy chips or sausage and chips, bacon and chips. I opted for cheesy chips with sausage and it was really tasty. Nice heart warming food. Jamie was delighted by the front end of a bus that they have in the cafe. Kids are welcome to sit and play with the large steering wheel.
Further Information
Because it is run by volunteers the museum is only open on a select few days of the year. It is open between April to November and each month it is open for about 2-6 days. They even offer trolleybus driving experience days. Please check their website for opening days and times.
Currently it costs £8.00 for an adult admission ticket this includes gift aid at 10%. Concessions are £5.00 which includes children aged 5-16. Under 5’s are free and a family ticket is £25.00.
For even more days out ideas in Lincolnshire please check out this post – 200 Great Family Friendly Things to do in Lincolnshire – Days out
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