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Model Villages & Miniature Railways in Leicester

Abbey Park Miniature Railway is the easy one, right in Leicester, with rides from £1.50 on selected Sundays and Bank Holidays. Out at Wistow, the model village is free to look round (they just ask for a donation), with more than 75 miniature buildings, a mini railway and a canal set in a walled garden. Melton Mowbray has its own volunteer-run railway in Wilton Park, with weekend rides from about £2 between Easter and October. If you want more than a railway ride, a drive out to Nottingham for the Great Central Railway is worth it: free entry, £3 parking, and a flat 25-acre site with steam trains, old buses and a dog-friendly café, easy going for buggies. Wistow suits toddlers who just want to peer at tiny houses, while Abbey Park and Melton Mowbray are better for children old enough to enjoy the ride itself. All of these are outdoor, so a dry day makes a real difference to how much anyone enjoys the walk between exhibits.

✓ 6 places✦ 3 free to visit