Pendon Museum

What it’s like

Tiny, painstaking model railways and 1930s English landscapes, with free drop-in model making for kids aged 6 to 14.

This one's built around looking closely. The dioramas recreate English countryside and villages as they were around 1930, all in miniature, and on select days you get to watch the Madder Valley model railway actually run, which is the bit that turns "nice models" into something a six-year-old will stop and stare at. It rewards a slow wander rather than a dash through, so build in more time than you think you need.

Alongside the display side there's a free drop-in session where kids aged 6 to 14 can have a go at model making themselves. That age range is worth noting: this isn't really pitched at toddlers or younger children, it's built for kids old enough to sit still, look properly and use their hands on something fiddly.

It's not an everyday-open museum. You're looking at weekends and bank holidays between February and November, Wednesdays in the school holidays, and the first Thursday of the month from June to October, with hours of 11am to 4pm and last entry at 3.15pm. Check which day you're going lines up with one of those, because turning up on the wrong Tuesday means a wasted trip. There is free entry on the 12th, 13th and 16th of September, which is worth pencilling in if those dates suit.

Need to know

Best for

6 to 14, the model making sessions need that age

Last entry

3.15pm

• Opening days are limited and specific, so check the calendar matches February-November weekends, school holiday Wednesdays or the first Thursday June-October
• Last entry is 3.15pm even though the museum runs till 4pm
• The Madder Valley railway only runs on select days, not every visit
• Free entry falls on 12th, 13th and 16th September

Plan your visit

See all Model Villages & Miniature Railways in Reading · Things to do in Reading