nwmort

History of the museum building

The building within which the North West Museum of Road Transport is housed was
constructed in 1881 for the town's horse-drawn trams. It continued in use for public transport purposes, housing steam and electric trams, trolleybuses and motor buses, firstly-by St Helens Corporation and latterly by Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive until 1985. The museum society was able to obtain a lease on the premises, which had always remained in the ownership of St Helens Council, and moved into the now rather run-down building in 1986. In 1994 the poor condition of the roof meant that the facility had to be closed to the public, although members were still able to work on the exhibits at times. A huge effort saw the building renovated and the roof replaced, resulting in the museum reopening in 2006. Grants had been obtained from the Single Regeneration Budget, European Regional Development Fund, Neighbourhood Renewal Funding, North West Coalfields Community Campaign and the DTI, together with a substantial contribution from the museum itself.

Getting there
The museum is in Hall Street, near to the NHS Millennium Centre in the town centre. It is a few minutes' walk from St. Helens Central railway station. The bus station nearby is being rebuilt and the temporary bus station on Chalon Way is about 15 minutes walk.

There is a small public car park opposite the entrance to the museum and parking is available on nearby streets. Brown tourist signs for the museum lead to Birchley Street car park near the Town Hall, which is about 10 minutes walk to the museum.

There are major roadworks in progress at the junction of Hall Street and Corporation Street and this junction is closed to traffic. Road access to the Museum is from Shaw Street and Hall Street to the north.

Opening times
Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 4pm

Admission prices
£7.50 for adults
Accompanied children under 16 years FREE (max 4 per group)
Disabled £7.50, one accompanying carer free

On our special event days you can also visit the model railways of Rainhill Model Railway Club which are housed within the museum. Rainhill MRC Web Site

We are a dog friendly museum and welcome responsible dog owners.

Travelling to the museum by train, then why not use use...

Help YOUR museum with

"Every Penny Counts"

AmazonSmile is a way for customers to support the North West Museum of Road Transport.

Amazon shoppers who start at "smile.amazon.co.uk" will find the same Amazon they know and love, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the price to the North West Museum of Road Transport.

Take this link to Smile Amazon and start helping your museum....Link to Amazon Smile

Thank you for your support.

Autumn Heritage Bus Running Day and Transport Fair Fabulous 40s! It's 40 years since bus deregulation in 1986 and we're also celebrating our 40th anniversary of the Museum here in Hall Street Depot. Exhibitions, transport-themed sales stalls with books, models, photos and ephemera. Free rides on historic buses on different routes in St Helens.Read More

Date:25-10-2026 10:00 - 25-10-2026 16:00
Location

Upcoming Events

Title	Date	Day
Christmas Santa Weekend	05 Dec 2026	Saturday

Past Events

Title	Date	Day
Classic Car Show	11 Oct 2026	Sunday
Summer Family Fun Day	26 Jul 2026	Sunday
Emergency Services Day	28 Jun 2026	Sunday
Spring Transport Fair and Classic Bus Running Day	08 Mar 2026	Sunday

Library

The museum has a library of over 1000 articles. We are adding a new category, Service & Parts Manuals. Select the link to display the catalogue.

Learn More

The Workshops

A great deal of effort is given by volunteers to keep the museums fleet on the road. The workshops at the rear of the museum currently house a number of vehicles which are going through various stages on maintenance. From a simple service to a complete engine replacement, the work is all done by volunteers.

Restoration

Restoration of the fleet is an on going project for the team of volunteers. The following pages will you keep you updated on progress.

"Classic Car Day" - Update

Another very successful day, the Classic Car event with North West Casual Classics

Membership Application

This is an exciting time for the Museum, and we need your support! If you would like to help, you can become a member by completing the membership application. We value the support of all our members, and if you would like to become actively involved as a 'working member', there are plenty of opportunities to work on all types of vehicles.

Learn More

North West Museum of Road Transport, 51 Hall Street, St.Helens, Merseyside, WA10 1DU, UK
Registered Charity No 513262

+44-01744 451681
info@nwmort.uk
Saturdays and Sundays 10:00 to 16:00

"

History

Collections

Privately owned bus collection.

The Museum owned bus collection.

Museum owned commercial and fire fighting equipment

Private owned cars, light commercial & emergency vehicles

Visit

Fund Raising

Virtual tour