Darlington’s newest visitor attraction – opening Summer 2024

£35 million is being spent on Hopetown Darlington, which will encompass both purpose-built and heritage buildings – including the former Head of Steam Museum – into a major family attraction.

Goods Shed

Spanning 323,000 square feet, or 7.5 acres, the site will feature a £600,000 train-themed outdoor adventure playpark, a £1 million permanent 4D railway-themed time-travelling ride and a new exhibition hall which will play host to blockbuster exhibitions and events all year round.

The level of investment that has been made in this site is really something to celebrate. Darlington is known around the world for the part we played in global history, and now we are also placing ourselves on the map as a town that offers a major family visitor attraction. Hopetown Darlington will draw in tens of thousands of visitors to our town each year and create hundreds of jobs, as well as bringing footfall to local shops and businesses. With a playground and blockbuster special exhibitions as well as a state-of-the-art reimagining of how the permanent collection is displayed, it is going to be a brilliant asset for our town and our region.

A £3.6 million investment into the railway museum’s interpretation of Darlington’s internationally-significant railway heritage heralds the 200^th anniversary of the S&DR in 2025.

Also on site will be a new community hub encouraging visitors to engage with the museum’s collections and add to their context through community-led exhibitions and events.

Amongst the onsite partners is the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, which is already occupying the new custom-built Darlington Locomotive Works. Visitors will be able to visit the Trust’s new premises and watch from a viewing platform as the Trust’s volunteers and staff carry out the maintenance and construction of steam locomotives.