National Railway Museum’s Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery celebrates first birthday

The interactive gallery has proved a popular draw for the York museum, welcoming over 120,000 visitors since it opened in July 2023.

Wonderlab features 18 hands-on exhibits, developed in partnership with the rail industry and other experts. It aims to inspire curiosity around the themes of engineering and the railways, encouraging children to experiment, problem-solve and learn through fun.

Aimed at 7-14-year-olds and their families, but with something for everyone, the gallery offers the chance to test a human-sized wind tunnel, build a set of wheels and test them on a track and create rail infrastructure on an augmented reality sandbox.

The gallery has also proved a hit with school groups. A dedicated team of explainers demonstrate STEM concepts through spectacular live science shows and demonstrations that are open to all and run throughout the day.

Fiona Brook visited the gallery with six-year-old Wilf. In a review on parenting community website York Mumbler, she said: “The ability to be hands on with pretty much everything in the gallery was brilliant for a child who is into everything, and Wilf was able to understand the STEM concepts behind the exhibits”.

Wilf’s review was simply “The best day ever”.

Play Revolution is an interactive art installation within Wonderlab designed by Leeds-based artist Pippa Hale. New for summer 2024, the museum has launched special age-focused sessions inside the space, facilitated by expert staff members who encourage children to design, build and test creations in an open and active way.

Design team De Matos Ryan recently picked up a York Design Award in the non-residential category for their work on the gallery.

Toufic Machnouk, Network Rail’s Director, Industry Partnership for Digital Railway, said: “As someone with a young family in York, there isn’t a family I know who hasn’t gone to Wonderlab, isn’t going to Wonderlab, or isn’t wanting to go to Wonderlab”.

Through the museum’s Community Access Scheme, 746 free tickets have been issued to community groups or charitable organisations. The gallery also offers discounts to SEND and Looked after children through its participation in the Max Card scheme.

The gallery’s major funding partner is the Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation. Wonderlab has also received funding from Garfield Weston Foundation, Eversholt Rail, Friends of the National Railway Museum, the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, The Holbeck Charitable Trust, the Kirby Laing Foundation, and the Charles and Elsie Sykes Trust.