A blend of 1950s window displays and guided tours on old-world electric buses take you back in time in this comprehensive museum in the outskirts of Doncaster.
The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft contains one of the world’s most extensive collections of trolleybuses. The vehicles comprise rubber-tired vehicles hooked up to electric wires stretching across the top of the open-air museum. Climb aboard this old-fashioned mode of transportation to follow in the footsteps of past generations.
Gather all the facts about trolleybuses in this museum, which occupies a former bomber airfield from World War II. Get a chance to ride these colorful behemoths and take a guided tour of the local area on a retro bus. Vehicles from London and Maidstone adorn the site, beside antiquated phone booths, stamp machines and lamp boxes.
The museum evokes a sense of wistfulness with its shop window displays showcasing gadgets and tools from the 1950s and ’60s. Spot clunky television sets among the old memorabilia. Lawn mowers and bicycles of yesteryear fill the Sunbeam Cycle Shop, where demonstrations and bike repair sessions take place. Step inside the 1950s Prefabricated Bungalow to complete your journey to post-war England.
Pastries and hot meals are available at the café, while the museum shop has a range of transportation-related trinkets on sale. Lay out a blanket on the grassy patch in front of the museum on a sunny day and enjoy a picnic. Let your kids frolic in the play area and try the “Have a Go at Driving” simulation aboard a mini-trolleybus.
The museum opens only on specific Trolleydays between the end of March and November. Check the online brochure for the three or four monthly dates. There is a fee to enter the museum toddlers get in for free.
The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft is in the eastern periphery of Doncaster. The quickest route from Doncaster to the village of Sandtoft is by car, taking about 25 minutes. The site has many free parking spaces. Explore the region for other attractions, such as the River Torne and Lindholme Lakes Country Park.
