Steam Museum, Straffan facts for kids
| An Músaem Innealtóireachta | |
An Ingersoll Rand air compressor, Imperial Type 10 (c. 1912)
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| Established | 1988 |
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| Location | Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland |
| Type | Steam museum |
| Public transit access | Straffan bus stop (Bus Éireann routes 120, 121, 123) |
The Steam Museum & Lodge Park Walled Garden is a super cool place to visit in Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland. It's a special museum that shows off amazing machines powered by steam! It also has a beautiful old garden.
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Where to Find the Museum
The Steam Museum is in a unique building. It used to be a church in Dublin, near a big railway workshop. But then, the whole church building was carefully moved. It was taken apart and rebuilt right here in Straffan, Kildare!
The museum is part of a place called Lodge Park. This used to be a very large old house. It also has an amazing walled garden from the 1700s. A walled garden is a garden surrounded by high walls. These walls help protect the plants inside.
What You Can See Inside
Steam Engines and Trains
This museum has a fantastic collection of steam engines. You can see small model trains that work just like real ones. There are also big, real steam engines. These engines were once used in factories and for other important jobs.
Two of the trains on display are very old. They were used in the late 1800s by a company called the Great Northern Railway. Imagine how fast they seemed back then!
Industrial Steam Power
The museum also shows how steam power helped industries. You can see a huge beam engine. This type of engine was used in the old Midleton Whiskey Distillery. It helped power the machines there.
Another cool engine is a pumping engine. This one worked at Jameson's Distillery in Dublin. It helped pump liquids around the factory. There's even a beam engine that was put into Smithwick's Brewery in Kilkenny way back in 1847! These engines show how important steam was for making things.
Visiting the Museum
The Steam Museum is open for visitors during the summer months. You can visit from Wednesday to Sunday. The museum welcomes guests from 2 PM to 6 PM. It's a great place to learn about history and how steam power changed the world.
The museum also has a small café. You can grab a snack or a drink there. There's also a little shop where you can find souvenirs.
