Transperience facts for kids

Auditorium of the former Transperience transport museum, February 2010

Transperience was a special museum all about passenger transport. It was located in Low Moor, a place in the south of Bradford, West Yorkshire, Northern England. The museum opened its doors in July 1995. Sadly, it closed just two years later in October 1997. It had to close because it owed more than £1 million.

What Was Transperience?

Building the Museum

The Transperience museum was built on the old site of Low Moor railway station, which had closed way back in 1965. Building the museum cost a lot of money, about £11.5 million!

Fun Things to See and Do

Inside the museum, there was a special tram line that was about 1 kilometer (or 1,094 yards) long. This line used part of an old railway track called the Spen Valley Line. Visitors could ride on a tram from Hungary or even a trolleybus. The museum also had cool vehicle simulators, which let you feel like you were driving different vehicles. There was also a large auditorium for shows or presentations.

Why It Closed

Even with all these interesting things, the museum didn't get as many visitors as everyone hoped. Because not enough people came, the museum couldn't make enough money to stay open. This is why it had to close its doors in 1997.

What Happened to the Site?

The Site Today

After the museum closed, the land was sold in 1998 to a company that builds properties. Today, the area where Transperience once stood is now an industrial estate. Some parts of the old museum, like the auditorium, are still there.

Where Did the Vehicles Go?

The vehicles that were part of the museum's collection were sold to other places. For example, some went to the Keighley Bus Museum. Others found a new home at the Dewsbury Bus Museum. This way, these historic vehicles could still be seen and enjoyed by people.

A New Railway Station

Interestingly, the land that the Transperience museum used to occupy is now home to the new Low Moor railway station. This means trains are once again stopping at this location, just like they did before the museum was built.