This beloved tram museum is shutting forever

Did you know that Blackpool’s tramway is one of the oldest electric tramways in the world? Or that it’s the last surviving system of its kind in the UK? Or that it’s one of only a few tramways in the world still using double decker trams? If you’ve ever visited the town’s Tramtown museum, you’d know all about it. 

Tramtown tells the history of Blackpool’s tramway, which dates back to 1885, and the vehicles that have run along it. It’s home to around 50 heritage trams and a workshop where those trams go to be restored. The museum has been closed since February because of an electrical fault, but now it has been forced to close its doors for good.

The news follows an independent survey that found the 1920s building that the museum lives in to be unsafe. Local leaders looked into ways they could save the building but concluded that there is no safe or affordable solution except for demolition. 

Councillor Lynn Williams said: ‘While the work was ongoing fixing the electrics at Tramtown, an independent structural engineer carried out a survey of the building.

‘That independent report has come back saying that the building is unsafe. The only public entrance is unsafe and we can’t gamble with the safety of volunteers and visitors by opening an unsafe building. Equally, bad weather last month ripped even more panels off the roof which has led to it leaking again.’

There is some hope for Blackpool’s heritage tram collection, though. Blackpool Council has pledged to ‘build something better’ for the historic vehicles. Williams promised that a joint steering group would be set up to oversee plans for a replacement attraction. 

In the short term, the council is looking into potential pop‑up displays of the vintage trams along the seafront during the summer months. For the long term, the operator hopes to find funding for a permanent new home. 

ICYMI: This medieval English town’s abandoned lido is being turned into a waterpark. 

Plus: The British city that is set to get its iconic river bus back. 

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