HOURS OF OPERATION
HOURS OF OPERATION
HOURS OF OPERATION
The museum is open every day (except December 25)
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From January 1 to March 31: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April 1 to October 31: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
November 1 to December 31: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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The bookshop-boutique and the restaurant are open during museum hours.
​
The museum is open every day (except December 25)
​
From January 1 to March 31: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April 1 to October 31: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
November 1 to December 31: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
​
The bookshop-boutique and the restaurant are open during museum hours.
​
The museum is open every day (except December 25)
​
From January 1 to March 31: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April 1 to October 31: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
November 1 to December 31: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
​
The bookshop-boutique and the restaurant are open during museum hours.
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RESTAURANT "THE MISTRAL"
RESTAURANT "THE MISTRAL"
RESTAURANT "THE MISTRAL"
MEMBER AREA
1960's
1961
1965
The equipment and traction department of the SNCF decide to gather the 36 pieces of railway equipment stored in the former warehouse of Chalon-sur-Saône.
The president of the AFAC (Association Française des Amis du Chemin de Fer), Daniel Claire, brings out a catalogue written by Michel DOERR, “Chemin de fer d’hier pour un musée ferroviaire français”, which attracts the attention of the Société Industrielle de Mulhouse (SIM - industrial society of Mulhouse) and of a young industrial, Jean-Mathis HORRENBERGER.
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1968
1969
The Minister of Transport asks for a favorable opinion on the principle and the methods of creating such a museum. The restoration of the machines is carried out in the SNCF workshops which is at a drop in load.
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The latter creates the association AMFCF (Association du Musée Français du Chemin de Fer) whose aim is to create and develop a French railway museum in Mulhouse.
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The SNCF, in partnership with the Ministry of Transport, accepts the proposition of the SIM.
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1970's
1971
1974
The French railway museum temporarily opens its doors, on the location of the former steam railway depot of Mulhouse Nord.
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At the same time, the city of Mulhouse starts the construction of a building which will host a few years later the collection of equipment heritage of the SNCF.
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The municipality of Mulhouse undertakes the construction of a building to house a few years later the collection of SNCF heritage materials.
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June 29 : the first stone of the Mulhouse museum is laid. The construction of a first section of 6 exhibition tracks (860 meters) can start.
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1976
The French railway museum moves to its new location in Dornach where 52 moving machines from the SNCF collection are being showcased on 6000 m² of exhibition space.
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1980's
1982
1983
1984
As the exhibition space gains 6 new tracks, the museum sets a new attendance record. It receives the diploma “Prestige de la France”.
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Opening of the second section of the museum with six new routes bringing the number of exhibition routes to twelve (13,000 m²).
May 15 : the second section of the museum is officially inaugurated by André Chadeau, president of the SNCF, who presents Jean-Mathis Horrenberger with the prestige diploma of France.
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1990's
1995
The leaders of the museum decide to undergo massive work. Amongst other things, the project contains a new exhibition space, financed by state and regional aids.
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2000's
2002
2003
September 19 : 10 materials from the museum's collection leave Mulhouse to go to Paris.
From May 17 to June 15 : while the museum is under construction, part of its collection is presented on the Champs-Elysées as part of the "Train Capitale" event. The materials on display are seen by more than 5,000,000 curious visitors, distinguished visitors and numerous media from all over the world.
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2004
2005
2007
The museum is closed all year round for major modernization work, notably with the construction of a new 6,000 m² exhibition building.
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June 18 : a management mandate for the Musée Français du Chemin de Fer is officially signed with the company Culturespaces. The museum was then renamed "Cité du Train".
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The French railway museum becomes the Cité du Train and hosts a new exhibition building of 6000 m² with 27 pieces of railway equipment divided into 6 themes.
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February 5 : presentation by Philippe Mirville, new president of the AMFCF, of a multi-year action plan concerning the second phase of modernization of the Cité du Train.
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October 16 : presentation of the "Quays of History" project concerning the modernization of the former 13,000 m² exhibition hall.
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2008
Year of major works with the construction of the Tram-train line from Mulhouse to Kruth, the renovation of the hub, the transporter bridge and the repair of the roof of the old building.
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March 31 : start of important maneuvers of the collection before the removal of the exterior track plan for the work of the tram-train within the framework of the future exhibition of the "Quays of History".
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2009
January 15 : start of development work on the "Quays of History"
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2010's
2010
2011
Delivery of new collection material from the Mohon reserve (BB 9291 Capitole, Mistral 69 and Grand Confort coaches, etc.) and the Y 7199 locotractor in its "Cité du Train" livery assigned to the shunting service.
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The historical building of the museum is entirely revisited and offers a permanent chronological exhibition about the railway history in France: “The Platforms of History”. This exhibition is launched on the 29th of April by the president of the SNCF, Guillaume PEPY, and the president of Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération, Jean-Marie BOCKEL.
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2013
2018
The exhibition space of the Cité du Train gains more than 10,000 m² with the creation of the “Railway Panorama”, an outdoor area dedicated to railway activities and permanent as well as temporary exhibitions of railway equipment.
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The Cité du Train becomes the “Cité du Train - Patrimoine SNCF”. Today, it is the biggest railway museum in Europe, and welcomes 100,000 visitors each year.
2020's
2021
June 12 : the Cité du Train celebrates its 50th anniversary with the online publication of a digital retrospective entirely devoted to its history: a human, aesthetic and technical adventure.
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April 29 : Arrival from Ambronay, in the Ain, by exceptional convoy, a "rail icon" integrates the museum's collections: the engine of the TGV Atlantique number 325, holder of two world speed records at 482.4 and 515.3 km/h established in 1989 and 1990.
2022