[Family Travel] Taipei Railway Exhibition That Will Delight Any Train-Loving Kid

Ever since I took Big Brother on a train ride to Taoyuan and Yilan not long ago, this little guy has become obsessed with trains. Every time he hears about taking a train, his eyes just light up. Kids are all like that—they go through phases where they get really into something, whether it's trains or dinosaurs. So I silently made up my mind: the promised little train trip couldn’t just stay a promise—we had to make it happen, hand in hand, and go on our very own train journey around Taiwan. But before that, let’s take Big Brother to experience a mini train adventure at Taipei City Hall first!

For someone like me who doesn’t drive but loves family outings, public transportation is my lifeline. So any place accessible by MRT makes for a great self-guided family travel destination!

Located.

The Exploration Hall is divided into four floors: the Taipei Impression Hall on the first floor, the Special Exhibition Hall on the second floor, the Urban Exploration Hall on the third floor, and the Time-Dialogue Hall on the fourth floor. The currently ongoing Taipei Railway Exhibition is located on the second floor.

The second-floor exhibition hall itself isn’t very large, but it’s compact and lovely, and not too crowded. The most captivating exhibit for Big Brother was this diesel DR Self-Powered train.

This little guy played in front of this train at least ten times back and forth—how fun was it? Just look at his expression and you’ll know. But what exactly was he playing with?

It turns out the projection screen in front of the train features the historically significant “Tengyun” locomotive. By standing in a designated spot in front of the train and using the 3D camera, you can transform into a little train conductor.

Speaking of which, the Tengyun locomotive is currently on static display next to the National Taiwan Museum.

But in the Taipei Exploration Hall, it’s presented as a 3D projection of the Tengyun locomotive. Thanks to the tech-based projection, Big Brother became a little train conductor, and seeing himself appear on the screen made him so happy he started dancing with joy.

3D projections are also available inside the train car, letting you switch roles from conductor to driver. Just watching the little guy run back and forth between the inside and outside of the train, mom couldn’t help but join in the fun too!

On weekdays, the Taipei Exploration Hall isn’t too crowded, making it the perfect place for train-loving kids to play to their heart’s content—though remember, no running in the exhibition area!

The diesel DR Self-Powered train itself is like a mini exhibition area. In addition to actual train seats, there are also many historical railway items and precious footage on display. You can also see images of former stations along the Taipei to Tamsui line (the Beidan Line), as well as the old looks of Taipei Station, Nangang Station, and Songshan Station before Taipei Station was moved underground.

Watching Big Brother sit on the seat of an old express train gave me a real sense of then and now. The Beidan Line holds some faint memories for me too. Exhibitions like this are a wonderful way to explore and understand those past memories.

The train conductor plush toy is definitely a must for photos—you’ll want to snap a shot with this one.

There are also train conductor and service staff uniforms on display, but for some reason, it always reminds me of the bus conductors from when I was super little—there’s a vague memory of riding a bus with a conductor when I was just a tiny kid.

The nostalgic Taiwan Railways lunchbox is also on display, though I’m curious—why aren’t there any of the classic metal round lunchboxes? (Or maybe I just didn’t notice them?)

For little ones who love stamps, there are also train-themed stamps available in the exhibition area.

Moms with little train enthusiasts at home might want to head over to Taipei City Hall to check out what’s currently on display!

Aside from the special exhibition on the second floor, the Time-Dialogue Hall on the fourth floor is also great for anyone interested in learning about the history of Taipei. For instance, the city’s oldest Longshan Temple is also part of the exhibits. One of the most fun features is the fortune-drawing button—but each person gets only one draw.

Though I suspect every draw might be a “great fortune” (laughs), because the little guy drew a great fortune himself. Also, don’t miss the fun Exploration Theater—it’s a surround-screen projection experience that’s sure to delight both adults and children!

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