Livingstone Railway Museum
The Livingstone Railway Museum in Zambia showcases the nation’s railway heritage, featuring historic steam locomotives, vintage coaches, and railway memorabilia.
Planning your visit
The railway reached Livingstone in 1905, and the bridge across the Zambezi gorge just below Victoria Falls was built the same year — Cecil Rhodes having specified that it should be sited where the spray from the falls would fall on passing carriages, a demand met despite the engineering difficulty. The bridge still carries traffic and is used for bungee jumping.
The Livingstone Railway Museum covers that history: steam locomotives, vintage coaches, signalling equipment, workshop machinery and railway memorabilia from the Rhodesia Railways era through to Zambian independence. Much of the rolling stock stands outdoors in varying condition, which suits a collection about a working system in a country where the railway's decline has been part of the economic story.
The wider context is Rhodes's Cape to Cairo ambition, of which this line was a segment, and the copper traffic that later sustained it.
It is a short distance from central Livingstone. Allow an hour. Bookable options include guided tours with pickup. Current availability is shown below.
Before you book
Where is Livingstone Railway Museum?
Livingstone Railway Museum is in Livingstone, Zambia. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Livingstone Railway Museum?
Allow an hour. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Livingstone Railway Museum in advance?
Guided tours run to a fixed schedule and small group sizes, so they are usually booked ahead.
