Museums & Galleries · Paignton
Newton Abbot Museum
📍 TQ12 1JL
Photo: Chris Downer (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
- Railway section with working signals
- Sandford Orleigh wood carvings and Lethbridge's diving machine
- Over 20 hands-on interactive activities for all ages
- Digital displays with old maps, photos and archive films
- St Leonard's Tower opens seasonally for public visits
Newton Abbot Museum sits in a restored Victorian church, Newton's Place, and tells the story of the town through more than 17,000 collected items, from prehistoric finds to railways and markets. Highlights include a Railway section with working signals, dramatic Sandford Orleigh wood carvings, and Lethbridge's diving machine, alongside over 20 hands-on activities and digital displays of old maps and archive films. Admission is free, and you can drop in for ten minutes or stay for hours, making it ideal for families, schools and casual visitors. It's well placed for a Devon stay, with Newton Abbot station 0.7 miles away, Maidencombe beach 4.7 miles off, and 191 bookable places to stay within 5 miles on BritStays.
Practical details
- Open
- Tuesday to Saturday, 9.30am–4.30pm
- Booking
- Admission is free
- Time needed
- Drop in briefly or stay for hours
- Best for
- Schools, home-educating families and group visits
From the attraction's own website on 22 Sep 2026 — check before you travel.
Facilities
- ✓ Toilets
- ✓ Disabled Access
- ✓ Gift Shop
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Make a proper break of it — these stays are all within 25 miles.
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Higher Tor Cottages - Swift Cottage
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🗓️ Make a break of it
Turn a visit to Newton Abbot Museum into a proper getaway — ready-made plans, and the drive worked out with fuel, EV charging and the best stops.
A weekend in Paignton: an accessible itinerary →
A weekend in Paignton with the kids →
A weekend in Paignton →
🗺️ Plan the drive to Newton Abbot Museum
🚆 Or come by train
- Newton Abbot 0.7 miles
- Torre 4.9 miles
- Teignmouth 5.4 miles
Straight-line distances · live departures on each station page