Interactive fun
Our four mighty Gimson & Co beam engines are at the heart of the museum and you can learn all about them and how they work.
The beam engines run on steam and after the beam engine house, you can see the Main Boiler House where one of the eight Lancashire boilers that ran the beam engines originally, are on show.
The engines were designed to pump sewage and keep the City clean and we don’t shy away from the stinky side of Victorian life with examples of toilets, pipe work and an inside look at what happens when you flush the loo.
Right next door to Abbey Pumping Station is the National Space Centre, a museum and educational resource centre covering the fields of space science and astronomy.
Abbey Pumping Station Gallery
Visit the Engine House to see the ornate beam engines.
Displays and interactives for all ages.
Fantastic displays of beautiful objects.
Catch a ride on the steam train on special event days.
Stunning Victorian architecture.
Made in Leicester
Leicester is an innovative City and our Made in Leicester gallery includes machines from the main Leicester manufacturing industries such as knitting and shoe making. Leicester even had its own car makers and we have The Old Grey Mare, a Leicester car built in 1908.
Life in Leicester
Amongst the engines you will find displays about life in Leicester with a local cinema, washing facilities, trams, communication, toys and science.
Transport
Our transport shed is open on event days and includes vintage fire engines, buses, steam rollers, horse drawn carriages, several locomotives including Leonard the 1918 Bagnall steam engine and a working fish and chip van.
Blow off steam
Abbey Pumping Station is set in lovely grounds and you can blow off steam or have a relaxing stroll around our outdoor exhibits including the steam shovel, Morris crane, Leicestershire Tardis and the old superintendent’s house. If you are looking for something to do with the children, then head to the forget me not garden or playground and have fun in the sand.
Children's Activity Resources
We have activity packs for you to print at home and bring along on your visit to Abbey Pumping Station