The Kyushu Railway History Museum opened in August 2003 and is one of Kyushu’s leading museums dedicated to railway history. It stands on a hill overlooking JR Mojiko Station. The historic brick building was originally constructed as the headquarters of Kyushu Railway, a private railway company established during the Meiji era that built what is now the JR Kagoshima Main Line. It was designated as part of Japan’s Heritage of Industrial Modernization in 2007 and as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2014.
Inside the museum, exhibits include a small wooden passenger car once used by Kyushu Railway, a variety of railway-related materials, a model railway layout, and a train-driving simulator. Outside, a total of nine railway vehicles that once operated across Kyushu are on display. These include a C59-class steam locomotive, an EF10-class electric locomotive, a KuHa 481-class electric railcar, and a SuHaNeFu 14-class sleeper coach.
The outdoor area also features a miniature railway park, where scaled-down versions of JR Kyushu trains currently in service run along the tracks. It is a museum where the whole family can enjoy themselves while learning about the history of railways in Kyushu.