Amazing museum showing a nationally significant collection of firearms - but also the local history of metal fabrication n the same factory including intricate and amazing metal objects such as sewing machines, handcuffs etc. The volunteers running this place were super friendly and were very well informed. This museum should have more significant financial support from the federal and state government and Thales. If they only got 0.1% of Canberra's War Memorial budget they would be very safe and secure into the future. Support this museum in anyway you can!

About 10-15mins walk from the train station. Very nice people that'll greet you up front. Artefacts are organised. They have very interesting items on the gift shop, useful for camping. I enjoyed the stroll around since I was addicted to action games such as PUBG MOBILE and CALL OF DUTY MOBILE that involves guns. Very intriguing to see them guns up close, especially the small pistols☺️. There were some war propagandas that reminded me of essays back in high school, made me sit there and analyse a little bit😆. Seeing them old switchboards and communication equipment blows my mind, seeing them up close just made me curious with how much it changed after a century. I'm an apprentice sparky so I showed them to the people I worked with and they're intrigued aswell. Would love to come back and have my family to tour.

It's good see. Staff were greatlots of history

Excellent collection !! Good history of the factory and memories ! Can’t believed there were 6000 employee working on site back in the old days and they’ve kept it well ! Helpful and friendly staff.

If conditions are not good for climbing in the mountains come down to Lithgow and support this museum by paying a visit. Kerry and Keith are fantastic tour guides and have considerable knowledge of the museum and its displays. You don’t need to have a particular interest in firearms. If you have any interest in Australian manufacturing, machinery or history you will enjoy this museum. Thales and Lithgow council need to support the important work these individuals are doing and prevent the loss of an important part of Australian history.

EVERYONE needs to come here. It is excellent and I believe will get better. The details around the history of the site and the manufacturing that occurred here is great. The volunteers there really care about the information and what they are doing. It is done really well and is very interesting. The gun collection has is amazing in Itself but the history of manufacturing that occurred here is amazing. This was at one time the largest small arms manufacturing factory in the southern hemisphere. They have set up as many old pieces of machinery that they can and intend to get some of them working - this is an amazing piece of history and should be HERITAGE listed. A great visit for anyone - get out there - take your children, take your mother - take your wife.

A great piece of Australian manufacturing history. Patrick and John were very friendly and informative. Sharing their knowledge in the history of company.

The Zig Zag Railway is a must visit tourist attraction just 15 to 20 minute drive out of Lithgow New South Wales the old steam engine and rickety old carriages are a blast from the past and so much fun; especially when the whistle blows and the steam fills the aiir. Although the carriages are old, the seats are very comfortable. It’s also disability friendly as they will provide ramps if you need them to get on and off the carriages. There’s a small Canteen with hot snacks and pastries, and a Souvenir shop. You even get an old-fashioned cardboard train ticket, which gets clipped by the ticket inspector, a great little souvenir to keep. The staff are all volunteers and are extremely friendly and helpful. There is also commentary telling you all about the history of the line and the engines themselves. There’s a 10 minute stop halfway and the ride goes for an hour and a half, which is really good value for money for only $39 a ticket for adults. Cheaper for concession, children are even cheaper and there is free tickets for younger children.The scenery was beautiful, especially the old Sandstone Bridge, multiple tunnels and being able to look out of the open windows down into the beautiful valley to all the lovely scenery. But make sure you bring warm clothes, especially in winter I went at the end of September and it was 11° at lunchtime, despite being sunny. If you book in advance be prepared for any weather conditions, if you leave it for a couple of days before hand, you should be pretty right with booking and the weather forecast. It’s best to travel on a sunny day so you can see the entire valley and open the windows and get the best photos, but I suggest closing the windows when you go through the tunnels as the carriages can get full of steam and smoke ha ha - there was a few of us coughing, but I think it was all put on for the videos! Definitely worth the trip. If you’re driving, you can park at the Clarence Station or if you’re traveling by the Sydney Metropolitan or Country Link Railway line you can meet up at the Bottom Station. If you’re driving from Lithgow, it’s a short 15 to 20 minute drive but the road is very steep and windy with the top of 60 km an hour, So take it easy on some of those tight bends. I highly recommend a visit to the zigzag railway. It’s a great family outing for people of all ages - kids to seniors a great family day out highly recommended! 🤩 🚂❄️❄️

Historic zigzag railway and iconic activity to experience while in out west, only located a short drive from Lithgow CBD, the zigzag railway will take you on a historic trip back in time climbing aboard an old steam train named yank, that will literally zigzag from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the mountain and back whilst taking in beautiful views of the Chifley region, Purchasing tickets is essential, which can be purchased online prior to your trip. Recommend getting there about 30 minutes before there is a cafe and amenities on site. Also recommend bringing a picnic lunch for a bite to eat along the way as there is a couple of stops , A great experience for all ages Fairly priced Staff for ship friendly, interactive and knowledgeable Large car park where the train ride begins at Clarence Station Would recommend

The volunteers were amazing, well informed about the history of the rail road, efficient and courteous. The train was well maintained, carriages were clean and in good repair and the scenery was absolutely stunning. We were fortunate enough to visit close to Halloween so we were treated to a lolly hunt at one of the stations. Many of the volunteers were in costumes which only added to the enjoyment of the passengers, both kids and adults.

Loved our visit here! The experience was amazing and also great for kids. The shop has a good variety of pamphlets for local businesses/ attractions aswell as Zig Zag merch. There is a cafe at the entrance that sells bakery pies, Sausage Rolls & sweets. There is also an empty train carriage out the front for those wanting to walk through. We loved the information provided during the ride, each time we stopped it was for 10-15 mins so everyone had plenty of time to get out and have a look around. I do reccommend booking in advance as it does book out quickly!

Great trip with the family. Went Saturday afternoon and stayed at workers motel in lithgow overnight before doing train on Sunday. Workers motel is spotless, comfortable, a real gem and very affordable. Breakfast is massive. Train trip was fun, best to sit on side closest to platform.

I was worried my 2 year old would get bored but not at all, the regular stops meant we got to get out and look at the train and then come back in and enjoy the ride. 2 hours absolutely flew. It was excellent. I had no idea at first that it's all run by volunteers, so extra gratitude is a must 🙏

This was a great winters day out. Easy to find and park . Informative train trip up and down . Comfortable seat in the old carriage. Beautiful views Great Cafe with a good selection of food and drinks . An old train carriage is on site to sit and enjoy your lunch.

Thanks 3rd gen tour guide Gary, A walk back in time where USB ports now charge 6v lead acid mining lamps and giving us a glimpse into the future to a 1958 princess hologram like from star wars Interesting history of coal, power generation, mining, technology, disasters, colonialism, horsepower politics and workers.

We happened to stop here one Sunday as we were passing by and I’m glad we did. It’s a very interesting site with the old structures and machinery still on the grounds. For someone who had no interest in coal or mining, I really enjoyed my time here. The digital holographic information story was well done and staff friendly. $5 entry fee is worth it.

Amazing place, full of history! Our guide Dennis was the best, he worked there and he was able to tell us many stories and how all machines worked. Highly recommended!

Our tour guide was friendly and well versed in the history of the site. The museum building tells a fascinating tale about the miners and the site’s history. There are many old vehicles that you are welcome to sit in and enjoy. We enjoyed our visit

Beautiful museum with a whole lot of history. We made it just in time for the tour, which was informative and educational. The guide had a history of mining, so was able to provide first hand experience. Reasonably priced at $5 for adult entry. Final hologram section was exceptional, and also got me shedding a tear. Highly recommend spending an hour there.

I must admit I was a bit sceptical when my wife organised a family trip to a mining museum seeing as nobody in my family has ever shown any interest in anything mining-related. However, it turned out to be an extremely entertaining and educational visit. The kids had a great time climbing on various mining vehicles and checking out the exhibits. The site was an operational mine, and whilst the mine shaft itself has long been sealed, all of the buildings are still there, and most are in their original configuration, so it's easy to imagine what it was like when it was operating. Our guide, Barry, was a former coal miner so was able to provide interesting anecdotes from his experience, and was great at explaining it to the kids. It cost $12 which was well worth it. We made the mistake of arriving an hour before it closed; really you need 2-3 hours to comfortably see everything. Tip: bring a change of clothes for the kids so they can climb on and sit in the mining vehicles without having to worry about what is about to happen to the back seat of your car

A great coal mining museum. Easy to find and sealed roads right to museum car parking area. We were greeted by the friendly museum guide at the old office building where he gave us a quick verbal tour of the site. The office building has many displays in each of the rooms, some of which are videos showing what underground working conditions were like in the mines. The bath building contains larger mining equipment both old and new. A side room, where the mine workers once showered after ending their shift, is a fanatic visual display. The wife of one of the miners is brought to life in a holographic story telling of a tragic incident as she walks amongst items in the display. Amazing when she lights the miners cap lamp. Outside the buildings there is mining equipment of all description right up to the poppet head standing over the now sealed No: 2 shaft into the mine. Great value. I would recommend you get here when the gates open so you have ample time to look at all there is to see.

Amazing place, view is wonderful and i think you can do fishing activities too. The place also has camping sites. Saw few people camping there. The road access is very easy and convenient.

What a free fantastic safe place to stay, toilets are basic and far away. Large area plenty of room. Sign and internet says no fires yet people still do there own thing

Beautiful lake!! We made a stop while heading back to Lithgow.

Lovely area with amenities.If your a photographer or like fishing this is a wonderful spot.Close to towns of Wallerawang and Lithgow for major shopping centres.Would recommend.

Hidden jem. Loads of space for camping, caravans and motorhomes. Great fishing with trout, red fin, bass etc on offer. Playground for the kids. Dog friendly on leash plus an off leash dog area. Disabled access via concrete wheelchair ramp to wheelchair accessible pontoon for fishing or just getting up close to the water

Water views and bird life are great, plenty of grassy spots for tents to big rigs. Roads get a bit dusty

The beautiful camping spot with in 2 hour drive from Sydney CBD and heap of space to camp, fishing, hot shower facility and 48hr max stay. Nice and Big play area for kids.