Effects of Turkish railway museums on cultural tourism

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of Turkish railway museums on cultural tourism. Cultural tourism constitutes an important part of tourism in relation to a country or region's culture, especially the history of those people, their art, other values and the lifestyle of the human in those geographical areas. Railway Museums remain one of the most important items in cultural tourism. Turkish railways are very important in terms of reflecting Republic values in Turkey. Railways deeply affected Turkish society's life. In the first years of Turkish Republic, there were not improved transportations systems, so railways were important. When it reached geographical areas, it changed the city landscape, the lifestyle of people, architecture and other elements. In time, all of them became part of the Turkish culture and some of them started displaying in museums. Today there are seven museums in relation to railways in Turkey. In this study, we will try to explain this form of museum's becoming generally more popular throughout the world and intend to reveal the tourism potential of railway museums in Turkey. Therefore, we will discuss how they will improve in the future and will be use in public economically and culturally, especially in terms of children's priority.