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Original poster

Museum recommendations

41 replies

Lillybobtail · 27/12/2019 20:22

Please can you recommend your favourite museums to visit with kids? Wanting to visit somewhere new this year.

We have particularly enjoyed the natural history museum in London, national railway museum in York, and vindalanda on Hadrian's wall.

OP posts:
Disfordarkchocolate · 27/12/2019 20:25

Great North Museum in Newcastle and the Discovery Museum.

Beamish in Country Durham.

National Museum of Scotland.

Mumdiva99 · 27/12/2019 20:27

There are so many... How old is the family and kids? Where abouts in the country do you want recommendations?

Mooserp · 27/12/2019 20:28

St Fagans National Museum of History

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KatsutheClockworkOctopus · 27/12/2019 20:29

We love the Oxford Musuem of Natural History.

Also We The Curious in Bristol.

ShinyNewNameTimeAgain · 27/12/2019 20:30

We the Curious in Bristol is brilliant

Stillabitemo · 27/12/2019 20:30

Eureka in Halifax

MarySidney · 27/12/2019 20:35

York Castle Museum

Museum of London Docklands (which is free).

Lurleene · 27/12/2019 20:37

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Loads of different attractions combined in one ticket that you can use all year.

RippleEffects · 27/12/2019 20:39

Post office museum in London plus the underground post train is fun.

In Edinburgh Camera Obscure whilst not a museum as such is a great learning but fun experience.

In Liverpool the world museum and art gallery are fab and next door to each other right by the train station so very easy to access and the city is also right there so from the train an easy access day out.

We prefer Manchester Museum of Science and industry (MOSI) to the London science museum. Maybe because it's more spaced out. It's another lovely trip out.

DH and the DC like Manchester's football museum but I skipped that one.

In Wales the National Slate museum is set in an amazing location and they do great slate based crafts in school holidays. We use lots of decorated slate coasters that the children have made there over the years.

nakedavengeragain · 27/12/2019 20:52

Imperial War Museum.

Ylvamoon · 27/12/2019 21:01

Depends really on DC ages. If you want to do a bit of research beforehand I'd suggest Sir John Soane's Museum, London for older DC.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens great the all ages.
Burleigh House & Garden of Surprises is also a great day out for all ages.

Disfordarkchocolate · 27/12/2019 21:03

York Cold War Bunker - fantastic.

BercowsFestiveFlamingo · 27/12/2019 21:06

World Museum in Liverpool. Lots of variety to keep dc interested and a nice cafe that wasn't overpriced. There's an aquarium, Egyptology, space, time, and bug house.

I like the Ashmolean in oxford too.

IggyAce · 27/12/2019 21:11

Eureka

Museum of Scotland

Beamish is fab and ticket is valid for a year, I highly recommend going at Christmas. But it’s good all year round.

YesILikeItToo · 27/12/2019 21:24

National Armoury in Leeds.

Original poster
Lillybobtail · 27/12/2019 21:45

Ooh, some great ideas, thank you. Kids are 4 and 9. We're based in Yorkshire but planning to have a couple of trips elsewhere, so looking for anywhere in the UK really.

OP posts:
TheFestiveIf · 27/12/2019 21:59

M-Shed in Bristol is worth a visit.

I'll also second the Horniman Museum.

TheElfFellOffTheShelf · 27/12/2019 22:27

Yorkshire museum in the abbey gardens in York

York castle museum

Lincoln castle prison

Hepworth museum Wakefield

Maritime museum in Liverpool

EdithWeston · 27/12/2019 22:32

Post Office museum in London

Norwich Castle (has museum-type galleries)

The various Portsmouth naval museums

Kew Gardens (not quite a museum, but I thought it might count as it is a historic collection of global significance)

PomBearWithAnOFRS · 27/12/2019 22:33

The Maritime Experience in Hartlepool.
The town gets a bad press quite often, but the museum of Hartlepool ( free) and the Maritime Experience (paid) are actually really good. There's also the beaches, the Marina has nice eateries, and you can have a really good day out here.

ShinyNewNameTimeAgain · 28/12/2019 10:33

Is the Museum of the Royal Navy in Hartlepool any good pombear? My dads boat went to them when it became clear we could no longer afford her upkeep. I keep meaning to go up and visit but it’s just so bloody far (I’m south Devon).

PomBearWithAnOFRS · 28/12/2019 22:13

That's the one I mean shiny they changed the name when they linked up officially with the navy. They have the Trincomalee there. It's a really good day out. You could make a trip of the area for a week holiday easily, do the museum, go to Durham, or York, or Beamish. Loads to do Xmas Smile

FelicityBeedle · 28/12/2019 22:14

Beamish is really wonderful

NormHonal · 28/12/2019 22:16

Lots of ideas on this blog: museummum.com/

Wigeon · 28/12/2019 22:17

We love love love:

St Fagans near Cardiff

Black Country Museum

Mary Rose in Portsmouth

Something a bit different: the summer annual Tudor recreations at Kentwell Hall in Suffolk. 250 Tudors, acting in the first person, recreating a Tudor manor with an actual Tudor house. Like proper time travel.