Unexpectedly interesting tourist attractions

[StillCoughingandLaughing]

Just thinking about it because it came up in my ‘On This Day’ on Facebook… a few years ago, I went to Stockholm, and someone I’d met just before told me I absolutely had to see Vasa. (It’s a perfectly preserved 17th Century warship, for those of you who, like me then, haven’t heard of it!) He said it had been a recommendation from a friend and he would never have thought of going otherwise, but found it fascinating.

He was absolutely right. I’d never even heard of it, but was so glad I went. So now I’m wondering, what other ‘hidden’ or underrated gems should I see?

And Kelham Island Museum in Sheffield

The Eric Satie Museum in Honfleur, France.

@StillCoughingandLaughing

Just thinking about it because it came up in my ‘On This Day’ on Facebook… a few years ago, I went to Stockholm, and someone I’d met just before told me I absolutely had to see Vasa. (It’s a perfectly preserved 17th Century warship, for those of you who, like me then, haven’t heard of it!) He said it had been a recommendation from a friend and he would never have thought of going otherwise, but found it fascinating.

He was absolutely right. I’d never even heard of it, but was so glad I went. So now I’m wondering, what other ‘hidden’ or underrated gems should I see?

Yes, we saw the Vasa in Stockholm as well. It was honestly the most interesting museum I have ever been to. I could have spent all day there.

The National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield. Absolutely brilliant!

www.ncm.org.uk/

Also agree with recommendations for the Tank Museum in Bovington. Really good!

Love a museum

I was moved by the little museum honouring the Tolpuddle Martys in Dorset. It is just a small row of farmworkers' cottages, bought by the TUC in the 1930s with displays and explanations and a little shop. Suitably humble in a way, but, yes moving. What they did took such courage and led to terrible, for them and their families, consequences.

At the Titanic experience in Belfast (which doesn’t contain a single scrap of the ship), there is a smaller ferry docked, of similar age, same builder and owner, the SS Nomadic. Really enjoyed looking round that.

Went inside the west tower (Yorkshire side) of the Humber Bridge once! Fascinating. I live very close to a locally famous/well loved tv transmitter - I have entered many raffles and competitions to go up it, but to no avail.

I referred to Silkeborg woman above. She is Elling woman in the museum at Silkeborg. Her hair is quite a feature and there are reconstructions of the style if you Google.

Western Approaches museum in Liverpool. It doesn't get the visitors that the big museums do but it's fascinating.

Coventry Transport Museum is really good, loads of really iconic vehicles.

Yes to the tank museum. I was a bit but then had a whole day there and it was so bloody interesting and full of surprises. I learnt so much there, it was so interesting and was really relaxed in its approach. Before we knew it we spent all day there.

@RampantIvy, we must live pretty close to each other.

@FedNlanders, as in Danny Macaskill the mountain biker?

Loved Intrepid the big airplane carrier warship in New York. Only went to appease DH but it was amazing. Saw lots of actual places including Concorde and a tiger moth on a ship. Blew my mind 🤯

I was absolutely blown away by Angel of the North. It was honestly jaw-dropping.

Also, York railway museum. Free, all day there, so bloody interesting 👌🏼

[quote BikeRunSki]@RampantIvy, we must live pretty close to each other.

@FedNlanders, as in Danny Macaskill the mountain biker? [/quote]
We do @BikeRunSki. I changed name recently.

The Tank Museum went down a few notches when elf and safety decreed sometime in the 80's that you weren't allowed to camber in or on the tanks anymore it was a great rainy day trip with my DC's

Diefenbunker museum in Ottawa, Canada.

It's a cold war bunker and we had a fascinating visit.

Oradour sur Glane in France. This is their write up and sounds really not like a great day out but it's fascinating and the atmosphere incredible. Everyone was just silent and taking it in

On 10 June 1944, the village of Oradour-sur-Glane in Haute-Vienne in Nazi-occupied France was destroyed when 643 civilians, including non-combatant women and children, were massacred by a German Waffen-SS company.

I bloody love the model village at Corfe Castle. It also has a model of the model village in it. It’s all a bit metaphysical

If you get a chance to visit Tyneham Village in Dorset, do. It was evacuated just before Christmas in 1943 so that the allies could practice for D Day landings, they were never allowed back

The Cotswold Falconry Centre. Went a few years ago to pass an afternoon with the kids, definitely no great expectations, and it was brilliant. It’s a very relaxed little place but so interesting and informative, and the guide who flew the birds was fantastically knowledgeable. Learnt a lot and had a really good time (& ended up going back again later in the day to see another flight show). You get to see and learn about the animals really close up and it’s (completely unexpectedly) still one of my favourite ever family days out.

The National Wool Museum in Drefach Felindre, Ceredigion is AMAZING

My mum used to take us there when we were young. I'm taking my two boys and a friend to Wales this summer and it's top of my list to re-visit. I can still remember the smell

@FricasseeTurnips

The Waltzing Waters on the Isle of Wight.

I was devastated when it shut

Me too!!!!

There was a thread on here once about how shit it is/was (not about that specifically. It was about shit tourist attractions, I think)

I've literally never laughed so much ever!!!!

Undercliffe Cemetary, Bradford. Grade 2* listed - even six of the individual memorials are grade 2 listed. The pre-eminent Vicorian.

The memorials give so much more details about the lives of the deceased, than is now fashionable - wonder and read, about the lives of mill owners, butchers, and theatre impressarios.

The pre-eminent Victorian cemetary.