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?

@WinterHoliday

I like the Museum of Brands in London. It has lots of old packaging and products from the 20th century to the present day. Great if you like a bit of nostalgia.

I was going to say the same @WinterHoliday it’s my favourite museum ever.

Haven’t been yet but dh and I are quite excited to visit the JCB museum in Staffordshire, has anyone been?

Scotlands secret bunker
Discovery Dundee
Housesteads roman fort
Most of Scotland's castles, but especially Blackness.
Outwith the UK I absolutely loved Egyptian temples. Abu Simbel was a stand out but I found them all so fascinating.

Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean - it's like nowhere else I've ever been, fascinating, magical, slightly eerie in places. Feels like walking in a fairy glen.

The World Museum in Liverpool, absolutely packed with interesting stuff and free to get in. Had to drag my daughter out at closing time after a full day there (aged 5/6 at the time).

Mystic Mountain in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Zip lining down a mountain, absolutely incredible feeling.

Havana Old Town, Cuba - ignore the posh hotels and head for the street bars on a weekend afternoon. Music in every bar, everyone up dancing and having fun. Getting either dragged up to dance or handed a basic percussion instrument, just joyful. Wandering round the old town near the harbour, people dressed up in traditional style for the tourists, one guy all blinged up with the biggest comedy prop cigar you could imagine. Locals all sitting out on the harbour wall in the late afternoon socialising (housing tends to be tiny, so social life is conducted outdoors). I did a walking tour which showed you all the landmarks, including the hotel where Hemingway lived for a long time. Such warm and welcoming people, and an amazing place to go.

Port of Hamburg. I thought it sounded pretty dull and only went as my friend was keen, but it was fascinating. Watching the container ships being loaded as we sailed around them in a little boat - the sheer number and SIZE of them was unbelievable. And the vastness of the storage warehouses.

Paestum in Italy. Amazingly well-preserved Ancient Greek temples about an hour south of Pompeii. Had never heard of them but happened to drive past on a trip.

The Kon Tiki ship/raft museum in Oslo Norway. It is in a beautiful setting and very close to the Fram Museum and two others, one where we saw a Viking Burial ship. A very worthwhile visit.

Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart

It was so interesting (I’m not really that interested in cars)and great for kids

Ds loved the Porsche Museum there too

Big Pit National Coal Museum in wales. I went with my school it was fascinating we went down the mine and all switched out lights off and was asked what we could see (nothing) must take ds there one day

Glasgow has many great attractions and things to do but ones we've enjoyed that likely people won't be very aware of

Scotland street school museum - a fascinating real world insight into schooling in the past

The provands lordship museum - a favourite of dds when she was younger. They are closed at the moment (understandable as social distancing would be impossible) but defo recommend for history buff kids when it opens again. It's been a while but in the summer holidays they used to do kid friendly events. The tour guides would dress in period costume and be very entertaining and teach kids things like how medieval kids used to play.

My dad was army and something my parents did with us was everywhere we moved to they'd find out the local points of interest and take us to them. So we weren't wasting the opportunity we had with that way of living being all over Uk. We went to many places that locals hadn't even heard of.

Investigate your local area you'll often be pleasantly surprised and you'll be supporting local places and people.

We'd groan (as kids tend to) when we were told we were going to a button museum or whatever but once there thoroughly enjoyed it (even if we didn't admit it!)

Also Inveraray jail tour which is fairly local to me is utterly fascinating.

Not sure why so many of these are considered “hidden” in Scotland. They are pretty well known! people outside of Scotland tend not to be aware of them and many don't come up on "to do" hits online if they're small affairs. I'm hoping this means more people will visit meaning more such places will stay open

Clink Museum in London, on the Southbank

The Kennedy museum in south west Ireland. It’s basically the farm jfks great great grandfather and his brother grew up on. One brother went to America (the rest is history) the other stayed in Ireland. Fascinating the impact of this a decision on their descendants.

Interestingly the summer after jfk was shot Jackie took their 2 kids to spend the whole summer on the farm with her deceased dh distant relatives. Think it was a healing time for her and the children.

Barbara Hepworth's house in St Ives and her beautiful Mary and Child sculpture in nearby St Mary's Church.

The mermaid chair at the church in Zennor.

Nottingham caves.

Inverewe Gardens in Scotland

Port Gaverne in Cornwall and the nearby Minack Theatre.

www.auchindrain.org.uk/

Very interesting and atmospheric West Highlands former township.

In Las Vegas DH and I went to the Liberace museum- neither of us were fans or even knew that much about him. We just had a spare couple of hours.
A guide showed us round and he was so enthusiastic (and obviously had been in love with him!) that it was fascinating!!
Sadly closed down now and we wonder what became of him.

If you ever in Bordeaux the slavery museum there is amazing. Horrific but very well done. Both our kids were fascinated. Everything is recreated and lots of detail Bordeaux was a real hub and unlike Bristol they have really dealt with this head on with their museum rather than retaining statues of slave traders 🙄

Poldark Mine Helston Cornwall. HMS Warrior Portsmouth. IWM Duxford. Brooklands Surrey.

Cliffe Castle is good and easy to tie into a visit to Haworth.

The National Museum of Denmark. I mistakenly had the impression that it would be a bit dull. So wrong. Some really impressive artefacts and gave me an amazing insight into the Bronze Age. I never cared about the Bronze Age before!

Petrified aquarium. You can sit drinking a beer in the café in the sunshine surrounded by tanks of fish. It was so civilised - so french. Gosh I miss France.

Petrified?! Perigord!

Maybe a bit dark to some but the 9/11 museum in NYC is fascinating, obviously very very sad but I learnt so much. Could have spent all day there listening to recordings and looking at all the displays.

Ramsgate tunnels.

people outside of Scotland tend not to be aware of them and many don't come up on "to do" hits online if they're small affairs.

The royal yacht is not a “small affair”. The Falkirk wheel is the only rotating canal boat lift in the world, is a feat of modern engineering, and is next to a world heritage site. It’s the third most visited tourist attraction in Scotland outside of Edinburgh. Nothing small about that, nor the 30ft metal statues of the kelpies which saw a million visitors during their first year.

Maybe a bit dark to some but the 9/11 museum in NYC is fascinating, obviously very very sad but I learnt so much. Could have spent all day there listening to recordings and looking at all the displays.

Great museum. Not exactly a hidden gem.

The Foundling Museum - Coram Fields London - heartbreaking

Museum of Childhood - Bethnal Green

Dennis Servers House - Spitalfields - quirky arty immersive experience of c17th merchants home - you feel like you are in a painting - go from room to room - stuff happens v atmospheric.