To ask if you visit museums?

[Aloezebra]

Slightly shamelessly doing a bit of anecdotal “research” for my degree but also just generally interesting in people’s opinions because it’s a topic I love!

Do you go to museums/galleries? If yes, why and if no why not?

Also do are you more likely to go if there’s some sort of activity for your kids to do?

For some reason.it is something I tend to.do.more when I.am.on.holiday than at hime. I will.only usually go if there is domethu g there that interests me.i.understand the merit if exhibitions targeting children,but as a child free adult tbis is something I would actively avoid🙂

Yes to both.

Whenever we visit a city, it’s one of the first things we do. It’s great for children and I’ve found that many museums/galleries have a free kids club, usually crafting.

Yes, frequently. Not interested in kids’ activities.

You might find some inspiration here: www.louvreabudhabi.ae/en/Explore/childrens-museum

I'd take my child if it was easier to get to on a bus

Not yet with DD, she’s 3 and with Covid we haven’t been able to do many trips.
But imagine we will start to include them as she gets older.
I would like activities yes.

OP, I went to school in S Kensington bang across the road from the Natural History Museum. Museums are in my blood! And yes, something I continue to do with my dc, although I no longer live in London.

Nemo musuem Amsterdam, absolutely amazing musuem. Wonder lab doesn't come close.

Yes, because I enjoy learning new things and seeing history in real life. My DDs have always loved them too, so we visit several a year and always when on holiday.

I'm loving the input on this thread and the difference of experiences. We loved Wonderlab and got an annual ticket a few years ago....kids were between 6-10 (I think). Personally I loved the shows they did - really informative and visually engaging and not dumbed down. My daughter liked the familiarity - once we had been she knew what to expect. And they liked that they could do their own thing.

Just incase anyone is using this as an inspiration thread (I am) - I have to mention the Big Pit Museum in Wales - we went last year and it was the best experience ever. Being shown around the mine by an ex miner was fantastic. Go if you can before there are no ex miners to run the tour. (This is more suited to older kids/adults as it's a one hour guided tour underground.)

I like the titanic museum and the Liverpool slavery and museum of Liverpool are type museums where they have a lot of what I call, maybe inaccurately, social history. Or smaller museums. I like a quirky local museum and industrial museums.

british museum is an amazing collection and building but leaves me a bit cold.

used to take the kids and they weren’t that interested in activities or trails, but liked trailing round with their dad while he explained stuff.

one of favourite things was diving into V&a on a rainy afternoon and on a whim joining a tour where the guide takes you round a few of their favourite things, that was so interesting, their sheer joy in the job was so infectious .

Yes
For education and enjoyment/entertainment
yes more likely to attend if event on
Joint best experience: immersive experience at Eden Camp / museum tour of Egyptian artefacts at British museum

Yes, if I visit London or am on holiday. I love museums and will pick a destination based on where good museums are.

unfortunately we don’t have many worth visiting near us, with one exception - Richard 3 museum in Leicester - but that’s one where the exhibits don’t change so there’s no go more than once.

Yes and yes. Multiple visits to some, especially science related museums and activities, e.g. Science Museum in London, National Space Centre in Leicester, as well as the usual history related museums. The eldest has now graduated from university and middle is in final year (both boys), but youngest (DD) is only 11 and wants to be an astrophysicist. Interesting, interactive, educational activities are definitely an attraction.

I love a museum trip, as well as the interest aspect they tend to be a cheap option for days out. I've spent many many hours in local museums when the kids were kids (now adults). Our very local tiny museum has a red telephone box with recorded messages which they used to love (easily pleased) and they often had activities on in the holidays.
My favourite recent visit is the Northern Imperial war museum,. A lot of the exhibits showed their connection to real people and that gave it a real emotional edge to me

Yes. If we go somewhere we'll often go to a museum, with or without the kids. I love them.

If the kids are with us we will choose somewhere which is likely to be of interest to them. More likely than not places with some interaction etc for the kids

To answer the second part, kids activities would put me off visiting. I’d go on a day they weren’t happening.

Yes we go and especially if abroad. The police museum in Malaysia is a particular highlight, huge room full of confiscated weapons and a lovely cafe outside where the current police commissioner was having his lunch. Not bothered about activities now as have a teenager.

Yes and yes.

Yes we do plus we’re members of museum which has loads of children type things to look at - Horniman museum

It’s really busy with dc and great to have in the area

I have always enjoyed museums and take my kids now. They do like activities but not ones which take over. The Pitt Rivers in Oxford has it pitched just right imo. There are trails of varying difficulty which are always a winner for my eight year old. One of them was just finding the wooden mice in the display cabinets but it made him look. Sticker rewards for completing are always popular!

They also ran a drawing challenge activity which ran over the summer. They were really interesting, things like drawing an artefact from a different angle, drawing a pattern up close etc.

Yes & N/A as DDs are now 17 so don't really do activities.

I love a good mooch around a museum.

DD1 & I are going to the Science Museum this Saturday to see their exhibition on Cancer Revolution: Science, Innovation and Hope as it may be useful for her biology A level.

Yes and yes. Hard to beat a well-thought out printed out worksheet.

Yes but some of the very expensive when you have 3 children - think tank in Birmingham for example

Love museums like Beamish which is reasonably priced and you can spend a whole day there and still not see everything

Only when I'm on holiday as there are no museums where I live! I don't think there's a single one in my big town and the nearest ones are crap.

I used to live in Edinburgh and would go to the museums and galleries there quite a lot.