Think Twice before heading for The British Museum with your kids!

[ScaryScaryNight]

I just had a very stressful day out at the British Museum with my 5 1/2 year old, my 2 year old, another mum and her 5 year old.

Lifts were randomly and intermittently NOT working, and it was hard work with a push chair on stair cases.

There are 4 entries/exits from the main quadrangle, one leading to the Main Entrance of the Museum, one to staircase leading to a side entrance, and 2 more to exhibits. Neither are marked well, there are NO "you are here" style site maps, and because the entrances from the quadrangle are looking the same, you are walking pretty much at random hoping to chance one the exit you want.

Information referring to family / child related activities are NOT found at the main information point, you are referred to a small library off "Room 2". Where is "Room 2"? There are no rooms marked as "room 2", but if you ask you find that this library is off an exhibit located through a gift shop found near the main entrance of the museum.

We wanted to do an adventure trail called "Down the Nile", relating to ancient Egypt. This was found on the sixth floor. We were looking for Room 65 where it was supposed to start. But could find no reference to any exhibit for Ancient Egypt once on the sixt floor, neither any references to roomnumbers, only corridors going in different directions. We asked an attendant, who pointed down a corridor marked Europe. Sure enough Ancient Egypt was found after Roman Britain and Persia.

And the other activities? You could colour in masks and pictures related to the Teracotta Army. Or houses to make a city. The choice of colour of crayons were poor, mostly with broken tips, and the sharpeners dotted around the tables were so unsharp that the tips of the crayons broke and got stuck in the sharpener.
Hence all the crayons with broken tips.

I was unable to find a single baby chance room, and had to change my 2 year old on the floor outside the toilets.

Many of the chairs were simply missing from the table in the cafe located in the main quadrangle, so people were scattered around the floor eating, while large parts of tables were emtpy as there were no chais/stools there.

Overall a very bad day out. Inadequate signposting/marking of rooms,lifts and events, inadequate toilet and baby change facilities, inadequate eating facilities.

The only plus, and that was one VERY BIG PLUS was the clay modelling at the basement level where we could make our own teracotta warrior for free. That was great.

You should copy and paste this and send it to them.

They need to know.

Yes - quite agree. My dh is a wheelchair user and the British Museum is the sort of place we would definitely go to if in London with our 2 year old. The lifts not working would be a showstopper for us, staircases simply cannot be done. The lack of baby change facilities would be a major stressor for us too.

What a shame - I loved the BM pre-children, this really should be better.

That sounds awful - and so much less than what you'd expect from the BM.

I took my dd to the Eygptian exhibition in the summer and we ended up going up and down in the lifts 2 or 3 times - my Mum couldn't face the stairs as she gets chest pains. We trailed around for ages looking for the 'room 2' for the backpack thing but luckily we'd already twigged where the Egyptian room was (we'd already looked around it before realising that there was a children's trail).

I nearly blew a gasket in the shop though as it was overpriced tat (as usual) and far too hot to boot. Mind it was August - but what's wrong with a few fans or some air-con being used? It can't do the exhibits much good if the air is so humid.

Sorry you had a bad experience - email the BM and see what they have to say. They won't know unless you tell them!

tbh I don't really think it is set up for under 7's, even the trails.

I would let them know about the poor service of lifts and signage at the time you visited and tell them the date you went. Feedback is always a good way forward.

When my dds were little some of the parent/baby facilties were not the norm and I think new buildings are designed to cater much better for the expectations we have today.

They do have lots of information on their website, sometimes it is best to plan ahead see to avoid the stress see access and facilites

I have not been to the BM for 6 years, not since the quadrangle was built. Lots of renovation and changes have been made in the last 6 years.

As a Classics student having graduated from UCL just up the road, I pretty much LIVED at the BM for best part of my degree, and knew it very well. I never had problems manouvering it the past, but as a student on my own, I would never been looking for lifts and baby change, and indeed eating facilities. I was disappointed to revisit.

The trails was for age 6 and up. We did not have any problems with the trail themselves, they were good, but getting about and finding out where to go and how to find places, was a true nightmare.

I was there a few weeks ago, I had tickets to the Teracotta Army exhibit, and without kids, and just to come, see the exhibit and go, was not a problem, except from finding which of the four exits to take from the quadrangle.

Tribpot, I did see ONE wheelchair user, a teenage girl. She was carried by her father down a 5-6 step staircase to use the toilet, her wheelchair left at the top of the staircase. But surely there must be facilities elsewhere, though I did not see any. (I would have used it to change my son had I seen one....)

I shall email the BM with this feedback. Thanks.

The signage is certainly very poor there which is something that could be addressed. It does fall down compared to places like the National History/Science Museuem but they are more 'family friendly' anyway.

Natural History even .

Bookwormmum, have you been to Science Museum recently? I am planning to go there on thursday with my two, and a friend with her 4 year old niece.

I have emailed the BM the below feedback.

I've been there twice or three times this year. There's loads of ramps or lifts (which work!) and it's definitely more hands-on than the BM for children. There's a children's exploration area in the basement -(go through the space exploration past the engines as you come in) where they can do experiments with building blocks, creating energy, sound-waves and so on. My dd loves it down there but it does get pretty crowded. The most popular exhibit in there seems to be the bead crane/processor - you'll see it if you go - there's always dozens of children beavering away on that . Some of the upper galleries are quite good as well.

We have had some brilliant trips to the BM - but I wonder whether 5 is a little young for it? That doesn't excuse the facilities nad the rubbish crayons though!

I think I shall brave it. My oldest is really interested in science, energy, etc. I was just quite put off the entire museum experience after today. We have been to the natural history museum a few times, and that has always worked out really well. Time to try the science museum I think!

A really good one is Imperial War Museum. Good for a 5 y.o. too.

I'd forgotten quite how terrible the directions are at the BM. Last time we went had a similar experience to you, traipsing round the whole bloody place ten times.

It was wonderful but absolutely knackering. WHY can't they just tell you where the stuff you want to see is? And where the stuff for children is?

Am taking ds soon for the terracotta warriers soon. Gulp.

DH took DS and DD1 to the BM a few weeks ago. They went to see the Roman stuff and he said it was poorly signed and all mixed up.

Be wary of the Imperial War Museum - my 6 year old ds found it very distressing and had bad dreams and crying fits for weeks afterwards. It's very powerful - I went on a school trip with Year 6s and it was too much for some of them.

DS likes the areoplanes and the house of the 40s, also the submarine exhibits.

we had aboslutely no problem with imperial war. the 1940's house was amazing, just like my grandpas!
the trenches were good too. we must have missed the scarey part. dd got herself lost

1940s hous is brilliant, and the submarine with the "smelly" boxes i particulaly effective. My year 6s found the digital counter of people killed in conflict throughout the world very moving - a lot of them were in tears. It's a very thought provoking place for all ages. No bad thing, but it's good to be prepared.

Lowering the tone a bit, we went to the Star Wars exhibition today, at County Hall. (HUGE queues at the Aquarium so we gave up on it.) It's surprisingly good - and i'm not a fan. V expensive (£16 adults, £12.50 children over 5, £1 charge if paying by card). Stairs to the first floor where it is, no lift but the staff were very helpful and gave me a hand.

They do have (very good) baby change facilities at the British Museum - they are in the middle of the quadrangle next door to the disabled toilets (ie at the tope of the stairs leading down to the other toilets).

Another good museum is the Horniman Museum in Dulwich. They have the african, egyptian sections, but smaller so more manageable with kids. Very child friendly. Also good for boys as they have some good gruesome stuff.