Keeping the little ones occupied can be a handful! Equally, getting them excited and interested in learning new facts and histories can be a challenging task.
Discover the best museums for kids – perfect for keeping them fascinated about the past, present and future! Whether your kids love history, art, science or sports, or are just interested in the world around them, check out our list of favourite family-friendly museums across Britain!
1. Science Museum – London
One of the capital’s best family-friendly attractions and a wonderland for learning and exploration, the Science Museum is a prime London museum in South Kensington that will keep your kids busy all day long. This child-friendly museum offers stunning exhibitions, hands-on scientific demonstrations and interactive activities centred around the science that makes up our world.
Home to the unforgettable Wonderlab that invites children to think like scientists, this famous British museum is free to book and will ensure your family leaves with a new perspective on how the world works.
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2. University Museum of Natural History – Oxford
Centred around its prestigious university, the Oxford University Museum of Natural History is the perfect place to explore and learn about the incredible history of our country and the world! With over seven million years worth of historical samples and artefacts, discover the evolution of the natural world and a variety of specimens unique to the museum – including the Oxford Dodo!
Don’t forget to get involved in exciting activities during your visit, including ‘Dinosaur Detective’, ‘Creature Colours’ and ‘Which Wale?’ – all designed to keep the kids busy as they explore the museum and investigate the hidden history of the natural world.
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3. Historic Dockyards – Portsmouth
Take a deep dive into the Portsmouth Historic Dockyards with countless family-friendly attractions and rainy-day activities that will keep the whole family busy. Explore and discover the history of 5 historic ships and submarines, and climb aboard to live and breathe the full Royal Navy experience.
Ready for an adrenaline-filled adventure completing real-life Royal Marines training drills? Check out the indoor Actions Stations: Commando Experience at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyards. Battle through an Ocean Warrior assault course, demolish the 27-foot tall Climbing Wall and test your youngster’s agility and balance on the Sky Tykes course.
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4. Riverside Museum – Glasgow
Explore Glasgow’s fascinating transport and technology history at the Riverside Museum. Celebrating the city’s integral contribution to the shipbuilding, train manufacturing and engineering industries, the Riverside Museum is the perfect attraction for any historical transport enthusiast exploring Glasgow!
As well as discovering the mindblowing history behind the transport we regularly use today, visitors can also, quite literally, step back in time! With Riverside Museum’s immersive walk through olde Glasgow streets, you’ll spot traditional trams, horse carriages and subway stations.
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5. Horniman Museum & Gardens – London
Introduce your children to an array of extraordinary natural wonders at one of the best London museums, the Horniman Museum & Gardens. This wondrous family-friendly museum aims to educate and inspire children and parents on the importance of nature and sustainability.
Celebrating cultural diversity and significant moments in human history, the Horniman Museum also offers engaging exhibitions and displays spotlighting Women’s History, Black History, Project Coral and much more.
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6. Eureka! The National Children’s Museum – Halifax
Looking for a museum where your children can discover, explore and play with no limits? Check out ‘Eureka! The National Children’s Museum’. This jam-packed destination, located in Halifax, West Yorkshire, is a fun-filled space ideal for kids ages 0-11 to explore all aspects of life.
Expect six fun-filled themed zones and immersive spaces your little ones will adore exploring. Discover the ‘All About Me’ zone, where kids can explore up close the science behind our bodies, the ‘Spark Gallery’, an interactive light paradise, the ‘SoundSpace’ zone, an alien adventure-themed exhibit and much more!
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7. Aerospace Museum – Bristol
Sky’s the limit at Aerospace Bristol! Introduce your little ones to astonishing British aerospace technology – from iconic Royal Air Force fighters to the extraordinary world of space flight.
Opening with the mission to inspire the next generation with the wonders of flight technology, Aerospace Bristol has been named the ‘Best Museum Visit’ by the School Travel Awards. A must-visit attraction for any future pilots-in-training!
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8. Roald Dahl Museum – Buckinghamshire
This creative wonderland of joy is the perfect day out for your little bookworms’ imaginations to run wild! Located in the quaint village of Great Missenden, where the beloved children’s novelist wrote for 36 years, the Roald Dahl Museum invites your family into the whizz-popping universe of Dahl’s out-of-this-world storytelling.
With a variety of hands-on activities to keep the kids entertained, discover Dahl’s famous Writing Hut or take part in multiple trails and treasure hunts around the museum’s twisting and turning site.
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9. World Museum – Liverpool
Get up close and personal with the Earth’s most fascinating creatures and discover the most mind-blowing discoveries and milestones in human existence. Dive into the jam-packed history of the planet we call home at the World Museum, Liverpool.
Meet the World Museum’s permanent sea creature residents in the deep-blue aquarium or marvel at the expansive solar system we live in, in the planetarium. With an exciting collection of exhibits and immersive experiences, you’ll be sure to tire out the kids at the World Museum Liverpool.
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10. JORVIK Viking Centre – York
If your kids have a distinct interest in the rich history of the Vikings, the JORVIK Viking Centre, York, is a must-visit museum! Located in the heart of York’s city centre, travel back over one thousand years to 975 AD and discover how Vikings lived and survived throughout their three-hundred-year rule.
But the JORVIK Viking Centre is not your average museum… With an all-new immersive ride that takes you through a recreated Viking community, you’ll get a face-to-face experience with Viking culture!
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