Best Museums For Kids

Museums are a popular day out among families as they are typically FREE! You can find a museum on everything in the world from history, art, science, music, war, the supernatural and more! Museums have a great way of breaking down complex topics and making it visual, fun & unforgettable for children. So, what are the best museums for kids?

A great kid-friendly museum will have its own set of workshops and interactive features where kids can put their knowledge to the test. So without further ado, here are our top picks for the best museums for kids in the UK that all families will LOVE…

Our Top Featured Attraction

National Space Centre, Leicester

Get ready for lift off! Put on your helmet to board the iconic 42m high rocket tower, tour the six interactive galleries and embark on a journey. Browse through spacesuits of the past as you piece together man’s amazing voyage into the unknown… Become a trainee astronaut at the Tranquillity Base, have a go at charting planets and see what you can discover as you peer through the telescope. By the end of the day, you’ll feel well-equipped to explore the universe! 

All at the National Space Centre!

Imperial War Museum North, Manchester

If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s any museums in Manchester, then you’ve come to the right place! Only at the Imperial War Museum can you discover how war shapes lives through revealing powerful stories.

Read a soldier’s last letter home and examine objects like the twisted steel of the World Trade Centre. Explore a First World War trench, discover what life would have been like for an evacuee, escape from a prisoner of war camp through a tunnel, and more at this museum full of fascinating exhibitions. 

Why not check out other national Imperial War Museums like the Imperial War Museum London and the Imperial War Museum Duxford?

The Natural History Museum, London

Care to visit the landmark of all museums? The Natural History Museum is home to over 80 million amazing plants, animals, fossils, rocks and minerals. Begin your dive into it all by paying a visit to their star resident: an enormous, animatronic T-Rex! Families can then take a free, behind-the-scenes tour and meet a brilliantly gross and totally fascinating giant squid.

Black Country Living Museum, Dudley

Travel back in time today, at the Black Country Living Museum! Be transported back to the boom of the industrial revolution, 300 years ago. You may recognise it from your TV screens as it is the occasional set for Peaky Blinders! Walk in the shoes of an 18th-century coal miner or take the bus around the museum, passing old shops and candlelit pubs.

Just remember before you leave: No Black Country visit is complete without a traditional English fish & chips or a stop at the sweet shop. Get those coppers ready!

Horniman Museum and Gardens, London

Unusual and eclectic, this museum is packed full of fascinating changing exhibitions, and galleries include Natural history, African Worlds, Anthropology, Music Gallery and much more. Kids love the 4,000 item Hands On zone as they can explore with wild textures and amazing oddities. With an Animal Walk, aquarium and a botanical garden to explore too there’s much to get stuck into!

The Cartoon Museum, London

Do you love comedy and all comic books? Then we think you’ll LOVE The Cartoon Museum!!

Enter a world of whimsy and creativity and celebrate all the British comics from decades back! From classic comic strips like “Beano” and “Dandy” to contemporary graphic novels. There’s something for everyone to enjoy!

Discover original cartoons and original artwork to dedicated areas for beloved children’s characters like “The Beano” and “The Bash Street Kids.” The Cartoon Museum offers a delightful journey down memory lane for parents and grandparents while introducing younger generations to the timeless humour of these comics.

Why not venture behind the scenes of never-seen-before screenshots of the films made, set pieces and models and original artwork too? This year is special because The Cartoon Museum is celebrating Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers turning 30 this year! With a brand-new, never-seen-before exhibit featuring the iconic animated duo – Wallace and Gromit. You can even make your own piece of plasticine history!

British Music Experience Museum, Liverpool

All you need is… British Music! Check out the cool side of history, with holographic stage performances, iconic stage costumes, handwritten lyrics by Oasis, Amy Winehouse, Adele and more! Try out fun activities like how to boogie to different genres of music, from the rave scene to the reggae scene! Or let your creative energy loose on the many instruments dotted around the British Music Experience museum.

The Dinosaur Museum, Dorset

At the award-winning Dinosaur Museum, it’s all about having a roaring good time! It’s uniqueness comes from the fact it is the only British museum devoted solely to dinos with skeletons, life-size reconstructions and a few scaly surprises… Listen out for the Triceratops, meet a Stegosaurus and smell the breath of a T-Rex! With so many cool & interactive games too, it’s a sure winner among family days out. 

National Roman Legion Museum, Newport

Ever wondered what a Roman soldier’s bedroom looked like 2,000 years ago? Wonder no more! At the National Roman Legion Museum you can step back in time and enter a Roman’s bedroom, check out a Roman child’s teeth and inspect a real life soldier’s helmet… Don’t forget to see the Fortress Baths, Amphitheatre and Barracks too, they are a must see! This museum is one of the best museums for kids, for sure. 

Bank of England Museum, London

There’s something for everyone at the Bank of England Museum, with attractions including activity sheets for children of all ages, banknote jigsaws, a roller ball game, touch screens and the opportunity for some safe cracking! Take control of a virtual hot air balloon to learn about inflation or handle a real gold bar – it’s the only place in the UK where you can do that!

Bodmin Jail, Bodmin

Looking for a hair-raising attraction to visit with the kids? The Bodmin Jail Museum may be the spooktacular experience you and your family need. Unearth Cornwall’s dark history at the Bodmin Jail Museum. Notoriously known as a supernatural hive with an infamous criminal past, Bodmin Jail offers a chance to embark on an £8 million immersive experience into Cornwall’s rich history of community, crime and a ‘Dark Walk’ into the unknown… Despite its dark themes, it is still a family-friendly museum.

South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, Doncaster

Why not visit the former site of WWII RAF Doncaster? Open in between Christmas and New Year, it’s a great place to take the kids for some fresh air! Browse military aircraft, put yourself in the pilot’s seat, or have a go at an aircraft simulator! See helicopters, rockets, and more, plus a number of interactive exhibits, most of which are under cover, making this a great all weather attraction.

Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Did you know The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is the world’s largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts, and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects? This museum has a stunning art collection that will encourage creativity in more ways than one… There are FREE creative family workshops aimed at ages 5 – 12 yrs while there are also specific workshops for under 5’s too!

ThinkTank Birmingham Science Museum, Birmingham

Who could say no to this award-winning museum? With over 200 hands-on displays, from steam engines and talking robots to gurgling guts and even a chocolate wrapping machine, it is a brilliant Birmingham museum and a must visit! Take a trip to the incredible 4K Planetarium and find out how mechanics and transportation work at the outdoor Science Garden. Not to forget the MiniBrum attraction too… Curious much?

Grant Zoology Museum, London

Curious about animal anatomy? This quirky museum shows you the skeletons and preservations of animals & minibeasts all great, small & extinct. Keep an eye out for the Dodo bones, Anaconda skeleton, and the Brain Collection… check out the 14,000 different specimens of insects and don’t forget to visit the remains of the extinct Tasmanian Tiger.

It is without a doubt one of the best museums for kids who are fascinated by animals, nature and life itself. 

The MAD Museum, Warwickshire

Are your kids the kind of kids who love working out how things work? The Mad Museum is a place where sprockets, robotics and wild paraphernalia are yours to explore. While others say hands off, they demand a hands-on approach to over 50 crazy contraptions. Press buttons, turn screws and release your ‘inner inventor’!

The MAD Museum is one of the best museums for kids – why? Who doesn’t love love all things weird, wonderful & technological! 

Royal Air Force Museum London

Visit the Museum’s Battle of Britain Hall and get up close a personal to aircraft that flew in the Battle itself. Be amazed by the 5m high statue of Sir Keith Park and take in our free emotive sound and light show ‘Our Finest Hour’ about ‘The Few’ which runs daily from 11:00 to 17:00 in the Hall. Listen to Winston Churchill’s iconic Battle of Britain speech to the nation from his office in No.10 Downing Street. This day out is truly an insightful and moving one. 

Feel free to check out the other Royal Air Force Museum in Cosford and the the Royal Engineers Museum in Gillingham. 

Found a cool museum to visit with the family? Whether it’s an iconic museum of London, a modern museum with interactive displays, or a museum that houses the bones of an extinct dodo bird… There’s so much to explore on your next educational day out.

In need of more inspo? Check out the Museum of the Home, the Ashmolean Museum or the Museum of Brands! Feel free to check our other latest days out blogs for more family activity inspo!