Museum Attractions Mean You Can Have Fun on Holiday and Save Money
Once upon a time, museums meant old, dark buildings full of grown-ups and ‘Do not touch’ signs – but not any more. Britain is home to thousands of family friendly museums and galleries just waiting to be explored by you and your family. Here’s our guide to some of the best around. Now great UK family holidays can be found on the cheap. Why not visit some of the country’s finest musuems for free?
Mask at Horniman Museum
Welcoming staff and brilliant exhibitions make this one of the best family friendly museums around. The museum opened in 1901 and holds in total over 350,000 objects. The Horniman has three main collections: Natural History; World Cultures (Anthropology) and Musical Instruments.
Don’t miss the Aquarium, which takes you on a journey from a British pond to a Rainforest in Guyana with 150 species in 15 displays. Children love the atmospheric viewing dens, the colourful fish in the Fijian Coral Reef and watching out for the waves in the rock pool area.
Admission: Free
Where: Eureka! Halifax
Eureka! is Britain’s first ‘touch museum’ for children. The museum features over 400 interactive exhibits designed for kids of all ages. Find out how the body senses work, travel around the globe, and explore the science behind sound, rhythm and performance at this excellent museum designed especially for 0-11 year-olds.
The ‘Me and my body’ gallery is a must-see, where children can step into a giant mouth, play pinball digestion and ride the skeleton bike to find out how bones and joints work.
Admission: £7.25 for adults and children aged 3+, £2.25 for toddlers aged 1-2 years and babies under 1 enter for free. Admission prices include a 10% donation to the Eureka! charity.
Web:Eureka! (www.eureka.org.uk)
Children in the Energy Gallery at the Science Museum – Credit: Science Museum
Where: Science Museum, London
London’s Science Museum is known all over the world for its historic collections and inspirational exhibitions. Visit the IMAX 3D Cinema, where you can see stunning 3D adventures like ‘Dinosaurs Alive! 3D’ and ‘Deep Sea 3D’.
The Science Museum has something for all ages, and its fantastic exhibitions – including ‘The Science of Spying’, ‘Inside the Spitfire’ and ‘The Big Bang’ – are sure to keep everyone entertained.
Admission: Free, but charges apply for the IMAX 3D Cinema, simulators and some special exhibitions.
Web:Science Museum (www.sciencemuseum.org.uk)
Children with treasure chest at Techniquest – Credit: Techniquest
