The People's Hero Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 Who’s a fan ? My son is at an age where he is hugely in to soaking up knowledge and has always been desperate to go to the Natural History Museum, partly inspired I think by his favourite programme which is the David Attenborough show where the exhibits ‘ come to life ‘ We did the Natural History Museum and the Sciene Museum today and had a lovely lunch in Kensington. London has many many free museums and I think the Imperial War Museum may be on our list. Is the V&A any good? British Museum? Kid friendly ? We’ve done the space centre in Leicester which is another favourite. What are yours ?
StanSP Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 Loved the Space Centre. Great place and would happily go again as it's been a while since I went. History & Science Museum I don't think I could ever get bored of. So much to explore and so much to be amazed by.
Izzy Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 Good thread idea We took the kids the the NHM in London last year and they loved it. Theres a few good ones near us down here in Bucks. Tring museum and the one in Oxford are pretty good. My favourite are the war ones down in Portsmouth docks - you have to pay but they’re worth it. Hoping to take the kids to the Space Centre at half term. Museums are cool.
Wymsey Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 Isn't there a museum of some kind on New Walk, as well?
Guest Mee-9 Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 The British Museum is great. You'll need a map to be able to have a look around properly as it's huge but they have some amazing stuff there. Amazing statues, artefacts and so on!
The People's Hero Posted 30 January 2019 Author Posted 30 January 2019 17 minutes ago, StanSP said: Loved the Space Centre. Great place and would happily go again as it's been a while since I went. History & Science Museum I don't think I could ever get bored of. So much to explore and so much to be amazed by. We didn’t give ourselves enough time to do the Space Centre. Advantages for most of you guys is it is of course in Leicester and it also has plentiful parking. Paid admittance BUT it pays for annual entry so you can return within a year for free. My kids absolutely loved it and we did 3 hours there but it just wasn’t enough. 15 minutes ago, Izzy said: Good thread idea We took the kids the the NHM in London last year and they loved it. Theres a few good ones near us down here in Bucks. Tring museum and the one in Oxford are pretty good. My favourite are the war ones down in Portsmouth docks - you have to pay but they’re worth it. Hoping to take the kids to the Space Centre at half term. Museums are cool. See above about the Space Museum in Leicester. South Kensington is a great place to spend a day with NHM and science museum so close to one another, V&A very close by and tube station very close. Also plenty of restaurants including kid friendly places, quick places like Leon and five guys and more expensive options so it can suit all tastes and be as adult or as kiddie and family as you like. Having arrived today about midday on a Wednesday there were no queues for anything. I’ve read this isn’t always true for NHM but who knows. I know I’m getting fanatical but it’s worth nothing the NHM is also architecturally beautiful and there are some fine buildings in the area. It’s a nice place for a stroll and with plenty of parks nearby too. In case others don’t know, these museums are free entry. Such a good day out. We we also saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace so it was a really good day and it only cost me train fayre, lunch and the donations I made at the museums. 6 minutes ago, Wymeswold fox said: Isn't there a museum of some kind on New Walk, as well? Went a few years ago. That was good ! There was a temporary football exhibit I think ? 2 minutes ago, Mee-9 said: The British Museum is great. You'll need a map to be able to have a look around properly as it's huge but they have some amazing stuff there. Amazing statues, artefacts and so on! Okay that’s next on the list ! Thanks
SpacedX Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 Born and partly raised in London I used to spend hours in museums. On the subject of the British Museum, I used to love the Museum of Mankind as a kid. I'd also recommend the Imperial War Museum while the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich is free. Nearby, the Cutty Sark has also been recently restored post fire and the nearby market is worth a look. If your children are interested in astronomy, then it's a short walk up to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich Park...(it also commands a great view of docklands - then head on to Blackheath). Also the National Gallery and the Tate (Millbank) is a wonderful way to spend a day. On the subject of space, did the kids enjoy seeing the Eagle LEM replica at the Science Museum? Also, the actual Apollo 10 Command Module? The Planetarium on Marylebone Road may also be worth considering.
breadandcheese Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 Science museum is probably best for kids, so you've done the top one. But British Museum is ace. They do family activity packs which are great. Well worth getting. https://www.britishmuseum.org/visiting/family_visits/gallery_backpacks.aspx
RODNEY FERNIO Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 Not a museum as such but the National Gallery for me , Can spend a good couple of hours gawping at the incredible talent of the artists displayed. They had a Da Vinci in there ( behind glass ) can't remember any others behind glass where the way he'd painted the eyes, skin and fingers just had you standing there in amazement. Remember a huge painting of a stag by a crypt by John Constable which was just as jaw dropping in its own way.
Guest Electric Yetis Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 Took my kids to the Space Centre about 18 months ago, they really wanted to go. Don't know if we went on a bad day but nearly everything interactive wasn't working and it seemed really dirty. Even with the annual entry we've never been back.
Guest Kopfkino Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 There's some great smaller museums dotted all over London, often get missed in the clamour for the bigger, more known places (as fantastic as they are) - depending what you're into and age of course. You can combine a lot of these into a single day. Some that I've liked: - Sir John Soane Museum - his house preserved as much as possible from the day he died, lots of his architectural drawings and models, plus possessions. Been a few times now as its next to uni. The Hungarian on the other side of Lincoln's Inn Fields which has a collection of anatomical and surgical stuff was great but is closed for a few years - Bank of England Museum - learn about the BoE's history, what it does, and about 'money' - Old Operating Theatre - the oldest surviving operating theatre, can sometimes see a mock bit of surgery from a time without modern drugs but have to book - Fire Brigade Museum - actually it's closed now, well it closed not long after I went and they're building a new one, idk when the new one opens, but it was good to see the old engines and how fires altered London and the role of the fire brigade during the Blitz. - Wellcome Collection - the history of medicine - Churchill's War Rooms - probs doesn't belong in this list as goes without saying really. - UCL's Zoology Museum - really small and not obviously found but just masses of animal skeletons, specimens, and fossils. Basically a macabre NHM shoved into your front room
Finnegan Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 I like a good museum. I hate a terrible one. Think it's really disappointing where you go somewhere with loads of history and they've done nothing with it. Lisa and Carl off here recommended Rothenburg ob der Tauber to me and my missus a few years ago when we were looking for a Christmas Market. Pretty much the whole town is a museum. What I particularly liked though is that about a five minute walk from their Christmas Museum was a Medieval Crime & Torture museum which is one of the grizzliest museums I've been in
Izzy Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 Not sure I'd class Bletchley Park as a 'museum' as such, but it's a great day out. Only 20 mins from us and we've been about 10 times. Always learn something new every time we go. Highly recommended
pSinatra Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 Love a good museum. As already mentioned, the British, Science & Natural History museums are a great way to spend a day. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was excellent, but the best & most unusual museum I've been to is the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford (close to Trinity College). Loads of weird & macabre artefacts. You have to question the methods used to acquire the artefacts, plundered from all over the world during the British Empire (which can be said of many museums). It's not the biggest place, but it's all very interesting. Best being the shrunken heads.
Raj Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 Took the kids NHM new year's eve. Didn't realise how HUGE it is. You could be there a whole week!!!
PAULCFC Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 Would recomend the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green.Not on the scale of the NHM,but really good for kids.Took the kids their when we had a weekend in London.It's full of thing's that i had as a kid.Their is a really good greasy spoon over the road too that does great breakfasts!
ScouseFox Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 i live opposite the royal armouries in leeds and them dick heads have gun firing and cannon firing shows randomly through the week. trust me when you’re a bit worse for wear and slumped on the couch it’s a fu cker of a shock when ten gunshots in a row get fired outside your window. man down.
oakman Posted 30 January 2019 Posted 30 January 2019 As previously mentioned, the Sir John Sloane Museum is excellent and very central. The Horniman Museum is brilliant for kids but it's down in Forest Hill and a bit of a trek to get to.
Stadt Posted 31 January 2019 Posted 31 January 2019 Proper love New Walk, there's a class Semper Eadem mosaic in the foyer. Not been for a long time but I enjoyed Newarke museum as a kid, found it a bit creepy but in a positive way, which is counterintuitive but it had a profound impact on me.
Finnaldo Posted 31 January 2019 Posted 31 January 2019 5 hours ago, Stadt said: Proper love New Walk, there's a class Semper Eadem mosaic in the foyer. Not been for a long time but I enjoyed Newarke museum as a kid, found it a bit creepy but in a positive way, which is counterintuitive but it had a profound impact on me. Is the New Walk one the one with the recreation of a cobbler Victorian Leicester street? I’m pretty sure I went a few years ago and I was impressed. They also had a WW1 walk through trench when I was there, was pretty cool. Theres plenty of interesting history around the Civil War and Danelaw periods for Leicester, I hope that’s implemented or at least considered.
Stadt Posted 31 January 2019 Posted 31 January 2019 17 minutes ago, Finnaldo said: Is the New Walk one the one with the recreation of a cobbler Victorian Leicester street? I’m pretty sure I went a few years ago and I was impressed. They also had a WW1 walk through trench when I was there, was pretty cool. Theres plenty of interesting history around the Civil War and Danelaw periods for Leicester, I hope that’s implemented or at least considered. Newarke house
stripeyfox Posted 31 January 2019 Posted 31 January 2019 we had a weekend in Liverpool and there are some great one there. Kids loved the Museum of Liverpool - really helpful and friendly staff. Slavery museum on the Albert Dock was good too.
Mark 'expert' Lawrenson Posted 31 January 2019 Posted 31 January 2019 Recommend the Imperial War museum in London, it’s fantastic, free to get in but make sure you give yourself enough time to look around, we ran out of time!
Wolfox Posted 31 January 2019 Posted 31 January 2019 The Poo museum on a steam day is one of Leicester’s best days out…. I’ve been loads of times… There is something about those old beam engines which is entirely mesmerizing Kids love it
FoxesDeb Posted 31 January 2019 Posted 31 January 2019 16 minutes ago, Wolfox said: The Poo museum on a steam day is one of Leicester’s best days out…. I’ve been loads of times… There is something about those old beam engines which is entirely mesmerizing Kids love it We're going again on Sunday, and taking the other half's Dad for the first time. He's YouTube'd the beam engines and can't wait
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