My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Education

Must visit Museums and art galleries

68 replies

Gunznroses · 25/11/2012 20:26

I would like to take dc (11 and 9)to visit some educational places, so far we've been to the natural science and History museums, we've been to the Tate modern ds1 thoroughly enjoyed the works of Damien Hirst.Im trying to make a list of more places to visit but there seems to be so many museums (some miles away and dont seem worth the journey).

I dont mind a couple of hrs drive but want to seem something worthwhile at the end and not just some old broken crockery from medieval times iyswim. There are some very small museums but that contain very interesting things like the Lowewood museum in hoddesdon. Ive also just spotted "Roald dahl museum in aylesbury, anyone been there ?

Can anyone recommend a list of interesting museums or art galleries that they have been to that would really add value educationally and isint just a few dustry old cups sprinkled around followed by a visit to the tea and cake shop Grin

OP posts:
Report
YDdraigGoch · 25/11/2012 20:30

Have you been to the Pitt-Rivers museum in Oxford?
Our Brownies loved it.

Report
YDdraigGoch · 25/11/2012 20:31

Also Technoquest in Cardiff and @Bristol are both very good.

Report
AppleOgies · 25/11/2012 20:31

Imperial war museum in London.

Report
Gunznroses · 25/11/2012 20:37

No, ive never heard of the pitt-rivers nor technoquest. I google them, please keep them coming.

OP posts:
Report
WinklyVersusTheZombies · 25/11/2012 20:44

The PittRivers is at the back of the Natural History Museum in Oxford, which is my number 1 favourite museum.

The Ashmolean in Oxford is full of Egyptian artifacts and other cool stuff too.

I like the Portrait Gallery in London. Bit of history thrown in with your art.

Report
EduCated · 25/11/2012 20:55

I'm a massive museum-obsessive but I HATED the Pitt Rivers. I completely freaked out in there. The Natural History Museum but in front was amazing though.

British Museum is a must, V&A I'm not fussed by. Ashmolean is good, Imperial War Museum about right for your DCs ages (though sme bits may still be a bit too much). Black Country Museum, if you're ever up that way, makes a nice change Smile

Report
alcofrolic · 25/11/2012 21:09

I went to the Roald Dahl Museum in Aylesbury about 15 years ago, but am returning on Friday! Will let you know!

What about the Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden?

River and Rowing Museum in Henley? (Nice spot by the river)

Chiltern Open Air Museum in Chalfont St Giles? (Lots of space for running around!)

Saatchi?

Report
Noobo · 25/11/2012 21:10

Places me and my kids have been in London that were good and we repeated visits to

British Museum (mummies and everything really)
Wellcome collection (medical stuff and interesting exhibitions)
V & A (my kids loved at that age)
Museum of London/Museum of Docklands (excellent stuff for kids)
Tate Britain (art trolley)
HMS Belfast (history)
Tower of London (history and pricey)
Kew
Saatchi galleries (free)
Imperial War Museum (excellent and free)
Army museum (good but not my thing)
Museum of Childhood (Bethnal Green)
Design Museum (now moving to Holland Park!)
Greenwich/maritime museum/planetarium - go by river?
Kensington Palace/Diana playground
Royal Opera House (have cheap tickets for families from time to time and events)
Opera Holland Park (free tickets for kids - only summer - and have to apply quickly)
Regents park zoo/canal trip (pricey but great day out)

Report
alcofrolic · 25/11/2012 21:17

Hampton Court is good
Warwick Castle (excellent 'real' shows - maybe only in the summer?)
Blenheim Palace near Oxford (has some great mazes in one of the gardens! Great grounds for wandering round as well.)

Report
EcoLady · 25/11/2012 22:08

Duxford - part of the Imperial War Museum and a must for aircraft and WW2 history. On the M11 near Cambridge.

Report
Saracen · 25/11/2012 22:09

I'd go for an outdoor living history museum such as West Stow Anglo-Saxon village in Bury St Edmunds.

I only know some of the museums listed here: www.britainsfinest.co.uk/museums/search_results.cfm/searchclasscode/435 but there are some real gems among them. Many are rather too far for you but there might be some suitable ones.

Report
grovel · 25/11/2012 23:04

Bovington Tank Museum and Monkey World are close together (in Dorset). Fun.

Report
YDdraigGoch · 25/11/2012 23:27

Warwick Castle is brilliant!

Report
creamteas · 26/11/2012 10:02

What are you DC interested in? I don't think they get a lot out of places unless they have at least a passing interest.

We have been to a good range, but I always found that had the ones into history got very little from the science places, the one who liked Roald Dahl books loved the museum, and the rest hated it!

Report
BarryShitpeas · 26/11/2012 10:08

We have just visited the Foundling museum, on account of dds being obsessed with the Hetty Feather series of books. It is a bit dry, but heartbreaking if you are an adult. There is a collection of Handel stuff upstairs, including his last will and testament.

Report
TheWave · 26/11/2012 11:10

RAF Hendon air museum good to wander around.

I would second the rowing museum in Henley (on a nice day so you get to walk around outside by the river as well if you are making the trip!)

Report
dotty2 · 26/11/2012 11:18

Where do you live? Then we can give you recs tailored to your area.

Report
Gunznroses · 26/11/2012 13:22

thanks for all these wonderful recommendations. We're in Hertfordshire dotty, ds is also quite arty, so keen on art galleries too.

OP posts:
Report
unexpectediteminbaggingarea · 26/11/2012 13:38

we're in herts too:

science museum is great, gets very busy though

tring NH museum is small and quirky, full of stuffed animals (it is 'the dead animals museum' in our house) but is free and usually quiet. they sometimes have extra little bits on. We go there often as it's an easy drive for us. I wouldn't drive more than about 30 mins for it though...

RAF museum Hendon is good.

There's a toy museum somewhere I always mean to go to but haven't made it yet.

Report
Blu · 26/11/2012 13:45

For a nice summer day: the science centre and observatory at Herstmonceux (sp?) near Eastbourne. Much of it is outdoor, they do evening astronomy sessions looking through the bid telescopes, and excellent science shows on the summer hols. Good for those actually into science and astronomy.

Greenwich - Cutty Sark, Maritime Museum and Astronomy Museum at the Observatory - so all in a day, or do the bits you are interested in. Maritime Museum alone perhaps not worth the trip form miles away.

Museum of London for specific topics - Fire of London.

Fakenham Museum of Gas - best collection of old Ascot water heaters in the country.

Guess which of these I am not recommending Grin

Report
Gunznroses · 26/11/2012 14:02

Fakenham ? HmmGrin

OP posts:
Report
dinkystinky · 26/11/2012 14:05

I second the cutty sark - took DS1 and DS2 there yesterday and they loved it. Also big fans of the museum of london, british museum, Tate modern, science museum, natural history museum and the RAF museum (in Hendon). The V&A is on my list of places to go with them when they're abit older. We've been to a few art gallery exhibitions at the Hayward gallery too - I try to pick ones which are age appropriate/appealing for kids.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

reddaisy · 26/11/2012 14:07

@Bristol is amazing. Anyone at any age can enjoy that museum.

Report
EldritchCleavage · 26/11/2012 14:15

V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnall Green comes recommended by friends of ours.

The Whitechapel Art Gallery is nice.

The Tower of London is expensive but excellent, even if you don't do the Crown Jewels.

What about The Clink, that prison museum? Small, but looks good. And don't forget cathedrals-they've often got as much stuffed into them as a small museum. Lincoln Cathedral is probably the best building in the UK.

Report
dinkybinky · 26/11/2012 14:46

What about stately homes? Hatfield House and Knebworth are both worth a visit.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.