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Visit Fun Museums in the UK

Looking for a family day out that’s fun, interactive, and packed with discovery? Across the UK, museums are bringing history, science, storytelling, and creativity to life in exciting ways for children of all ages. From stepping into Viking York and exploring immersive story worlds to riding vintage trams and getting hands-on with science and play, these family-friendly attractions offer far more than traditional museum visits. Here are some of the best museums across the UK where children can learn, imagine, and explore through unforgettable experiences.

little boy in blue jumper sits at a control panel for a train or plane

London Transport Museum in London

Bring the kids for a fun, hands-on journey through London’s transport history at the London Transport Museum. From vintage buses to historic Underground trains, families can explore how London moved over the past 200 years—and even get a glimpse of future transport ideas.

Packed with interactive exhibits and activities, it’s an engaging day out where kids can learn through play.

Even better, kids go free, and adult tickets include unlimited daytime entry for a whole year—so you can keep coming back for more adventures.

tudor house

Weald & Downland Museum in Sussex

Wander through beautifully preserved historic buildings dating from the 13th to the 19th century at the Weald & Downland Living Museum, set in stunning countryside.

Explore seven charming period gardens, watch daily traditional craft and domestic demonstrations, and join guided tours that bring history to life. Around the site you’ll also find rare farm animals, peaceful woodland walks, a scenic lake, and plenty of perfect picnic spots.

Throughout the year, the museum hosts a packed calendar of seasonal events, plus special Open Days at the famous Repair Shop—featured on TV—where restoration magic happens right before your eyes.

the outside of the roald dahl museum

Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre in Buckinghamshire

Step into the magical world of storytelling at the award-winning Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, perfect for children aged 5–12 and their families.

Located in Great Missenden, where Roald Dahl lived and wrote, the museum features over 40 hands-on exhibits that bring his famous characters and stories to life. Explore how his extraordinary imagination was inspired by real people, places, and moments from his life.

Best of all, all tickets are annual passes—so you can return as many times as you like for a whole year of storytelling adventure.

Science Museum

The Science Museum in London

Discover one of Europe’s most visited museums at the Science Museum, home to over 15,000 objects celebrating science, space, and innovation.

See incredible exhibits, try immersive space and flight simulators, or explore interactive galleries, where science comes to life through hands-on experiments.

Families and schools can also enjoy workshops and educational sessions designed to spark curiosity and inspire future scientists.

A place full of discovery, the Science Museum makes science fun, exciting, and accessible for everyone.

pilot

Chiltern Open Air Museum in Buckinghamshire

Chiltern Open Air Museum is a hands-on, outdoor heritage museum in Buckinghamshire where families can explore historic buildings rescued from demolition and rebuilt in a beautiful countryside setting.

Children can wander through Victorian cottages, a 1940s prefab, a Nissen hut, and even a reconstructed Iron Age roundhouse, getting a real sense of how people lived across different eras. There are plenty of family-friendly activities too, including dressing up in period costumes, playing with traditional toys and games, following discovery trails, and enjoying an adventure playground.

With regular living history events bringing the past to life, it’s an engaging and active day out that makes history fun and memorable for kids.

Children playing with puppets at The Story Museum Oxford.

Photo: Flint Culture for The Story Museum – credit Andrew Walmsley Photography

The Story Museum in Oxfordshire

The Story Museum is a magical, family-friendly attraction in the centre of Oxford dedicated entirely to storytelling in all its forms — from books and oral traditions to film, TV, and games.

Families can explore immersive, imaginative spaces that bring stories to life. Step into The Enchanted Library, where iconic scenes from beloved children’s books surround you, including worlds inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia and His Dark Materials. Younger children and those with sensory needs can enjoy Small Worlds, a gentle, interactive area filled with characters from favourite stories like Winnie the Witch and Traction Man.

Other highlights include The Storycraft, an audiovisual journey through Oxford’s literary heritage, and The Whispering Wood, a mysterious forest where every tree seems to have a tale to tell. It’s a creative, hands-on experience designed to spark imagination in visitors of all ages.

 buses at the Trolleybus museum in Lincolnshire

TrolleyBus Museum in Lincolnshire

Discover the East Anglia Transport Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of preserved trolleybuses.

On open days, you can ride historic trolleybuses and explore 1950s displays, a cycle museum, and a recreated prefab home. There are also bus tours, themed events like Twilight Trolleys, plus a café and picnic areas.

Family tickets are great value and include free return visits for 12 months.

Jorvik Viking Centre exhibit

Jorvik Viking Centre in Yorkshire

Jorvik Viking Centre is an award-winning, immersive attraction where families can travel back to 10th-century York on a “time capsule” ride through a recreated Viking city. Along the way, you’ll experience the sights, sounds, and even the smells of the Viking Age.

Visitors can also explore a fascinating collection of 1,000-year-old artefacts and meet friendly Viking characters who bring the history to life with stories, humour, and hands-on interaction. It’s an engaging, memorable way for children to experience history up close.

Eureka Childrens Museum

Eureka! The National Children’s Museum in West Yorkshire

Eureka! The National Children’s Museum is a fully interactive children’s museum in West Yorkshire designed especially for kids aged 0–11. It’s built around hands-on learning, where children are encouraged to explore, experiment, and discover how the world works through play.

The museum is split into themed zones filled with colourful, engaging exhibits, from “All About Me” to a child-sized town where kids can role-play adult life, plus areas like the Sound Garden and Living & Working Together. There are also creative spaces and outdoor areas to explore.

With events running throughout the year and plenty of opportunities for interactive fun, it’s a highly immersive family day out that keeps young minds busy, curious, and entertained.

vintage car

Beamish Museum in County Durham

Beamish Museum is a unique open-air living history museum where you can step back into life in North East England across the 1820s, 1900s, 1940s, and 1950s. Ride vintage trams, explore a recreated pit village and underground mine, wander Edwardian streets, and experience wartime and post-war life brought vividly to life.

With steam trains, traditional shops, period homes, and hands-on experiences like old-style hairdressers and fish and chip shops, it’s an immersive, family-friendly day out. Perfect for exploring history in a fun, interactive way.

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