Great 'Free UK Museums & Galleries' Hunt

julie777

RUSSELL-COTES Art Gallery & Museum in Bournemouth has free admission but people can make donations if they choose. I also recommend the cafe in there. It makes for a good afternoon out. I believe it may be closed on Mondays.

DigForVictory

This has been mentioned before but we love it. :j My whole family (grandparents, us, kids) spend a fair amount of time at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (www dot oum dot ox dot ac dot uk) which is co-located with the Pitt Rivers museum. The family events they put on at holiday time are absolutely brilliant - the volounteers are keen, knowledgeable & great fun & usually every activity is free (the website is very helpful about what you may have to pay for & what you certainly will not).

The Pitt Rivers Museum is named for the chap who appears to have gone almost anywhere he wanted & brought it all back home, then made the University house it & arrange for lectures on anthropology! This lad did not do postcards - when he needed to go up river, he bought the canoes. Hence there's a hefty display of methods of getting about, as well as information on what the locals did for food, fun, fighting etc ("Effnografy" as the family know it). Their website is also helpful & robust (www dot prm dot ox dot ac dot uk) with a Family Activities section especially active at weekends.

Happily the grandparents can find a chair to have a breather on & join in playing hunt the critter or whatever this holiday challenge is - the museum is generous in getting exhibits out to touch, stroke, hold and generally be amazed by in person rather than behind a pane of glass & a pinned label.

Both musea (?) are great whenever someone's "doing" a country or a time period - we have come to rely on the curators and staff to have something relevant & (if necessary) show us where it is!

Free entry for all to the above.


The Ashmolean is just reopening this week after a shutdown and refubishment of a year or so, and I look forward to going back to it. It may not be as emotionally cuddly as the Natural History museum, but it is reliably stolidly academic. It is a great place to absorb quotes and images which underpin school & university learning.

Not sure about free entry - used to be free but pay for specific exhibitions, likely will stick to that.

Like all Oxford Museums, parking can be a swine. The local transport of choice, the bicylce, is accomodated but drivers may find a shuttle service makes more sense & the Park & Ride works pretty well.


Thumbs up for RAF Cosford (Curently with the James May pseudo Airfix kit) & The Armouries at Leeds too, even though both places stiff you for parking (Cosford £2, Leeds by the hour).

Blaenarvon Big Pit in Wales is great for the kids, not so fun if you're much over 5'10" but the Steelworks is completely un-heightist. :jTake a picnic though, as the cafes can be pricey.

Family membership of CADW is great for the castle baggers in your family - Wales has more castles per square mile than any other country in the world (they brag) & the views usually go on for days (weather premitting!) CADW membership gets you in free & we joined using Tesco clubcard vouchers. One currently single godfather joined up on a special deal of £25 for the year and it paid for itself in one (hectic) Bank Holiday weekend with us, even visiting free entry castles...

Bolton Museum, Art Gallery and Aquarium has both an Egyptian Mummy & real live piranhas. And it is slap in the middle of town so you can alternate windowshopping with pound shops with solid culture. Go grin at the elephant!

iwassomeoneelse

cleverjake wrote: »

Coventry Transport Museum is free - my kids love it!

http://www.transport-museum.com/

While you're in Coventry, you should go to the Herbert ( http://www.theherbert.org ) - you can walk past the cathedrals on the way from one to the other (they're free to enter too (for now...))

toastydave

cleverjake wrote: »

Coventry Transport Museum is free - my kids love it!

http://www.transport-museum.com/

And it has the fastest car in the world on display + the worlds second fastest, why they never promote this I don't know!

mobby-2554

World Museum Liverpool
My grandaughter loves it.

Walker Art Gallery
Merseyside Maritime Museum in Albert Dock.
Lady Lever Art Gallery & you could have a look around Port Sunlight Village.

All are free admission but you can make a donation.


http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/museums_and_galleries/index.asp

prettyman

Eastbourne
The brand spanking new Towner art gallery in Eastbourne is a treat. It has free exhibitions and a fab permanent collection. The cafe overlooks the Tennis courts that are used for some major tournaments. So you can have a cup of tea and watch the tennis for free:T. They also have really good free kids packs to entertain the little ones.

izzydogsam

oldnewhand wrote: »

A wet fortnight camping in South Wales found many free museums. It seems it's only the privately owned attractions that cost in this forward thinking country. Swansea was good but the Big Pit coal mine at Blaenavon was a fantastic experience. http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/bigpit/

There's also the National Coal Mining Museum for England, between Wakefield and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire. Free admission, including a trip 140m underground guided by a former coal miner. Lots more to see including special exhibitions, pit ponies, nature trail, cafe, shop etc.
www.ncm.org.uk

cazzy1612

Hi there, we really like the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge which is free to enter but requests voluntary suggested donation of £3 per adult (none for children). They have paintings from 17th to 20th century including a great room of impressionists (my favourites). There are also artifacts from various past civillisations such as egyptian, syrian etc. I think there are some other good places in Cambridge such as the Scott (of the Antartic) museum but not sure if free.

Bye for now
Carol

MummyPenny_2

Have recently enjoyed free visit to Kelvingrove museum and art gallery (Dr Who exhibition is not free) in Glasgow.

Also The Museum of Childhood in the Royal Mile
and the Museum on the Mound in Edinburgh are both worth a visit.

As a bonus if you travel by scotrail, kids go free with an adult but beware tickets are only valid off peak.

lizziloves

Free art gallery in Middlesbrough. Nice cafe and regular events for children and adults.