Great 'Free UK Museums & Galleries' Hunt

:T:jHello

The National Media Museum (formerly the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television) is a good day out although IMAX is extra.

Bradford Industrial Museum harks back to the 'good old days' and has Horses at Work - which I think might incurr a small additional charge for e.g. a ride in a horse -drawn tram.

Keighley's Cliffe Castle - has a geological section all about the Aire Valley, the house itself with all its artefacts, an art gallery, an industrial history section and also displays of old taxidermied animals ( I think originally a collection belonging to the former house's owner) - which might not suit everyone, but is facinating in terms of discovering what different animals look like and their habitats, particularly the ones you might not have encountered before. And they have a working honey bee coloney up on the first floor which the kids find facinating.

I totally agree with the posters re Tropical World and The Royal Armouries in Leeds - me and the kids love it there. You do have to pay to see the jousting and falconry displays in the tilt yard at the Armouries though, but it's only a couple of quid. And the National Railway museum in YOrk - ditto

Good times!:money:

Kind regards

Savvysal

The Museum of Hartlepool
http://www.thisishartlepool.co.uk/attractions/museum.asp
The Museum of Hartlepool is the finest free show in town and it tells the story of Hartlepool from prehistoric times to the present day. Voted the 'most popular new attraction in England' by the English Tourist Board and winner of the BT North East Award for the 'Favourite Children's Visit', the Museum of Hartlepool is among Britain's top ten free visitor attractions opened since 1994

PSS Wingfiled Castle
http://www.thisishartlepool.co.uk/attractions/wingfieldcastle.asp
Built in Hartlepool by William Gray & Co. for the London and North Eastern Railway as a passenger and vehicle ferry over the Humber estuary between Hull and New Holland.

I have 2 recommendations within Central London:

The fascinating Hunterian Museum (located inside The Royal College of Surgeons of England, 35-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PE - 5 min walk from Holborn tube station) is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Admission is free and the museum is open to all. I was introduced to this museum whilst studying for an Anatomy & Physiology class. I could easily have spent a couple of hours in here. The museum charts the history of surgery over 4 centuries and celebrates our understanding of the human body. It contains thousands of specimens including the skeleton of Charles Byrne, the 'Irish Giant'.

I think the museum is run by volunteers who are members of the RCS and sometimes will give you a quick guide - we had a lovely retired professor guide us around. :money:


Interactive tour can be seen here: http://www.rcseng.ac.uk/about/virtual_tours/museum.html
More info on the Royal College of Surgeons site. Some info here too
http://www.londonfreelist.com/details.asp?id=13888


The other one I recommend is the Wellcome exhibition centre on 183,Euston Road, NW1 2BE(opp Euston train station). Entry is free.
http://www.wellcomecollection.org/"

The Wellcome Collection is an exciting destination for explorers of the human condtion; It consists of a unique mix of galleries, events, and meeting, reading and eating places where you can consider what it means to be human. Sir Henry Wellcome was the founder of the Wellcome Trust whose passion for medicine led him to collect over a million objects from around the world.
It brings to life Sir Henry Wellcome's vision of a place where people could learn more about the development of medicine through the ages and across cultures.
The trust building houses 3 exhibitions, the Wellcome Library, a cafe, and a bookshop.
The galleries are open Tuesday to Sunday, with late-night opening on Thursday. The galleries are closed on Monday except public holidays.
All activities are open to the public. Exhibitions and events are free unless otherwise stated.

All but one of Tyne & Wear's museums and galleries are free:

Arbeia Roman Fort & Museum, South Shields
Discovery Museum, Newcastle
Great North Museum, Newcastle
Hatton Gallery, Newcastle
Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle
Monkwearmouth Station Museum, Sunderland
Regional Resource Centre, Beamish
Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead
South Shields Museum & Art Gallery
Stephenson Railway Museum, North Shields
Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens
Washington "F" Pit

The exception is Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths & Museum, Wallsend which is only free for kids.

HULL You will need a full day to go round the free museums and galleries which are first class Wilberforce / street life/ whalingmuseum/ ferens art gallery