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15 Free Museums to Visit over Easter Megathread
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Looking For Something to do this Easter, Don't Know what the Weathers going to be Like Why Don't You Visit One of These 15 Free Museums
1. National Museum of Scotland Edinburgh
There are plenty of exhibits designed especially for children at this museum, a great place to learn about the natural and human world. Some of the most remarkable objects on display include a gigantic skull (from a whale named Moby), and that timeless museum classic: a life-sized cast of a T rex skeleton that's a whopping 12m long.
Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789, nms.ac.uk (nms.ac.uk/). Open daily 10am-5pm, admission free
2, The Big Museum Easter Trail Big Pit
Blaenavon, near Abergavenny
Big Pit National Coal Museum
29 March–1 April 2024, 10am - 3.30pm Easter
Big Pit is one of Wales’s leading tourist attractions. It is one of the few mining museums where visitors can descend in the pit cage and visit the places where generations of coal miners worked. Many of the surface exhibitions and displays are housed in the original colliery buildings.
3, Bolling Hall Museum & Library
Situated just a mile from Bradford city centre and situated in a quiet, leafy garden, Bolling Hall was for many years the seat of two important land-owning families, the Bollings and the Tempests.
Rooms are furnished and decorated to give an accurate taste of life at different periods of the house’s history, and the fascinating furniture on display includes a superb bed made for Harewood House by Thomas Chippendale.
Spend some time exploring a different side of Bradford’s heritage – but watch out for an appearance by the ‘White Lady’ in the Ghost Room!
Bowling Hall Road, Bradford, BD4 7LP
4, Lancaster City Museum
The impressive City Museum is housed in Lancaster’s former town hall, sat right on the edge of the busy Market Square. The elegant Georgian building was built between 1781-3 to the designs of Major Thomas Jarrett and Thomas Harrison.
The museum itself was founded in 1923 and its wonderfully varied collection and dioramas brilliantly lead visitors through the social and industrial history, archaeology of Lancaster, and the stories of the people who have made the city what it is today. Enjoy our fine art collection and the programme of changing exhibitions.
The City Museum building is also home to the King’s Own Royal Regiment Museum, a fascinating insight into the military heritage of the city’s own regiment from 1680 onwards.
Lancaster City Museum, Market Square, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 1HT
Email: lancastercitymuseum@lancaster.gov.uk | Telephone: 01524 6463
5 ,National Railway Museum and its collection
The National Railway Museum (NRM) is devoted to telling the story of rail transport in ain and its impact on society. The museum holds the national collection of historically significant railway vehicles and collections of other artefacts and written and pictorial records, of social, technical, artistic and historical interest. The museum houses over 100 locomotives and almost 300 other items of rolling stock, almost all of which either ran on the Great Britain railways or were built there
National Railway Museum Leeman Road YO26 4XJ York
6, Museum of Liverpool and its collection
The Museum of Liverpool is housed in a modern building with a large glass window and tells the story of Liverpool and its people, reflecting Liverpool's global significance. In the museum, visitors can explore how the port, its people, their creative and sporting history have shaped Liverpool. Divided over four galleries, the Museum of Liverpool focuses on four main themes, namely: The Great Port, Global City, People’s Republic, and Wondrous Place.
Pier Head Liverpool Waterfront L3 1DG Liverpool
7, Museum of Science and Industry and its collection Manchester
Museum of Science and Industry is a museum in Manchester. The museum features exhibits related to: industry, social history, costume and textiles, photography, archives, science and technology, aviation, land transport, trade and commerce, decorative and applied art and personalities. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: designated collection.
Liverpool Road Castlefield M3 4FP Manchester
8, Ashmolean Museum and its collection Oxford
The Ashmolean is the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology, founded in 1683. Our world famous collections are extraordinarily diverse, representing most of the world’s great civilisations, with objects dating from 8000 BC to the present day. Among many riches we have the world’s greatest collection of Raphael drawings, the most important collection of Egyptian pre-Dynastic sculpture and ceramics outside Cairo, the only great Minoan collection in Britain, outstanding Anglo-Saxon treasures, and the foremost collection of modern Chinese painting in the Western world.
Beaumont Street Oxford OX1 2PH
9. The Great North Museum Newcastle
The Living Planet gallery spans the ground and first floor of the museum and tells the story of wildlife and habitats. Also on the ground floor, the Hadrian’s Wall
gallery enables visitors to discover the detailed history of the World Heritage Site as well as finding out about all the forts, milecastles and associated museums that can be visited today. The gallery includes a wealth of archaeological finds from across the 73 mile stretch of Hadrian’s Wall.
Hancock Barras Bridge Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4PT
10, Tate Britain London
Explore art made in Britain. Entry to the gallery is free – there’s no need to book. Booking a ticket is recommended for exhibitions (tate.org.uk/wha…ain) but some tickets may be available at the door. Members (shop.tate.org.uk/mem…hip) enjoy unlimited free entry to exhibitions with no need to book.
Our collection displays show art made in Britain, arranged by date. Each artwork tells a story – a glimpse of a moment in history, the life of the artist or subject, or how and why the work is made.
Monday to Sunday 10.00–18.00
Millbank, London SW1P 4RG
11,Royal Armouries and its collection Leeds
Royal Armouries is a museum in Leeds. The museum features exhibits related to: weapons and war and archives.
Armouries Drive Royal Armouries Museum LS10 1LT Leeds
12, Wollaton Hall and Park and its collection Nottingham
Wollaton Hall and Park is a museum in Nottingham. The museum features exhibits related to Archives, Science and Technology, Personalities, Decorative and Applied Art, Social History, Fine Art and Natural Sciences.
Wollaton Hall Wollaton Park NG8 2AE Nottingham
13, Manchester Museum and its collection
Encounter Manchester Museum’s assortment of treasures from the natural world and the many cultures it is home to. It includes dinosaurs, mummies and live amphibians and reptiles. Manchester Museum features exhibits related to: archives, religion, costume and textiles, coins and medals, decorative and applied art, medicine, natural sciences, social history, archaeology, world cultures and weapons and war. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: vivarium with live snakes, frogs and other reptiles, designated collection, ancient egypt, spider crab and t.rex.
Oxford Road The University of Manchester M13 9PL ManchesterEngland
14, Museum of London Docklands and its collection
From Roman settlement to the development of Canary Wharf, the Museum of London Docklands, housed in a 200 year old warehouse, shows the history of London as a port through stories of trade, migration and commerce. Many of the objects it has in its collection are from the museum and archives of the Port of London Authority. The museum displays its collection of historical artifacts, models, and pictures in chronological order in 12 galleries. Visitors start at the first port on the Thames in Roman times and ends in modern times with the transformation of the area with commercial and residential development.
No. 1 Warehouse West India Quay Hertsmere Road
E14 4AL London
15,Sheffield Botanical Gardens and its collection
Sheffield Botanical Gardens is a museum in Sheffield. The museum features exhibits related to: natural sciences.
Clarkehouse Road S10 2LN Sheffield
Please add all your Favorited Free Museums Below
1. National Museum of Scotland Edinburgh
There are plenty of exhibits designed especially for children at this museum, a great place to learn about the natural and human world. Some of the most remarkable objects on display include a gigantic skull (from a whale named Moby), and that timeless museum classic: a life-sized cast of a T rex skeleton that's a whopping 12m long.
Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789, nms.ac.uk (nms.ac.uk/). Open daily 10am-5pm, admission free
2, The Big Museum Easter Trail Big Pit
Blaenavon, near Abergavenny
Big Pit National Coal Museum
29 March–1 April 2024, 10am - 3.30pm Easter
Big Pit is one of Wales’s leading tourist attractions. It is one of the few mining museums where visitors can descend in the pit cage and visit the places where generations of coal miners worked. Many of the surface exhibitions and displays are housed in the original colliery buildings.
3, Bolling Hall Museum & Library
Situated just a mile from Bradford city centre and situated in a quiet, leafy garden, Bolling Hall was for many years the seat of two important land-owning families, the Bollings and the Tempests.
Rooms are furnished and decorated to give an accurate taste of life at different periods of the house’s history, and the fascinating furniture on display includes a superb bed made for Harewood House by Thomas Chippendale.
Spend some time exploring a different side of Bradford’s heritage – but watch out for an appearance by the ‘White Lady’ in the Ghost Room!
Bowling Hall Road, Bradford, BD4 7LP
4, Lancaster City Museum
The impressive City Museum is housed in Lancaster’s former town hall, sat right on the edge of the busy Market Square. The elegant Georgian building was built between 1781-3 to the designs of Major Thomas Jarrett and Thomas Harrison.
The museum itself was founded in 1923 and its wonderfully varied collection and dioramas brilliantly lead visitors through the social and industrial history, archaeology of Lancaster, and the stories of the people who have made the city what it is today. Enjoy our fine art collection and the programme of changing exhibitions.
The City Museum building is also home to the King’s Own Royal Regiment Museum, a fascinating insight into the military heritage of the city’s own regiment from 1680 onwards.
Lancaster City Museum, Market Square, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 1HT
Email: lancastercitymuseum@lancaster.gov.uk | Telephone: 01524 6463
5 ,National Railway Museum and its collection
The National Railway Museum (NRM) is devoted to telling the story of rail transport in ain and its impact on society. The museum holds the national collection of historically significant railway vehicles and collections of other artefacts and written and pictorial records, of social, technical, artistic and historical interest. The museum houses over 100 locomotives and almost 300 other items of rolling stock, almost all of which either ran on the Great Britain railways or were built there
National Railway Museum Leeman Road YO26 4XJ York
6, Museum of Liverpool and its collection
The Museum of Liverpool is housed in a modern building with a large glass window and tells the story of Liverpool and its people, reflecting Liverpool's global significance. In the museum, visitors can explore how the port, its people, their creative and sporting history have shaped Liverpool. Divided over four galleries, the Museum of Liverpool focuses on four main themes, namely: The Great Port, Global City, People’s Republic, and Wondrous Place.
Pier Head Liverpool Waterfront L3 1DG Liverpool
7, Museum of Science and Industry and its collection Manchester
Museum of Science and Industry is a museum in Manchester. The museum features exhibits related to: industry, social history, costume and textiles, photography, archives, science and technology, aviation, land transport, trade and commerce, decorative and applied art and personalities. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: designated collection.
Liverpool Road Castlefield M3 4FP Manchester
8, Ashmolean Museum and its collection Oxford
The Ashmolean is the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology, founded in 1683. Our world famous collections are extraordinarily diverse, representing most of the world’s great civilisations, with objects dating from 8000 BC to the present day. Among many riches we have the world’s greatest collection of Raphael drawings, the most important collection of Egyptian pre-Dynastic sculpture and ceramics outside Cairo, the only great Minoan collection in Britain, outstanding Anglo-Saxon treasures, and the foremost collection of modern Chinese painting in the Western world.
Beaumont Street Oxford OX1 2PH
9. The Great North Museum Newcastle
The Living Planet gallery spans the ground and first floor of the museum and tells the story of wildlife and habitats. Also on the ground floor, the Hadrian’s Wall
gallery enables visitors to discover the detailed history of the World Heritage Site as well as finding out about all the forts, milecastles and associated museums that can be visited today. The gallery includes a wealth of archaeological finds from across the 73 mile stretch of Hadrian’s Wall.
Hancock Barras Bridge Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4PT
10, Tate Britain London
Explore art made in Britain. Entry to the gallery is free – there’s no need to book. Booking a ticket is recommended for exhibitions (tate.org.uk/wha…ain) but some tickets may be available at the door. Members (shop.tate.org.uk/mem…hip) enjoy unlimited free entry to exhibitions with no need to book.
Our collection displays show art made in Britain, arranged by date. Each artwork tells a story – a glimpse of a moment in history, the life of the artist or subject, or how and why the work is made.
Monday to Sunday 10.00–18.00
Millbank, London SW1P 4RG
11,Royal Armouries and its collection Leeds
Royal Armouries is a museum in Leeds. The museum features exhibits related to: weapons and war and archives.
Armouries Drive Royal Armouries Museum LS10 1LT Leeds
12, Wollaton Hall and Park and its collection Nottingham
Wollaton Hall and Park is a museum in Nottingham. The museum features exhibits related to Archives, Science and Technology, Personalities, Decorative and Applied Art, Social History, Fine Art and Natural Sciences.
Wollaton Hall Wollaton Park NG8 2AE Nottingham
13, Manchester Museum and its collection
Encounter Manchester Museum’s assortment of treasures from the natural world and the many cultures it is home to. It includes dinosaurs, mummies and live amphibians and reptiles. Manchester Museum features exhibits related to: archives, religion, costume and textiles, coins and medals, decorative and applied art, medicine, natural sciences, social history, archaeology, world cultures and weapons and war. Key themes, people and exhibits in the museum include: vivarium with live snakes, frogs and other reptiles, designated collection, ancient egypt, spider crab and t.rex.
Oxford Road The University of Manchester M13 9PL ManchesterEngland
14, Museum of London Docklands and its collection
From Roman settlement to the development of Canary Wharf, the Museum of London Docklands, housed in a 200 year old warehouse, shows the history of London as a port through stories of trade, migration and commerce. Many of the objects it has in its collection are from the museum and archives of the Port of London Authority. The museum displays its collection of historical artifacts, models, and pictures in chronological order in 12 galleries. Visitors start at the first port on the Thames in Roman times and ends in modern times with the transformation of the area with commercial and residential development.
No. 1 Warehouse West India Quay Hertsmere Road
E14 4AL London
15,Sheffield Botanical Gardens and its collection
Sheffield Botanical Gardens is a museum in Sheffield. The museum features exhibits related to: natural sciences.
Clarkehouse Road S10 2LN Sheffield
Please add all your Favorited Free Museums Below
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Edited by a community support team member, 5 days ago
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40 Comments
sorted byFitzwilliam Cambridge
Sedgwick Museum
Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Cambridge Science Centre
rafmuseum.org.uk/london/
The Royal Air Force Museum offers a fun, entertaining day out for all the family. Entry is free and we're open daily from 10.00am.
Our new Bomber Command Exhibition is now open at both our sites. Visitors can explore and engage with stories of the crew, technology and raids that were crucial to Allied victory in the Second World War. As well as our iconic aircraft, we will be exhibiting objects from our archives which will reveal the real stories of the real people involved.
London and Cosford (edited)
Situated : Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside L3 4AQ
liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/visit
Plus it's inside if the weather isn't great
For example my kids (and I) love the Natural History museum. However, queues can be horrendous, particularly post COVID. So I got their family membership for £87, which covers two Adults and 4 kids. Allows us to skip queues, free cloak room, free entry to their exhibitions (Titanosaur, Wildlife Photographer, etc), member only events and access times, access to the members Anning rooms (which offer a quiet peaceful place to take a break, eat, use the loo, etc).
It's been well worth it for us. It used to be a place I'd wonder in and out of when I lived nearby, but the queues killed that. Now me and the kids pop in whenever we like. Plus you're supporting a great place (although I hope most of you vultures ignore this, as I dont want to queue for the toilet in the Anning rooms ). (edited)
We were there a few months ago and large sections are closed as they're being renovated.
Still a lot of stuff to see but it looks like the big steam engines are still closed (check website).