Museums & heritage in Bristol

A Welsh Coal Mining Experience

Tonypandy

A trip underground-style, with a simulated dram ride, interactive displays and a coal owner's parlour to poke around.

CaféGroup bookings

Aerospace Bristol

Bristol · ages 0-17

Climb aboard Concorde and clamber through four hangars of real aircraft, with a flight simulator to save for last.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCafé+15 more

American Museum & Gardens

Bath

American history, gardens to climb about in and mechanical automata to gawp at, on the edge of Bath.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingBreastfeeding friendly+13 more

Ashton Court Mansion

Bristol

A grand old mansion hosting antique and car shows, markets and fairs, with under 16s free at the shows.

Bath Boating Station

Bath

Row, punt or canoe down the River Avon, then spread a picnic on the lawns while you dry off.

Food on sitePicnics allowed

Bath Spa

Bath

A working railway station where train-mad kids can watch the GWR trains come and go from the concourse for free.

Bike parkingHearing loopStep-free accessToilets+1 more

BEESES

Bristol

A riverside bar and kitchen that opens for the season with a food stall lineup that reads like a world tour, plus the odd family event.

Being Brunel

Bristol

Step into Brunel's own head, wander a recreated Victorian dining room, then draw on a moving train inside a broad-gauge carriage.

Bloomsbury Canal Boat holidays

Bath

Hire a canal boat for the week and learn to steer it yourself, exploring Bath and the Somerset waterways at walking pace.

Food on site

Bristol Packet Boat Trips

Bristol

A slow boat round the docks past the SS Great Britain, with pub lunches and cream teas laid on if you fancy making a proper afternoon of it.

Food on sitePublic transport nearbyToilets

Caerleon Roman Fortress Baths

Newport · ages 5-17

A covered Roman swimming pool you can walk right up to, plus a film that brings the old baths back to life.

Dog friendlyGift shopHearing loopParking+2 more

Cardiff Boat Tours, Ltd

Cardiff · ages 3+

A boat trip round Cardiff Bay and the city centre, either a one-way hop or a full hour staying on board.

Chavenage House

Tetbury

A guided tour round an Elizabethan manor house that TV fans will know as Poldark's Trenwith.

Booking required

Clifton Suspension Bridge

Bristol

Free walk across a famous bridge, plus a museum with hidden vaults, a film and a children's trail to hunt down.

Bike parkingCaféGift shopGroup bookings+5 more

Dean Forest Railway (Norchard Station)

Lydney

A nine mile round trip through the Forest of Dean on a steam train, with stops to hop out and take photos.

CaféDog friendlyFree parkingGift shop+4 more

Double Puc @ We The Curious

Bristol · ages 2+

Over 200 hands-on exhibits to poke, pull and press, plus 3D Planetarium shows for the ones old enough to sit still.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingBooking required+9 more

East Somerset Railway

Shepton Mallet

A 2.5 mile steam train ride through Mendip countryside, plus an engine shed, signal box and a play area for the ones who get bored of sitting still.

Allergy awareBlue badge parkingCaféDog friendly+10 more

Farleigh Hungerford Castle

Bath

A moated ruin where kids follow a World Builder trail, climb the towers and hear about the castle's lead coffins.

Fourteen Locks Canal Centre

Newport

Hop on a real working boat through the locks, then eat your way round an activity trail for a couple of quid.

Dog friendlyGift shopParkingSchool visits+1 more

Giant's Cave

Bristol · ages 4+

A steep 130-step descent through a 200-foot tunnel to a cliff-side platform looking straight at the Avon Gorge and Clifton Suspension Bridge.

CaféIndoor seatingFood on siteVegetarian options

Herschel Museum of Astronomy

Bath

Step into the actual Georgian house where William Herschel spotted Uranus from his back garden.

Gift shopGroup bookingsMembership schemeQuiet / SEN sessions+3 more

Hopewell Colliery

Coleford · ages 4-16

A real ex-miner takes you underground to see actual coal being dug and hauled up in carts.

Booking requiredCaféFree parkingGift shop+1 more

Kings Weston House

Bristol

Free grounds to wander with views over the Bristol Channel, plus a café for cake when the legs give out.

Accessible toiletCaféDog friendlyFree parking+3 more

Kingswood Heritage Museum

Bristol

A small local museum where kids try on Victorian boots and spin old vinyl on a real record player.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingCaféDog friendly+6 more

Martin Parr Foundation

Bristol

Free photography exhibitions and a photobook collection to browse, with no ticket needed and four shows a year.

Accessible toiletGift shopParkingStep-free access+2 more

Mendip Hills National Landscape

Bristol

Guided walks through limestone gorges, ancient woodland and hidden caves across the Mendip Hills.

Dog friendlyOutdoor playPicnic areaPicnics allowed+2 more

MV Balmoral

Bristol

Wander a real ship in Bristol, make a paper sailboat on board and let the kids take the wheel as captain for a bit.

CaféGift shop

National Roman Legion Museum

Caerleon, Newport

Free Caerleon Roman museum with barracks and garden - Soft Play N never.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingDog friendly+13 more

Oakham Treasures

Bristol · ages 6-16

A wander through old shop fronts, vintage tractors and thousands of everyday bygones under one roof.

CaféFree parkingWheelchair accessible

Palestine Museum & Cultural Centre

Bristol

A small free museum telling the history of Palestine through photographs, paintings and artefacts, upstairs in central Bristol.

Pervasive Media Studio

Bristol

Open Studio Fridays let you and the kids meet the actual teams behind Bristol's play, robotics and interactive media projects.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+5 more

Pierhead Building

Cardiff

Free entry to Cardiff Bay's landmark building, with a giant floor map of Wales, a trail for 5 to 7 year olds and free tours of the Senedd.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBottle warming+13 more

Room 212

Bristol

A small local gallery where you browse art from Bristol artists and drop in on free community events like Mayfest.

Simwrx

Yate

A warehouse of screen based games, from AR darts and augmented reality pool to full motion racing sims and TrackMan golf.

Birthday partiesCaféFree parkingGroup bookings+2 more

Somerset Coalfield Life at Radstock Museum

Radstock

Two trails send kids hunting for an ammonite and a miner's missing tools around a museum built on Somerset's mining past.

Bike parkingGift shopParkingPushchair friendly+1 more

Somerset Rural Life Museum

Glastonbury

A quiet museum of Somerset's farming and rural past, open through the winter with a café to break up the visit.

Café

The Art Warehouse

Bristol

Free browsing of original art works and limited edition prints from local and well-known artists, open Wednesday to Sunday.

The Bishop's Palace & Gardens

Wells · ages 5-17

A medieval palace with a moat, 14 acres of gardens, splash play and a dragon-themed play area to burn a whole afternoon on.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingCafé+9 more

The Giant Wheel

Cardiff · ages 0+

A ride on an observation wheel lit up with over 20,000 colour-changing LED lights.

Card only

The Helicopter Museum

Weston-super-Mare · ages 3-15

Over a hundred rotary wing aircraft to climb through, plus a chance to try a pilot's helmet on for size.

Baby changeBlue badge parkingCaféFree parking+7 more

The Matthew of Bristol

Bristol · ages 0-16

A free-to-board 15th-century replica ship in the harbour, with paid trips out onto the water including fish and chips cruises.

Allergy awareBooking requiredCash onlyDog friendly+6 more

The Mount Without

Bristol

A former church turned venue for dance performances, art exhibitions and hands-on classes like eco resin homeware making.

CaféParty roomsToiletsWheelchair accessible

The Roman Baths

Bath · ages 6-18

Steamy Roman ruins with a free Michael Rosen audioguide, best for kids six and up who can handle steps and a slow walk round.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingBooking required+5 more

The Senedd

Cardiff · ages 5-7

Free entry to watch Welsh democracy in action, with a trail and play area built for 5 to 7 year olds.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+14 more

Thornbury Castle Hotel

Thornbury

A Tudor castle where you can throw hatchets in the grounds, dress up for the gardens, or book a horse drawn carriage ride.

Indoor seatingFood on siteRestaurant

Underfall Yard

Bristol

Free look round a working dock engineering yard, with hydraulic pumps and a drum you can climb into.

CaféToilets

University of Bristol Botanic Garden

Bristol

Wander through zones from Mediterranean to tropical plants, with free entry for under-18s and a Wednesday guided tour thrown in.

Accessible toiletBike parkingBlue badge parkingFood on site+4 more

Wales Millennium Centre

Cardiff

A working theatre in Cardiff Bay where kids catch big touring musicals, opera or family shows, with a buggy park laid on for children's performances.

Accessible toiletBaby changeGift shopFood on site+2 more

We The Curious

Bristol

Millennium Square science centre with planetarium - Soft Play N never.

CaféGift shopFood on siteWheelchair accessible

Woodchester Mansion Trust

Stonehouse · ages 0+

An unfinished Gothic mansion with gargoyles, bat CCTV and a muddy woodland walk to reach it.

CaféDog friendlyGift shopToilets+1 more

Wye Valley Cruises

West · ages 2+

A 40-minute river cruise on the Wye, no booking needed, with chips and ice cream after.

Indoor seatingFood on site