Museums & heritage in Derby

Abbey Pumping Station

Leicester

Industrial museum with beam engines and vintage vehicles - free entry, but only open on holiday Mondays and special event days.

ToiletsWheelchair accessibleOutdoor playPicnic area+3 more

Ashby Boat Company

Nuneaton

Hire a narrowboat and pilot it yourselves along the Ashby Canal, a stretch with no locks to fumble with.

Ashby de la Zouch Castle

Ashby de la Zouch

Ruined Hastings Tower, siege tunnel and Ivanhoe-famous courtyards - a climb-and-explore castle day near Ashby.

ToiletsParkingPicnic areaDog friendly+1 more

BACKLIT

Nottingham

A free contemporary art gallery in Nottingham with step-free access, open Thursday to Sunday afternoons.

Step-free access

Bakewell Old House Museum

Bakewell

A 500 year old tithe house in Bakewell where kids follow trails through eleven creaky rooms hunting for rats and dolls' houses.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingDog friendly+3 more

Birdswood Canal Boat

Matlock

A canal boat trip with commentary out to the Leawood Pump House, at £23 a head for the premium heritage sailing.

Booking requiredCaféChanging Places

Bolsover Castle Visitor Centre & Café

Bolsover

A hilltop castle with a wooden play castle outside, a dressing up box, and 107 steps to climb inside the real one.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCafé+11 more

Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre

Sutton Cheney

Interactive Battle of Bosworth exhibition, Discovery Zone and free country-park trails near Market Bosworth.

ToiletsAccessible toiletBaby changeParking+7 more

Canalside Heritage Centre

Beeston, Nottinghamshire

A recreated Victorian lock cottage by the River Trent, with lunch in the gardens if the weather's playing along.

CaféFood on sitePicnic area

Chapel Street Arts Centre

Derby

A sales and information point at Chapel Street Arts Centre, useful for sorting out details or bookings rather than a visit in itself.

Chatsworth

Bakewell · ages 3-16

A vast garden of fountains and sculpture to roam, a farmyard for animal handling, and a woodland playground with big slides and water play.

Accessible toiletBooking requiredCaféDog friendly+8 more

City of Caves

Nottingham

Sandstone tunnels under Nottingham with WW2 shelters and a medieval tannery, walked with an audio guide.

Booking requiredCard onlyGift shopGroup bookings

Conkers Discovery Centre

Moira · ages 3+

A big woodland day out with rope trails, a splash park, a barefoot walk and an indoor play house for the rainy bits.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesBooking required+15 more

Creswell Crags

Worksop

A limestone gorge, Ice Age caves and rock art to hunt out, with a museum and lakeside walk to fill the rest of the day.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesBlue badge parking+19 more

Cromford Mills

Cromford, Derbyshire

A free mill yard, shops and exhibition, with paid tours telling the story of the world's first water powered cotton mill.

CaféGift shopPicnic area

D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum

Eastwood

Explore Lawrence's childhood rooms on a self-guided visit - kids free, adults from £7.50.

Derby Cathedral

Derby

Free to walk round, with a tower tour worth booking and monuments that'll keep older kids busy for a bit.

ToiletsCaféGift shop

Derby Computer Museum

Derby · ages 4+

Kids get their hands on actual 1970s to 90s computers, from a BBC Micro they can code to a Sinclair loading games off tape.

Birthday partiesBooking required

Derby Museum and Art Gallery

Derby · ages 0+

Free city museum on The Strand - Joseph Wright gallery, Royal Lancers displays and a Coffee House.

Bike parkingCaféGift shopFood on site+3 more

Derby QUAD

Derby

A city-centre cinema in Derby with a café bar, closed Monday to Wednesday and open 11am to 9pm the rest of the week.

Accessible toiletHearing loopParkingRestaurant+5 more

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

Wirksworth

Ride heritage steam and diesel trains through the Derbyshire countryside, with a model railway carriage and picnic stops along the way.

ToiletsParkingPicnic areaGift shop+3 more

Flamsteed Observatory

Brailsford

Peer through the society telescopes on a public observing night - check the date before you set off.

Parking

Framework Knitters Museum

Ruddington · ages 0+

Real Victorian knitting frames still working, a go at a vintage knitting machine, and a free-to-enter café even on closed days.

Birthday partiesCaféGift shopGroup bookings+5 more

Glenfield Tunnel

Leicester

Seasonal guided walks into a historic 1829 railway tunnel near Leicester - free with donation, book via LIHS.

Booking required

Great Central Railway

Loughborough · ages 0+

Hop between four vintage stations on a steam or heritage diesel train, with museums and tea rooms to explore along the platforms.

ToiletsCaféFood on sitePicnic area+7 more

Great Central Railway (Nottingham)

Nottingham

Free site entry, £3 parking and a flat, buggy-friendly 25-acre site with steam trains, old buses, mini railway rides and a dog-friendly café.

Baby changeBike parkingBlue badge parkingCafé+13 more

Green's Windmill & Science Centre

Nottingham · ages 0+

Free-entry restored windmill, science centre and garden in Nottingham, climb the mill (when not under repair), try science experiments, and let the kids run round the community garden.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+6 more

Haddon Hall

Bakewell · ages 0-15

A medieval manor with terraced gardens to explore, kids get in free and there's archery some summer Tuesdays.

ToiletsCaféGift shopParking

Heights of Abraham

Matlock Bath · ages 4-15

A cable car ride over the valley, two cavern tours underground, then a hilltop park of play areas and views.

ToiletsCaféRestaurantGift shop+12 more

Jewry Wall Museum

Leicester

Roman bathhouse ruins and interactive museum on St Nicholas Circle - adults from £12.50, kids free through Oct 2026.

ToiletsWheelchair accessibleGift shopBooking required+3 more

King Richard III Visitor Centre

Leicester

Museum on the Greyfriars dig site telling Richard III's story - adults from £12.50, under-4s free.

CaféGift shopWheelchair accessibleToilets+1 more

Kirby Muxloe Castle

Kirby Muxloe

Unfinished brick castle with moat and patterned gatehouse - English Heritage tours on select dates near Leicester.

ParkingPicnic areaDog friendlyBooking required

Lakeside Arts

Nottingham

Family theatre shows with puppetry, live music and storytelling at the University of Nottingham's arts centre by the lake.

Birthday partiesCaféFree parkingGift shop+11 more

Leicester Cathedral

Leicester

A free-to-enter cathedral with a Richard III history gallery, guided tours and quiet corners worth a wander with kids.

ToiletsCaféGift shop

Leicester Guildhall

Leicester

Free 600-year-old timber Guildhall with medieval galleries and a family quest - open daily near the Cathedral.

ToiletsWheelchair accessibleGift shop

Lichfield Cathedral

Lichfield

Wander a genuinely huge medieval cathedral for free, spot the carved Lichfield Angel, and climb the library's spiral steps if legs allow.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+4 more

Midland Railway Butterley

Ripley

Ride heritage steam or DMU trains, explore the museum and playground, then hop the train to Swanwick Junction.

Free parkingCaféToiletsOutdoor play+8 more

Museum of Making

Derby · ages 0+

Free entry to a museum built on Derby's 300 years of making, with workshops and maker spaces to poke around in.

Bike parkingBlue badge parkingCaféGift shop+3 more

National Fairground Museum Statfold

Tamworth

Vintage fairground rides, a heritage railway and a soft play barn on one site near Tamworth, plus mini golf outdoors.

Accessible toiletAllergy awareBaby changeBirthday parties+12 more

National Justice Museum

Nottingham

A Georgian gaol and Victorian courtroom where actors re-enact real trials and executions, daily.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBooking requiredCafé+6 more

National Space Centre

Leicester · ages 0+

A planetarium show, rockets to climb through and hands-on galleries about space, all under one roof in Leicester.

Booking requiredCaféGift shopParking+8 more

National Tramway Museum

Matlock

Ride vintage trams down a rebuilt period street, then loose the kids in a woodland sculpture trail while you eat into a free return visit.

Free parkingParkingGift shopFood on site+6 more

New Art Exchange

Nottingham

Free gallery visits and a Saturday art club with hands-on making, right opposite the Forest tram stop.

Allergy awareBlue badge parkingCaféGroup bookings+4 more

Newarke Houses Museum

Leicester

Free social-history museum with toys, a 1950s street and gardens - limited Saturday and holiday opening, so check dates.

School visitsGroup bookingsPicnic areaLockers

Newstead Abbey

Ravenshead

A 300-acre estate near Nottingham with a play park, trails and a house walkthrough, kids go free with a paying adult.

Baby changeBooking requiredBottle warmingBreastfeeding friendly+13 more

Nottingham Heritage Railway

Ruddington

Steam and diesel trains, a miniature railway and a working bus depot to explore near Ruddington.

ParkingToiletsCaféGift shop+1 more

Nottingham Industrial Museum

Nottingham

Volunteer-run heritage museum in Wollaton Hall's stables, free entry for accompanied kids, five hands-on galleries, and monthly Steaming Days when the engines actually run.

CaféGift shopGroup bookingsFood on site+2 more

Nottingham Society Of Artists

Nottingham · adults only (18+)

A free city centre gallery showing work from Nottingham's artists, open to over-18s only.

Old Queen's Head

Sheffield

A Grade II listed Tudor building in Sheffield with a courtyard to explore and pub food to fill you up after.

Food on siteRestaurant

Papplewick Pumping Station

Nottingham · ages 0+

Victorian beam engines and a wooded play area near Nottingham, with steam days when the engines actually run.

Booking requiredCaféCard onlyDog friendly+12 more

Peak Cavern

Castleton

Walk a guided showcave under the gorge with a rope-makers story - chilly low section, from £13.75 online for children.

Booking required

Peak District Mining Museum

Matlock · ages 4+

An underground guided tour through a real lead mine, plus a museum where kids climb mock tunnels and pan for minerals.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+6 more

Peak Rail

Darley Dale

Ride steam and diesel heritage trains between Rowsley South and Matlock - kids under 16 travel free with a paying adult.

ToiletsAccessible toiletBaby changeCafé+8 more

Pickford's House

Derby · ages 0+

Free Georgian townhouse museum on Friar Gate - rooms, toys and a garden shop, Tue-Sat 10-5.

Bike parkingFree parkingGift shopParking+2 more

Princess River Cruises

Colwick

Cruise the Trent on a heated river boat with live commentary, a companion map and a sit-down meal.

Free parkingToiletsBirthday partiesGroup bookings

Retro Computer Museum

Leicester

A hands-on trip through gaming history where the kids actually play the old Spectrums, Commodores and arcade machines rather than just look at them.

Booking requiredFree parkingGift shopFood on site+2 more

Sherwood Observatory

Sutton-in-Ashfield

A planetarium and observatory near Mansfield where kids get hands-on with telescopes at open events, arrive early to explore the exhibition and grab a bite at the volunteer-run café first.

Blue badge parkingBooking requiredCaféEV charging+6 more

Snibston Colliery

Coalville

Former-miner surface tours plus the Into the Dark coalface simulation - no real underground, but a proper Leicestershire pit day out.

ParkingBlue badge parkingEV chargingCafé+7 more

Southwell Minster

Southwell

Southwell - free-entry minster (£5 suggested donation), dog-friendly grounds and carved stone leaves for kids to spot.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingCafé+10 more

Speedwell Cavern

Castleton · ages 5-15

A boat ride into a flooded lead mine to see the Bottomless Pit, down 106 steps in Castleton.

Booking requiredParking

Surface Gallery Limited

Nottingham

Free contemporary art shows in a small Nottingham gallery, open only when there's an exhibition on.

Tamworth Castle

Tamworth · ages 2-16

Climb 900 years of chambers and stairs, from Saxons to Victorians, in a proper working castle right by the town centre.

Toilets

The Children's Country House at Sudbury

Sudbury · ages 0+

National Trust kids-first country house near Sudbury - Museum of Childhood, gardens and cafe from £11 child.

Accessible toiletBike parkingBirthday partiesBlue badge parking+12 more

The Great Rutland Cavern

Matlock Bath · ages 4+

A cable car ride over the valley followed by two illuminated show caverns cut into the hillside.

CaféDog friendlyGift shopGroup bookings+7 more

The Old Lock Up Gallery

Matlock

Free gallery shows and creative workshops in a converted lock-up, though the ten stone steps to the door rule out buggies and wheelchairs.

The Staffordshire Regiment Museum

Lichfield

A regimental history museum in Lichfield with free parking and picnic space, open daily with last entry at 3pm.

Accessible toiletBaby changeDog friendlyFree parking+2 more

The Workhouse and Infirmary

Southwell · ages 0-16

A rare, atmospheric Georgian workhouse and Victorian infirmary near Southwell, kids' trails and costumed characters bring the history alive, with free parking a short walk away.

Birthday partiesBlue badge parkingCaféDog friendly+13 more

Treak Cliff Cavern

Castleton · ages 5-17

A 45-minute self-guided walk into a real cavern hung with Blue John stone, but it's steps and slopes, not a pram job.

ParkingToiletsCaféGift shop+1 more

Wall Roman Site

Lichfield

Free Roman ruins and a small museum on the edge of Lichfield, with a bathhouse footprint you can walk right up to.

Free parkingToilets

Watermead Country Park

Leicester

Free country park with a Jurassic play trail, a lake full of birds and meadows thick with dragonflies.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingDog friendlyOutdoor play+3 more

Wollaton Hall & Deer Park

Nottingham · ages 0-15

A dinosaur gallery inside a Grade I mansion, plus 500 acres of deer park to walk off the museum legs.

Baby changeBlue badge parkingBottle warmingBreastfeeding friendly+13 more