National Army Museum
BEST FOR
Ages 0-8
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
London
What it’s like
Free galleries about army history plus a soft-play zone, Play Base, built for the under-8s.
Getting in costs nothing, which counts for a lot when you've got a small child whose attention span might only stretch to twenty minutes. The galleries are interactive rather than glass-cases-and-labels, and there are family events dotted through the calendar, but the bit your under-8s will actually remember is Play Base, a soft-play area built into the museum itself.
Play Base is capped at age 8, so this isn't somewhere to bring a gang of mixed ages and expect everyone occupied. If you've got a toddler and a ten-year-old, the older one is going to be checking their watch while the little one bounces about. For the target age range though, it's a proper draw, not just a side room to kill time in.
It's open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5.30pm, shut on Mondays and over Christmas. The café runs slightly shorter hours, closing at 4pm, so don't leave lunch until the last minute if you want a sit-down with a coffee. Pushchairs are fine and there's a cloakroom if you'd rather not haul one round the galleries, and wheelchair access is via the main lifts with wheelchairs available on site.
Birthday parties are handled properly here rather than as an afterthought. The General Hilarity package gets you two hours, a private party room, an exclusive hour on Play Base and party bags, for up to 20 kids aged 8 and under. £895 is a serious spend for a party, so it's one for a special birthday rather than a casual Saturday booking.
What’s on here
- WED7
Drawn on the Western Front: Paul Sarrut and the Indian Army
10:00 · Free · 120 more dates
- WED7
Myth and Reality: Military Art in the Age of Queen Victoria
Free · 25 more dates
- FRI9
The Lifesavers
12:00 - 13:00 · Free
- FRI16
An Astonishing Infantryman
12:00 - 13:00 · Free
- FRI23
Nurses' Memories of the Great War
12:00 - 13:00 · Free
- SAT31
Drawn on the Western Front: Audio-Described Tour
Free
- TUE3
Forgotten India at 80: The Stories You Don't Know
10:00 · Free · 12 more dates
Chelsea History Festival 2026
Free
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 0 to 8, with Play Base the main draw for the younger end
- Food
- The Café serves whole-leaf tea, hand-roasted coffee, and seasonal food
- Pushchairs
- Welcome. Cloakroom available
- Wheelchairs
- Wheelchair access via main lifts
- Getting there by bus or train
- Sloane Square tube 10 minutes walk
- Parties
- General Hilarity package: £895 for up to 20 children aged 8 and under, 2 hours (11.30am-1.30pm or 2.30pm-4.30pm Fri-Sun)
- Play Base is for ages 8 and under, so older siblings won't get much out of it
- The café shuts at 4pm, earlier than the museum's 5.30pm close
- Museum is closed Mondays as well as 24-26 December and 1 January
- Sloane Square tube is about a 10 minute walk if you're coming by train
Plan your visit
How much does it cost to get in?
It's free entry for the museum itself.
What are the opening hours?
Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5.30pm. Closed Mondays and also shut over Christmas, 24 to 26 December, and New Year's Day.
Is it suitable for a toddler?
Play Base is aimed at ages 8 and under, so a toddler is well within range. The wider galleries are more geared towards older kids taking things in, but the soft play gives the little ones somewhere to burn energy.
Do we need to book ahead?
There's no booking link listed, so it sounds like you can just turn up during opening hours.
What about food?
The Café does tea, coffee and seasonal food, but it closes earlier than the museum at 4pm, so plan lunch before then.
Can you take a pushchair round?
Yes, pushchairs are welcome and there's a cloakroom if you'd rather leave it at the door.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
There's wheelchair access via the main lifts, and wheelchairs are available to use within the venue.
Can you have a birthday party there?
The General Hilarity package is £895 for up to 20 children aged 8 and under, two hours including a private party room and an exclusive Play Base hour. You'd need to email the museum's birthday address to arrange it.
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