National Maritime Museum
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
London
What it’s like
Free galleries where kids land a Mars rover, climb through a sea-themed playground and walk into a galaxy box.
This one's built for wandering rather than ticking off a checklist. The Cove is the sea-themed playground where younger ones will climb and clamber, while the Astronomers Take Over gallery is pitched at everyone from age 4 to 104, which is a fair way of saying nobody's too old to have a go. There's a galaxy box to walk through and a Mars rover you can try landing, which is the sort of thing that'll get mentioned again at teatime.
Entry's free, which is rare for something with this much packed into it, and it's open daily from 10am to 5pm with last entry at 4.15pm. Booking isn't required but it's recommended if you want to guarantee getting in, and you can grab tickets online in advance or on the day at the admissions desks. Given it costs nothing, turning up without a plan and booking on arrival feels like the riskier option on a busy school holiday.
Food-wise there are two cafés. Parkside does hot meals and seasonal salads if you need a proper sit-down lunch, and Ocean Court is more grab-and-go with sandwiches, kids' lunchboxes and a cream tea if you fancy making an afternoon of it. It's pushchair-friendly throughout with baby-changing facilities, so a visit with a buggy in tow shouldn't be a faff.
Wheelchair users get lifts to every floor and there's a limited number of free wheelchairs available to pre-book, though the museum is upfront that staff can't provide assistance and wheelchairs can't be taken outside the building. Worth knowing if your day includes the grounds as well as the galleries.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Ages 4 upwards, with a toddler-friendly playground too
- Last entry
- 4.15pm
- Booking
- Recommended to guarantee entry
- Food
- Two cafés: Parkside Café with hot meals, seasonal salads, drinks and grab-and-go items
- Pushchairs
- Pushchair-friendly. Accessible toilets and baby-changing facilities available
- Wheelchairs
- Limited number of free wheelchairs available to pre-book
- Entry is free but booking ahead is recommended for busy days
- Last entry is 4.15pm even though the museum's open till 5pm
- Wheelchairs can't be taken outside the building, so factor that into an outdoor-and-in visit
- The AHOY! gallery does dedicated birthday party sessions if you're planning one
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
It's free entry.
Do we need to book?
Not strictly, but they recommend it to guarantee you get in. You can book online ahead or just turn up and get tickets at the desk.
What time does it close?
Open daily 10am to 5pm, with last entry at 4.15pm.
Is it suitable for a toddler?
The Cove playground and the pushchair-friendly layout make it manageable with a small one, and there's baby-changing on site.
What's there for older kids?
The Astronomers Take Over gallery is aimed at everyone from 4 to 104, plus the Mars rover landing experience and the galaxy box walk-through.
What food is available?
Two cafés: Parkside for hot meals and salads, Ocean Court for sandwiches, kids' lunchboxes and cream tea.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
There are lifts to every floor and a limited number of free wheelchairs you can pre-book. Staff can't assist wheelchair users and wheelchairs can't go outside the museum.
Can we do a birthday party there?
Yes, the AHOY! Children's Gallery runs exclusive birthday party sessions.
Are there toilets and baby-changing facilities?
There are accessible toilets, standard toilets, baby-changing and Changing Places facilities.
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