North East Land, Sea and Air Museums
ENTRY
from £4
WHERE
Sunderland
What it’s like
Climb aboard a cold war Avro Vulcan bomber and wander a military vehicle collection, with a play area for the smaller ones.
This is a proper aircraft and vehicle museum rather than a soft play with a plane painted on the wall. The big one is the Avro Vulcan B2 Bomber, a genuine cold war relic that kids can go and see up close, alongside a collection of military vehicles that older children who are into anything with wheels or wings will happily spend an hour with.
There's a fenced play area with swings and a slide for when the little ones have had enough of looking at planes and want to actually do something themselves, which is a sensible bit of planning on the museum's part. Under 5s get in for 50p and their carer does too, so a family with a toddler and an older sibling can split the day between the exhibits and the playground without it costing much extra.
Entry is £7.50 for an adult and £4 for a child aged 5 to 15, or £20 for a family ticket, which is decent value for a full day among aircraft and vehicles. It's open daily 10am to 4pm with last entry at 3pm, so don't roll up at half three expecting a leisurely wander. One catch worth knowing: there's no wheelchair access onto the aeroplanes themselves, though the site and grounds are wheelchair accessible.
There's a café and gift shop on site, and well behaved dogs on leads are welcome, so a dog walk around the outdoor exhibits is on the cards too.
Facilities
Need to know
- Last entry
- 3pm (1 hour before closing)
- Dogs
- Well behaved dogs on leads welcome
- Worth knowing
- Under 5s go free
- Last entry is an hour before closing, so aim to arrive well before 3pm
- Under 5s go free (well, 50p) along with their carer
- The site is wheelchair accessible on the ground, but not up into the aircraft
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£7.50 for an adult, £4 for a child aged 5 to 15, and £20 for a family ticket. Under 5s and their carers get in for 50p.
What time do we need to arrive by?
Last entry is 3pm, an hour before the 4pm close. It's open daily from 10am.
Can we get on the Vulcan bomber?
You can view the aircraft, but there's no wheelchair access onto the planes themselves.
Is there anything for younger kids to do?
There's a fenced play area with swings and a slide, handy if the military vehicles aren't holding their attention.
Is there food on site?
There's a café and a gift shop on site.
Can we bring the dog?
Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome.
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