Somerset Coalfield Life at Radstock Museum

What it’s like

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

The museum's built around Somerset's old coalfield, and rather than just walking past cases of old kit, there are two trails to keep hands busy: the Ammonite Trail has you spotting Amy Ammonite and her mates, and the Bob the Coal Miner Trail sends you hunting for the tools he needs for his job. It's a proper look-and-find approach rather than a big hands-on science centre, so it suits kids who like a hunt more than kids who need buttons to press.

Money-wise it's gentle. A family ticket for two adults and three kids comes to £17, and under-6s get in free. What's genuinely worth knowing is that your ticket is valid for 12 months of unlimited visits, so if you're local this isn't a one-off £17, it's a year of rainy Saturday afternoons for the same price.

Hours are on the fiddly side. Tuesday to Friday it's only open 2 till 5, Saturdays open earlier at 11, and last entry's 4:30pm whichever day you go. It's shut over winter too, open February to November only, so this isn't a Boxing Day fallback. Pushchairs are fine and it's wheelchair accessible, and there's parking nearby in town, though the two public car parks only give you the first two hours free before charges kick in based on emissions.

Given the short opening window and the trails being fairly quick to do, this reads like an hour or so's visit rather than a whole afternoon out, which makes the 12-month ticket the better deal if you can get back for a second look.

Facilities

Need to know

Last entry

4:30pm

Parking

Two public car parks in town: free for up to 2 hours with MiPermit app ticket, then based on car emissions

Getting there by bus or train

26-minute ride from central Bath by bus

Worth knowing

Admission ticket valid for 12 months for unlimited visits

• Ticket is valid for 12 months, so one payment covers repeat visits
• Only open February to November, so check the season before you plan around it
• Last entry is 4:30pm even on the longer Saturday hours
• Reachable by bus from Bath in about 26 minutes, and it's near National Cycle Route 24 if you're cycling

Plan your visit

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