CATEGORY · RAINY DAY APPROVED
Museums in Preston
Right in the centre, the Harris Museum on the Flag Market is free and does a proper job on a wet afternoon, with a cafe and gift shop to make an outing of it. Everything else on this page is a longer trip out. In Rochdale there's Fireground, a collection of old fire engines open Thursday to Saturday, and out at Saint Helens, World of Glass lets you walk through a Victorian glass street for free, with live glass blowing to watch for a few pounds extra. For free days, the Harris and World of Glass cost nothing to get in, and Bolton Steam Museum out at Bolton is free too, with proper working steam engines turning over for anyone who likes machinery. If you want hands-on history, a drive out to Bury gets you the Fusilier Museum, from £2.95, with a shooting simulator and a ticket that lets you back in free all year. Keep the Harris for wet days when you don't fancy the drive.
10 places 2 upcoming events 5 free to visit
What's on: museums
Places for museums
FreeAstley Hall
Chorley
Free entry to a 400 year old hall with a play area, a walled garden and a café for cake afterwards.
CaféGift shopFood on siteOutdoor play+2 more
FreeBolton Steam Museum
Bolton
Free entry to watch a collection of working mill steam engines turning over, some driven by real steam.
Free parking
from £6Fireground
Rochdale · ages 0+
A museum of old fire engines and firefighting history, open Thursday to Saturday in Rochdale.
CaféFree parkingPublic transport nearbySchool visits
from £4Fleetwood Museum
Fleetwood · ages 4-11
Free craft sessions and heritage tours in a seaside town museum where kids under 11 get in free.
CaféGift shopGroup bookingsSchool visits
FreeHarris Museum
Preston
Free Preston museum and gallery on the Flag Market - rainy-day collections day.
Accessible toiletCaféGift shopToilets+1 more
from £5Lancaster Maritime Museum
Lancaster
A nautical museum by the river where kids under 18 get in free and there's a sensory backpack to borrow.
Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+8 more
from £6The British Commercial Vehicle Museum
Leyland
Climb into real lorry cabs and grip the wheel of vehicles that used to rule the roads, all under one roof near the M6.
CaféFree parkingGift shopToilets+1 more
from £2.95The Fusilier Museum
Bury
Two galleries of 300 years of military history, a shooting simulator to test steady hands, and a ticket that gets you back in free all year.
Café
FreeThe Whitaker
Rossendale
Free contemporary art exhibitions and family workshops in a park setting, with a café for afterwards.
Café
FreeWorld of Glass
Saint Helens
Free walk through a Victorian glass street, hands-on light and lens exhibits, and live glass blowing you can watch for a few pounds extra.
CaféGift shopGroup bookingsParking+1 more
Good to know: museums in Preston
Are any of them free?
Yes, Astley Hall, Bolton Steam Museum, Harris Museum, The Whitaker and 1 more are free to visit.
What does a paid visit cost?
Paid entry starts from £2.95 at The Fusilier Museum. Prices, ages and facilities are listed on every place page, taken from each venue's own published price list.
Whereabouts are they?
You'll find museums in Chorley, Bolton, Rochdale, Fleetwood, Preston and 5 more. Every place we list is in or around Preston, and each listing has the full address and directions.
More ways to plan a day out
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The best family things happening around Preston, one hidden gem, and a rainy-day backup plan, from a dad who's been there with a bored seven-year-old.
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