CATEGORY · A HUDDLEPIN LIST
Museums & heritage in Reading
Castles, caves, windmills and museums that don't feel like homework.
32 places 8 free to visit
AIRE Ancient Baths London
London · adults only (18+)
An adults-only thermal baths experience in London, so this one is for date night, not the kids.
Booking requiredLockers
from £8Basing House
Basingstoke · ages 5-15
Ruins, a battle-scarred Tudor barn and a mouse trail to hunt down, spread across a big meadow site just outside Basingstoke.
CaféDog friendlyGift shopHearing loop+5 more
from £6Chawton House
Alton · ages 6-16
A Jane Austen era house and gardens with self-guided tours, trails and craft days built for kids aged six to sixteen.
CaféDog friendlyGroup bookingsParking+3 more
Farnham Castle
Farnham
A grand old castle on the Surrey Hampshire border that's set up mainly for weddings and events, with in-house catering and 33 en-suite rooms.
Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingFree parkingParking+2 more
Hard Rock Cafe
London
A burger and memorabilia stop where kids wander a free rock and roll museum before the food even arrives.
Allergy awareGift shopFood on siteRestaurant+1 more
Highclere Castle
Newbury · ages 0-4
A grand castle tour, Egyptian artefacts from the Tutankhamun connection, and gardens to wander with a pushchair before or after.
Allergy awareBooking requiredCaféGift shop+3 more
Jelly
Reading
An arts space running after-school activities, family and teen workshops, and life drawing sessions.
Booking requiredWheelchair accessible
from £20Knockout Escape Rooms
Reading · ages 10+
Three themed puzzle rooms in Reading, an hour on the clock to crack codes and get evidence, a scientist or a sci-fi machine sorted before time runs out.
Booking requiredGroup bookings
from £24.35London Bus Museum
Weybridge · ages 4-17
Climb aboard rows of historic double-deckers and, at weekends and holidays, actually ride one on the road.
Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCard only+3 more
from £18.50MADEbyTamalia @ Creativ.Spaces
Reading
Craft birthday parties in Caversham where kids get a 90-minute themed art session, with add-on party tea and catering options.
Birthday partiesBooking requiredCaféFree parking+3 more
FreeMaiwand Lion
Reading
Free galleries of Roman finds, a Bayeux Tapestry copy and biscuit tins to hunt through, right by Reading station.
Accessible toiletCaféGift shopGroup bookings+4 more
from £333Medicine Festival Gate B
Reading
A multi-day summer gathering with a swimming lake, ceremonies and a curated family area, all alcohol-free.
Accessible toiletAllergy awareVegetarian optionsWheelchair accessible
from £11.50Milestones Museum
Basingstoke
Wander a rebuilt Victorian and 1940s high street, buy penny sweets and pull a pint in a vintage pub, all under one roof.
Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCafé+7 more
from £10.50Oxford Castle Prison
Oxford
Climb an Anglo-Saxon tower, poke round Victorian cells and drop into a candle-lit crypt on a guided tour with 1000 years of Oxford's grimmer history.
Accessible toiletGift shopGroup bookingsPublic transport nearby+2 more
Oxford Castle Quarter
Oxford
A historic castle quarter in the middle of Oxford with old stone walls and mound to wander round, open daily from 10am.
Pope's Grotto
Twickenham
A quirky underground grotto you explore yourself with a printed plan, open just a handful of days a year.
Booking required
FreeReading Abbey Ruins
Reading
Free ruins to wander, a Victorian Bayeux Tapestry copy and a biscuit tin collection all within a two-minute walk of Reading station.
Accessible toiletCaféGift shopPublic transport nearby+3 more
Reading Minster
Reading
A working church in the middle of Reading, open certain mornings for quiet, prayer and Sunday services.
FreeReading Museum
Reading
Ten free galleries covering a Victorian copy of the Bayeux Tapestry, biscuit history and Roman Silchester, right by Reading station.
Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingCaféGift shop+5 more
from £9.50Science Oxford Centre
Oxford · ages 2-11
Fifteen acres of woodland to explore with a water lab, an air table and a multi-sensory cloud show thrown in.
Bike parkingBooking requiredCaféIndoor seating+6 more
from £6Shaw House
Newbury · ages 0-4
A Tudor house with grounds full of old trees to explore, garden games in summer and free entry for under 4s.
Accessible toiletBike parkingBlue badge parkingCafé+6 more
from £12.50Thames Rivercruise (Reading)
Reading · ages 0-14
River cruises from Caversham on the Thames, from short round trips to tea cruises and a self drive picnic boat.
Accessible toiletAllergy awareCard onlyDog friendly+5 more
The Concert Hall
Reading
A working concert hall in the Reading Abbey Quarter hosting touring performances and events, with a café for before or after.
Accessible toiletCaféDog friendlyParking+4 more
from £8The Hellfire Caves
High Wycombe
A guided walk through real tunnels and chambers cut into the Chiltern hills, with an underground river and a banqueting hall to gawp at.
Birthday partiesCaféGift shopIndoor play+1 more
from £8.20The Look Out Discovery Centre
Crowthorne
Over 90 hands-on science activities plus an outdoor adventure play area, booked in timed three-hour sessions.
Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBooking requiredCafé+5 more
FreeThe Look Out Discovery Centre Playground
Bracknell · ages 2-12
A free outdoor playground with equipment built to challenge kids from toddler age right up to the teenage bit.
FreeUffington Castle
Faringdon
Walk up to a 3,000-year-old chalk horse cut into the hillside, then scramble round an Iron Age hillfort and a mound tied to the St George legend.
FreeUre Museum of Greek Archaeology
Reading
Free entry to a small university museum of Greek and Egyptian artefacts, open Tuesday to Thursday only.
Accessible toiletGroup bookingsStep-free accessToilets
from £1.50Waddesdon Manor
Aylesbury
Grand French-style house and grounds with a woodland playground, walking trails and a shuttle bus that saves your legs on the walk up.
Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingBooking required+14 more
Watts Gallery
Guildford
Gardens, art trails and a Victorian gallery to wander round, with under 16s getting in free.
FreeWayland's Smithy
Ashbury
A Neolithic burial mound on a windswept ridge, reached by a walk of over a mile from the car park.
FreeWest Berkshire Museum
Newbury
Free local history galleries with special exhibitions, a sensory bag on loan and a café for cake afterwards.
Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingCaféDog friendly+7 more
Good to know: museums & heritage in Reading
Are any of them free?
Yes, Maiwand Lion, Reading Abbey Ruins, Reading Museum, The Look Out Discovery Centre Playground and 4 more are free to visit.
What does a paid visit cost?
Paid entry starts from £1.50 at Waddesdon Manor. Prices, ages and facilities are listed on every place page, taken from each venue's own published price list.
Which ones are indoor?
AIRE Ancient Baths London, Maiwand Lion, Milestones Museum, Reading Museum and 3 more are indoor, good to keep up your sleeve for a rainy day.
Whereabouts are they?
You'll find museums & heritage in London, Basingstoke, Alton, Farnham, Newbury and 11 more. Every place we list is in or around Reading, and each listing has the full address and directions.
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