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Galleries & Exhibitions in Stoke-on-Trent

Pottery is the thread running through galleries here, and you do not have to pay to see it. Spode Museum sits close to the centre with free entry, a café in a walled garden and hands-on digital models that give small hands something to do. A little further out, Dudson Museum covers two centuries of ceramics history with its own café, though it only opens weekday mornings and early afternoons, so plan around that. Barewall Art Gallery, also free, keeps children busy with colouring books based on local artist Arthur Berry. All three cost nothing, which makes this an easy afternoon to try without committing to a full day. Spode has parking, toilets and baby changing, so it suits buggies and toddlers best. Dudson is the one to time carefully given its shorter opening hours. Barewall is the quickest stop if you have got restless children and twenty minutes to spare, with paper and colouring pencils doing the work while you look at the art.

✓ 3 places✦ 3 free to visit