• Home >
• Visit London >
• London with Kids >
• Museums in London with Kids

Museums in London with Kids

Discover the best museums to visit in London with kids. From admiring enormous dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum to driving a double-decker bus at the Transport Museum or shooting down pirates at the National Maritime Museum, there’s plenty of magical things to experience, especially on a rainy day!

the natural history museum

The Natural History Museum in London is one of the most child-engaging museums in the world. Highlights of a visit include seeing a life-sized model of a blue-whale, riding the earthquake simulator and being amazed by the dinosaur hall, which including a 3,500-million-year-old fossil!! There’s even a life-size moving model of a T-rex along with plenty of interactive displays to keep the kids entertained.

• Suitable for all ages
• Open every day from 10:00 to 17:50
• Average visit length: 2.5 hours
• Location: Kensington, part of the museum neighbourhood
• Free admission

the science museum

From a space gallery and aviation center to a thrilling flight simulator and incredible virtual-reality trip into space, this place is not just a museum but an experience to remember! A perfect museum to visit in London with kids, there are loads of interactive exhibits and educational games. There’s even a water play area to inspire even the youngest ones!

• Suitable for all ages
• Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00
• Average visit length: 3.5 hours
• Location: Kensington
• Free admission

the British museum

Navigating the British Museum is simple with a special trail designed for kids, where only the most engaging artifacts for children have been chosen. Highlights of a visit include seeing the Egyptian Mummies, double-headed serpent, head of Augustus, Rosetta Stone and Easter Island Statue. Bear in mind that the British Museum is absolutely enormous, so you could spend anything from a few hours to a few days here!

• Suitable for all ages
• Open every day from 10:00 to 17:30, Friday’s until 20:30
• Average visit length: 2-4 hours
• Location: Bloomsbury
• Free admission

london transport museum

The London Transport Museum tells the story of how London’s transport system developed, It’s a magical place for kids to explore. They can sit in the front of a double-decker London bus, walk through the Victorian-era train-carriages, and imagine being a boat captain or driving a horse-drawn carriage. There’s even a special play-area for children under 6!

• Suitable for all ages, but especially ages 3-12
• Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00
• Location: Covent Garden, next to Covent Garden Market
• Entrance tickets: Adults £17.50, Kids (under 18) free, concessions £15
• Tickets: London Transport Museum >>>

the royal airforce museum

The Royal Airforce Museum showcases the best of British aviation, from the very first planes to fly in the early 20th Century right up to 21st Century fighter jets. There are literally hundreds of planes on display, and many of them you can actually climb into. This includes British bombers and warplanes used in World War II, and there’s even a flight simulator!

The RAF Museum is located in North London, outside of the city centre. You can see how to get there here.

• Suitable for all ages
• Open every day from 10:00 to 17:00
• Average visit length: 3 hours
• Location: Hendon (north London).
• Free admission

imperial war museum

The Imperial War Museum tells the story of conflict, from stories about British Special Forces operations to unique displays showing British fighter jets and weapons from the First World War. There’s a special children’s guide for kids aged up to 7, along with lots of interactive exhibits to keep children of all ages (and adults!) fully engaged.

• Suitable for ages 5+
• Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00
• Average visit length: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Location: Waterloo
• Free admission

sherlock holmes museum

A great places to visit for anyone who loves Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation. Visit the ‘home’ of Sherlock Holmes on 221B Baker Street in Marylebone, see his bedroom and study that overlooks Baker Street, and sit in the armchair by the fireplace. This is a very small museum, and won’t take very long to visit.

• Suitable for all ages (but not suitable for people who get claustrophobic)
• Open every day from 09:30 to 18:00
• Average visit length: 30 minutes
• Location: Baker Street in Marylebone
• Tickets: Adult £15, Child (under 16) £10

churchill war rooms

Head to the Churchill War Rooms to see the top-secret underground bunkers used during the toughest months of WWII by Winston Churchill and the cabinet. With lots of interactive maps and displays, you’ll learn about many of the key decisions that were critical to the survival of Britain during the war.

• Suitable for all ages
• Open every day from 09:30 to 18:00
• Average visit length: 90 minutes
• Location: Westminster, a 5 minute walk from Big Ben
• Ticket prices: Adults £21, Children (5-15) £10.50
• Tickets: Churchill War Rooms

tate modern

With two amazing kids audio-guides to choose from, the Tate Modern really brings it’s modern art galleries alive. By getting kids to engage with the artworks, a visit can turn into a really fun morning or afternoon. There’s even a drawing area where children can use cutting-edge technology to create their own digital artwork.

• Suitable for kids aged 9+
• Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00 and on Friday & Saturday until 22:00
• Location: Southbank
• Average visit length: 2 hours
• Free admission

the national maritime museum

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich has two purpose-built children’s galleries. Ahoy! is dedicated to kids aged between 0-7 and is full of nautically themed fun activities, including pretending to be a fishmonger, captaining a ship through the Arctic, load a cargo ship or hosting a tea party!

The old gallery called All Hands is aimed at kids aged between 6-12. An array of clever technologies allow you to fire a cannon and shoot down a pirate ship, along with fun activities like preparing food in the ship’s galley or playing in the cabins.

• Suitable for kids aged 0-12 (in two separate galleries)
• Open from 10:00 to 17:00 on weekends and Tuesday’s
• Location: Greenwich (outside of Central London)
• Free admission

the national gallery

When it comes to free art museums, it doesn’t get better than the National Gallery! With works by Monet, Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Michelangelo on display, discover one of the best art collections in the world! The National Gallery is located right in the heart of London, in Trafalgar Square, and stays open late on Friday’s, which can be a great way to spend an evening with kids in London.

• Suitable for all ages
• Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00, on Friday’s until 21:00
• Location: Trafalgar Square
• Average visit length: 2 hours
• Free admission