What are they and what do they involve?
Museums are venues with the primary purpose of exhibiting items of interest, often of a historical nature. The exact focus of a museum will vary, but they always offer educational insights into their artefacts and can include extra activities such as workshops and guided tours! Nationally-recognised museums dominate the school trip agenda and often feature amongst the most visited venues in Britain.
Incredibly there are museums for pretty much everything you can think of in the UK - from Prams to Anaesthetic, Radar to Pencils, Locks to Lawnmowers, Mustard to Surfing, Straw to Dog Collars (the canine kind), Teapots to Gas, or Magic to Embroidery. Search our list of venues for topics these fantastic, quirky places feature and you'll be surprised what pops up! It might inspire a new approach to a curriculum topic or a different slant on your locality.
What are the benefits?
A museum can be a highly educational place, especially for those with prior interest in the subjects on display. Taking a student group that have been covering a specific historical event or time period to a relevant museum will enable them to really connect with the subject and create an extra dimension to their education.
What students is it suitable for?
Provided the content of the museum is suitable for the age group, all students can benefit from a trip to a museum!
Costs?
Some museums are free for the public to access but there are some venues that have admission costs due to the specific nature of the exhibit – make sure to thoroughly check out the prices of museums in your area.
Safety Implications?
Museums can be quite large and confusing venues, so make sure your group of students is properly supervised to ensure nobody gets separated from the group!
Accreditations?
There is a national accreditation scheme in operation for museums - find out more HERE about Accredited Museums.
Inside one of Wrexham's landmark buildings, Wrexham County Borough Museum is the starting point for discovering the eventful history of this region on the English-Welsh border.
The museum's displays and collections tell the stories of Wrexham County Borough and its people from prehistory up to the present day.
This museum is a real treat. Beautifully composed displays lead you through a series of rooms on two floors that circle the courtyard of this historic building. As well as a clear time-line of the city’s dramatic history you’re introduced to Norwich people of all kinds in displays peppered with insights and anecdotes.
Now open to the public, the shelters, with a network of tunnels almost 1.6km (1 mile) long, once sheltered 6,500 people.
Come and experience life as it was during a 'black out' in wartime Britain and experience the sights and sounds of the home front.
A good display of Luton history and a history of the development of Luton industries.
Worcester's principal art gallery and museum hosts a unique programme of contemporary art exhibitions, as well as housing a historic picture collection and an intriguing selection of objects ranging from a 19th century chemist's shop to the wonderful Regimental Museum.
True's Yard is built around the last surviving cottages in King's Lynn’s once thriving North End community. The tiny, carefully recreated rooms capture the harsh realities of fishing life and the traditions and spirit of a close-knit community.
We are a small museum chronicling the life and times of the famous writer, Jane Austen, plus Regency tearoom.
Our Jane Austen experience begins with a warm welcome and introductory talk from one of our knowledgeable and experienced guides. The introduction takes place on the first floor of this attractive Georgian town house, in a classically decorated period room.
Welcome to the truly enchanting and magical world of the Creaky Cauldron, where every hour is the witching hour, but you don't need to be a card carrying witch to join in the fun!
North Down Museum tells the story of the North Down area from the Bronze Age to the present day, each exhibition is dedicated to a particular era of local history. Key artefacts on display include the Bronze Age Ballycroghan Swords, the Bangor Bell from the important Bangor Abbey settlement and the Raven Maps, the only complete folio of Plantation era maps in Ireland.
The museum is housed in part of a building which is in itself a museum piece; a small manor house dating from the 17th century which was used as a parsonage in 1724.
The Stockwood Discovery Centre is designed with environmentally green and sustainable principles in mind.
With interactive display, variety of gardens, children play area, special events and activities, bee gallery and much more, it is a wonderful visitor attraction and museum. Collection highlights include the Wenlok Jug, the Shillington gold coin hoard and the Mossman collection.
A lovely little museum that covers the local history of the small market town of Tring from its earliest days to the recent past.
You can also learn about the industrial revolution and how the rural way of life in Tring was affected by the changes through time.
The Wellcome Collection is a unique mix of galleries and events, the world-famous Wellcome Library, a
Come and discover how Slough transformed from a muddy bog to a thriving town of industry and innovation, and explore the history of community life in Slough, through stories of celebration, migration and unity.
Slough Museum has a fascinating collection to explore…we look forward to seeing you soon!
Schools Learning
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has had a museum collection since 1842, which continues to be managed by the RPS today at its offices in Lambeth. The exhibits cover all aspects of British pharmacy history, and include:
Learn about the history of life in the Nile Valley from prehistory through to the Islamic period. Thousands of objects to look through including ancient papyrus and carvings. Free to visit.
Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology is an excellent place to take history fans, budding explorers and archaeologists, plus any kids who would like to see something a little different.
Visit Worcestershire County Museum at Hartlebury Castle and discover over 1,000 years of history!
This accredited museum is supported by the Friends of Windsor & Royal Borough Museum, the Heritage Lottery Fund and a team of very enthusiastic volunteers.
The Museum covers five themes; The Royal Borough & its settlement, Military Associations, Aeronautical Windsor, Working Windsor and Childhood.
Travel back in time and discover the history of the Potteries and of Staffordshire.
See the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found on display, plus the world's finest collection of Staffordshire ceramics, Reginald Mitchell's WW2 Spitfire, Ozzy the famous pottery owl and all sorts of art and craft.
Teignmouth and Shaldon are beautiful. They are not, however, just pretty places! Products of a turbulent past and the strivings of succeeding generations, Teignmouth and Shaldon have colourful and absorbing stories to tell. The stories are told in the Museum - what happened, when and who the players were.
Exmouth Museum was first opened in 1985 and is housed in a 19th century building which was the Council Stables together with the adjoining foreman's cottage.
The architect Sir John Soane’s house, museum and library at No. 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields has been a public museum since the early 19th century. Soane demolished and rebuilt three houses in succession on the north side of Lincoln’s Inn Fields, beginning with No. 12 between 1792 and 1794, moving on to No. 13, re-built in two phases in 1808-9 and 1812, and concluding with No.
The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries.