The United Kingdom, in my opinion, is home to some of the best museums in the world. The UK has everything from impressive art collections to historic buildings. In this article, I am going to list the 7 best museums in the UK that showcase some of the finest art, sculptures and history for a fun and educational day out.
In my opinion, These are some of the best museums that you have to visit before you die.
1. Churchill War Rooms
If you want to understand how desperate the situation for the UK was in world war 2 then a visit to the Churchill War Rooms is a must see. Located in London, the Churchill War Rooms let you discover the hidden secrets of Westminister from underground.
The war rooms were seen as the central nervous system of the war efforts and it has been left as if it was still in use which gives in an authentic yet creepy feel.
Visitors should expect to take over an hour to discover all the nooks and crannies of the place.
Adult tickets cost £22 while children can get in for half the price.
2. British Museum (London)
For our next museum, we stay in London for a visit to the British Museum. The British Museum is home to some of the largest collection of artwork and artifacts ranging from all over the world. The British Museum has stunning sculptures from Egyptian times like the colossal bust of Ramesses II to the world famous Rosetta stone which was key to understanding hieroglyphics.
One tip for visiting the British Museum would be to go as early as possible as mid-afternoon the crowd gets substantially larger. For those with a bigger budget, you may want to inquire about the special morning tours which provide you with a special tour of the museum before its open to the public.
3. Beamish
Ready for something different?
Beamish is a living, working museum set in over 300 acres in the Durham countryside. The working town of Beamish shows you how it was like to live in the North of England during the 1820s to 1900s.
What I loved about my visit to Beamish was the authenticity of the place, it was if I had time travelled. The workers were excellent and stayed in character the entire time and the actual buildings were built from materials available in the 1800s.
I highly recommend a visit to Beamish if you want a change from the traditional museum.
4. Mary Rose Museum
The Mary Rose Museum is situated in the historic dockyard of Portsmouth. Visitors can not only learn about Henry VIII’s ship but they can also see it live and close up after it was raised from the water in 1982.
The history of the sinking Mary Rose is surrounded by conspiracy theories, everything from a human error to the pesky French. But the loss of the Mary Rose is only part of the story and visitors will be thrilled to learn more about the journeys made and the long naval career that the ship had.
The Mary Rose Museum is suitable for those of all ages and it runs various workshops for adults, children and school trips.
5. National Railway Museum
If learning about trains seems boring to you, don’t be put off.
I wasn’t too interested in learning about trains either, to me they took you from one place to another, but after a visit to the National Railway Museum, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Trains played a vital part in transforming Britain on the whole, they helped an entire industry bloom and we would not be in the same position today if we didn’t have trains. But don’t let me spoil the surprise and history of the railway for you.
Visit the national railway museum in York where they have over one million items depicting the rich and exciting history of railway travel.
6. HMS Belfast
Back to London for a visit to the HMS Belfast where visitors can discover what life aboard a second world warship would have been like.
Visitors to the HMS Belfast can climb on board and discover the 9 different decks and experience everything from the sleeping galleries to the engine room which is 15 foot below sea level.
The HMS Belfast is located close to Tower Bridge and is open 10am to 6pm every day except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
7. Science Museum
London’s Science Museum is something very different from all of the museums mentioned above. If you want to get your little one into technology and science this is the place (adults will love it too).
The Science Museum is built for learning, but it’s so much fun it doesn’t feel like a forced learning experience. With more interactive exhibits than anything I have come across before, the Science Museum is out of this world.
Interactive exhibits bring complex and often boring subjects to life and present the information in a fun and understandable way.
A word of advice would be to make sure you have a go of the 3d space simulators, it’s an experience that I won’t forget in a hurry.
Conclusion
With so many museums to visit in the UK, it can be difficult to know where to start. Over the last few years I have visited many of the museums in the UK and the above is a list of my favorites.
Do you have a museum you think I should visit next? Please leave a comment below.
Author Bio
Yury is an art enthusiast and runs his own website called Art in a Sec which allows users to create their own original art in a few seconds based on art styles that they like. When not creating art Yury likes to spend time at home reading and relaxing with his family.