Best Museums for Kids in London 2025
We love going to London and always squeeze in a trip to a museum or two whilst we are there. Many people avoid museums with children but we’ve found that pretty much any museum trip can be tailored to a child’s age and attention span and there are so many London museums to explore and enjoy as a family.
Here are London museums that you can happily take your children to. The family friendly museums cover so many different topics meaning that whatever your child loves, there will be something for them. Whether it’s science, history, animals or vehicles. Many are free museums too and perfect for exploring during a family travel break in London or even just a day trip.
Best Museums for Kids in London
London Science Museum
The Science Museum aims to inspire visitors with award-winning exhibitions, iconic objects and stories of incredible scientific achievement. The Science Museum’s world-class collection forms an enduring record of scientific, technological and medical advancement from across the globe.
With the Wonderlab, family friendly IMAX shows and plenty of family trails, it is one of the most child friendly museums in London.
Where: Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD
When: 10am – 6pm Wednesday to Sunday term time and all week during school holidays.
Cost: Entry to the museum is free. Pre-booking required. Some exhibitions and events have a separate charge.
You can read more about visiting the Science Museum with kids here.
Victoria and Albert Museum
The V&A Museum of Childhood is currently being transformed into the Young V&A, perfect for children. Until the transformation is complete, there is plenty for children at the V&A. There are free family activities every day as well as so much to see with a collection of over 2.3 million objects that span over 5,000 years of art and creativity
Where: Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
When: Wednesday to Sunday, 10am – 5:45pm
Cost: Entry to the museum is free. Pre-booking required. Some exhibitions and events have a separate charge.
You can read about visiting the V&A with kids and other galleries in London here
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is another fantastic place to visit with children. Get up close with nature, discover fascinating creatures and intriguing science with so much to explore in the galleries from your favourite dinosaurs and volcanoes to mammals of the world.
Where: Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD
When: Open Monday-Sunday, 10am -5:50pm
Cost: Entry to the museum is free. Pre-booking required. Some exhibitions and events have a separate charge.
Read about a visit to the Natural History Museum here.
British Museum
Whatever age your children are, the British Museum will have something to see that ties in with their learning at school. From the Ancient Greeks to the Romans, Egyptians and Saxon treasure hoards found right here in the UK. It’s a fantastic place to take kids – and there are so many family trails to explore too.
Where: Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
When: 10am – 5pm daily. Open until 8:30pm on Fridays.
Cost: Entry to the museum is free. Pre-booking required. Some exhibitions and events have a separate charge.
Read about a trip to the British Museum here.
Museum of London
At the Museum of London you can discover the greatest stories from the greatest city. Take a stroll through a Victorian street, learn about the Great Fire of London and make yourself at home in a Saxon dwelling. There’s so much for children to do making it a great family day out.
Where: 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN
When: 10am-5pm, Wednesday-Sunday
Cost: Entry to the museum is free. Pre-booking required.
Museum of London Docklands
The Museum of London sister site, Museum of London Docklands lets you discover how the docks shaped the London we know today.
Where: 1 Warehouse, West India Quay, Hertsmere Road, London E14 4AL
When: 10am-5pm daily.
Cost: Entry to the museum is free. Pre-booking required.
Read about a family trip to Museum of London Docklands here.
London Transport Museum
One of our children’s favourite museums. Learn about the history of transport in London from boats and horse drawn cabs to the underground system of today. There are vehicles to climb aboard, so many activities and loads of interactive exhibits too.
Where: Covent Garden Piazza, London WC2E 7BB
When: Open daily 10am to 6pm
Cost: £18.50 per adult giving 12 months entry. Children go free.
Read about a trip to the London Transport Museum here and here are all the things to do at the London Transport Museum for kids.
Postal Museum
The Postal Museum is such a great family day out where you can take a ride on Mail Rail and discover the inspiring stories of Britain’s postal heritage. With an indoor play area and Jolly Postman, it’s a day out kids will always remember.
Where: 15-20 Phoenix Place, London WC1X 0DA
When: Wednesday to Sunday, 10am – 5pm
Cost: £16 per adult and £9 per child. Various discounts available. Entry gives return visits for 12 months.
You can read about a trip on Mail Rail here.
Museum of Brands
All ages will love this nostalgic journey through 200 years of social change, culture and lifestyle, showcasing centuries of consumer culture. It’s an exciting way of looking at history through the things that generations of families have thrown away and bringing back memories of childhood.
Where: 111 – 117 Lancaster Road, Notting Hill, London W11 1QT
When: Monday to Saturday, 10am – 6pm. Sundays and Bank Holidays, 11am – 5pm
Cost: £9 for adults and £5 for children. £24 for a family ticket.
National Maritime Museum
Part of the Royal Museums Greenwich, the National Maritime Museum is a great family day out. It’s a place to learn more about the sea, navigation and the Royal Navy with so much for children to see and do with so many hands on interactive exhibits too. There are even play areas and family trails.
Make sure that whilst you’re there you also visit the Royal Observatory, Cutty Sark and the Queen’s House too.
Where: Romney Road, London SE10 9NF
When: Open 10am to 5pm daily.
Cost: Entry to the museum is free. Pre-booking required. Some exhibitions and events have a separate charge.
You can read about a trip to the Greenwich Attractions here.
Design Museum
The Design Museum, created by Sir Terence Conran, is the world’s leading museum devoted to contemporary design in every form. The Design Museum offers plenty of opportunities to get creative, with both free and ticketed workshops and gallery experiences aimed at children and young people and so much to see and do.
Where: 224-238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG
When: 10am – 6pm, Sunday to Thursday and 10am – 9pm, Friday to Saturday.
Cost: The museum is free to visit but some exhibitions may incur a charge.
Imperial War Museum
The Imperial War Museum is a great, sobering day out for the whole family. If you have older kids who have already learnt about the war at school then they will get a lot from the museum. They’ll get to see the war through the eyes of the people who lived it.
The other Imperial War Museum sites in London – HMS Belfast and Churchill War Rooms – are also well worth visiting.
Where: Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HZ
When: Open daily, 10am to 6pm
Cost: The museum is free to visit but some exhibitions may incur a charge.
Bank of England Museum
If children are fascinated by money then they’ll love the Bank of England Museum. You can learn about money, the economy, and the history of the Bank of England.
Where: Bartholomew Lane, London EC2R 8AH
When: Closed until Spring 2022
Cost: The museum is free to visit but some exhibitions may incur a charge.
You can read about a trip to the Bank of England Museum here.
Cartoon Museum
All children will love the Cartoon Museum where they can explore the wonderful world of
British cartoons and comics.
Where: 63 Wells Street, Fitzrovia, London W1A 3AE
When: Tuesday to Sunday 10:30am – 5:30pm. Open until 8pm on Thursdays.
Cost: Adults are £8.50, children go free.
The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
Something completely different and best for older children, this atmospheric museum offers a unique insight into the history of medicine and surgery. Predating anaesthetics and antiseptics, it is the oldest surviving surgical theatre in Europe.
Where: 9a St Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY
When: Thursday to Sunday, 10:30am to 5pm.
Cost: Adults are £7.50, children over 6 are £4.50. Children under six go free. Family tickets available at £18.
London Museum of Water and Steam
This is a fantastic hands on museum that children of all ages will enjoy. Discover the story of London’s water supply, the site of the former Kew Bridge Waterworks and the pumping engines that helped to make London the great city it is today.
Where: Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, London TW8 0EN
When: Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm
Cost: £18 for adults giving 12 months entry. Children go free.
Horniman Museum and Gardens
The Horniman Museum is a great place to discover an eclectic collection of anthropology, natural history and musical instruments with beautiful gardens and the added bonuses of an aquarium and butterfly house.
Where: 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ
When: 10am – 5.30pm. Closed Wednesdays.
Cost: The museum and gardens are free to visit. There is a charge to visit the Aquarium, Butterfly House, and some of events and exhibitions.
Pollocks Toy Museum
What child wouldn’t love to see toys from years gone by? Pollocks is the oldest toy museum in the UK and it features a real mix of curios from tin cars and teddy bears to dolls houses, puppets and games.
Where: 1 Scala Street, London W1T 2HL
When: Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm.
Cost: Adult £9, child £4.50. Children under three go free.
National Army Museum
There is so much to see at the National Army Museum that the whole family will enjoy from Napoleon’s horse to Captain Siborne’s model of Waterloo. Plus, there are activities, family events and workshops for children of all ages.
Where: Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4HT
When: Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5.30pm
Cost: Entry is free.
Grant Museum of Zoology
Children will love getting to know their dodo from their quagga at the last university zoological museum in London.
Where: Rockefeller Building, University College London, 21 University Street, London WC1E 6DE
When: Tuesday – Friday, 1pm-5pm and Saturday 11am-5pm
Cost: Free entry.
Geffrye Museum of the Home
With trails to follow, explorer bags to use and activities throughout the galleries, Museum of the Home is a great place to visit with children. The museum is a place consider the ways we have lived in the past and to explore creative ideas about new ways of living in, and looking at, the world today.
Where: 136 Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA
When: Tuesday – Sunday, 10am–5pm
Cost: Free entry.
The Clink Prison Museum
A really immersive experience, The Clink Prison is one of England’s oldest and most notorious prisons. Built on the original site, The Clink Prison Museum lets you discover the scandalous truth of Old Bankside. You can view archaeological artefacts, experience the sights, sounds and smells of the prison, handle torture devices and hear all about the tales of torment and misfortunes of the inmates of the prison.
Where: 1 Clink Street, London SE1 9DG
When: 10am to 6pm daily.
Cost: £8 for adults, £6 for children. Family tickets available for £23.
The Household Cavalry Museum
The Household Cavalry Museum is a living museum about real people doing a real job in a real place. You can see troopers working with horses in the original 18th century stables whilst hearing personal stories, first hand accounts of the troopers’ training and see interactive displays and rare objects.
Where: Horse Guards, Whitehall, London SW1A 2AX
When: 10am – 6pm, April to October, 10am – 5pm, November to March
Cost: Adults from £9.50, children from £7.50 with children under 5 going free. Family tickets available from £25.
The Charles Dickens Museum
The Charles Dickens Museum preserves 48, Doughty Street, the former home of Charles Dickens. It is as it may have looked when the Dickens family lived there and is home to around 100,000 items including letters and furniture, clothes and illustrations, all relating to Charles Dickens and his creations. The museum gives a really nice insight into life in middle class Victorian London.
Where: 48-49 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LX
When: Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.
Cost: Adults are £9.50, children are £4.50 and children under six go free.
The Florence Nightingale Museum
The Florence Nightingale Museum celebrates the life and work of the best known nurse in history. It celebrates her life – showing you her affluent childhood, how she became a nurse against her parents’ wishes, her work during the Crimean War and how she campaigned for better healthcare for ordinary people.
Where: St Thomas’ Hospital, 2 Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7EW
When: 10am to 5pm daily.
Cost: Adults £10, children £5 and family tickets are £25.
Royal Air Force Museum London
Explore the first 100 years of the RAF and its roles today and in the future. With three new innovative galleries and so much to see and do, the whole family will have a great time. Plus, there’s a packed programme of family activities and events for all ages.
Where: Grahame Park Way, Hendon, London NW9 5LL
When: Every day 10am – 5pm
Cost: Entry to the museum is free. Pre-booking required.
You can read about a trip to the RAF Museum here.
There are so many other places that are like museums in London that It’s great to visit with kids – National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, the Tate Modern in Bankside Power Station, Tate Britain, The Harry Potter Photographic Exhibition at The London Film Museum and the Discover Children’s Story Centre to name a few. You can see more suggestions of educational places to visit with kids in London here.
There are also quite a few that I missed off the list as I didn’t think kids would be that interested, but feel free to visit them if they take your fancy! The National Portrait Gallery and Sir John Soane’s Museum to name a couple.
I hope that’s given you inspiration for your next museum visit in London. The children have asked to go back to the Science Museum next time we’re in town – it’s definitely a favourite! If I’ve missed off any museums that your children love, please do get in touch and let me know.
I love a day in London to explore a good museum!