10 unmissable museums to visit in the UK
See the capital’s hidden horrors at The London Bridge Experience
If you’ve already visited London’s major museums, delve into the darker side of the capital’s history at The London Bridge Experience. It’s a character-led tour, so you’ll come across Jack the Ripper and other gruesome personalities lurking under the iconic bridge. Take in the sights, sounds and stench of the city’s 2000-year history in all its gory glory. If you have nerves of steel, grab your mates (there’s safety in numbers) and go down to the lower haunted vaults for an immersive scare maze. The London Tombs have won the UK’s best Scare Award for 13 years on the trot. You’ll need to book separately for this as it’s an optional add-on, but it’s worth it.
Explore the past at The Box in Plymouth
There’s plenty to see at The Box in Plymouth, and it won’t cost you a penny. Get a selfie with a prehistoric mammoth and take a look at artefacts from Sir Francis Drake’s epic journeys. There’s a multi-screen film and moving sculpture looking at the end of the empire and the ‘new world’. And if you fancy something a bit more current, there’s a mock TV studio with a newsroom where you can try your hand at reporting. Between exhibitions you can pick up coffee, cakes and main meals at the café, then head to the museum’s second building – a restored church packed with plenty more to see.
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Hop onboard the SS Great Britain in Bristol
Go behind the game at the National Football Museum in Manchester
At the heart of Manchester’s medieval quarter, the National Football Museum is a great option for fans of the beautiful game. Commentate on a match, test your skills at the penalty shoot-out, get up close to the 1966 World Cup Final ball and see the oldest surviving FA Cup trophy. You won’t pay any extra for guided tours as it’s all included in the entry cost, which is pretty good for the world’s biggest football museum. Plus, every ticket is a season ticket so you can come back as many times as you like in a year.
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Pay a visit to the National Justice Museum in Nottingham
There are no less than five floors of history at the National Justice Museum, all about those who’ve found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Characters in full costume bring history to life with true stories of crime and punishment, and you can join them in the courtroom and take part in a court case. While you’re here, visit the museum’s partner attraction, the City of Caves, for underground tales of hidden homes and escapes from war.
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See a different side of Edinburgh at the Camera Obscura
This is one of the best photo ops in the city if you want to snap some memorable pics. Camera Obscura and World of Illusions has five floors of interactive optical illusions, including a shrinking room and mind-bending mirror maze ready to add to your Insta grid. Discover a unique view of the city with the 170-year-old camera obscura, which uses daylight and reflections to project a live image onto a table indoors. Then head outside to the rooftop terrace for 360-degree views stretching across the castle as far as St Mary’s Cathedral and the North Sea.
Travel back in time at the Riverside Museum in Glasgow
At the junction of the Rivers Kelvin and Clyde – a destination in itself – you can swot up on the history of transport at the Riverside Museum. Expect carriages on mock historical streets, classic cars, and the chance to put out a fire or jump on a tram. You can take a look at the specialised bikes used by Team GB while you’re here. And if it’s ships you want to see, there’s the three-masted ‘Glenlee’ full of displays about its history berthed next to the museum, which you can team with a walk on the riverside.
Pick your battles at Leeds’ Royal Armouries
Free to enter, the Royal Armouries in Leeds let you travel back in time. From Japanese samurais to Henry VIII’s armour and an Indian war elephant, there are thousands of must-sees. There are daily live combat demonstrations like the battle of Boudicca or the Somme, plus some time to question and interact with the actors. The pop-up exhibition ‘RE:LOADED’ brings guns, artists and peace campaigners together to leave you with some conversation starters at the café overlooking the canal. And ‘Forgotten Battles’ is worth a look – it unveils untold stories of diverse voices.
Satisfy your curiosity at Cardiff’s National Museum and St Fagans Museum
We’ve got two tip-offs in the Welsh capital. Start with a trip to the National Museum in Cardiff centre, where the story of the city unfolds. ‘The art of the selfie’ exhibition is on until 2025, featuring artists like Rambrandt and Van Gough. Then make the trip 30 minutes out of town to St Fagans Museum – an open-air museum in the grounds of a 16th-century manor house with gardens and parkland to explore. Before you go, grab a pint at the Vulcan Hotel, a 1915-styled pub moved brick-by-brick to its new home at St Fagans.
