History Museums near London

9 locations
Ages 0–12
Showing 9 of 9 locations
London Transport Museum

London Transport Museum

Railway Museum · All Ages

Award-winning transport museum in a historic Victorian flower market in Covent Garden with 200+ years of London transport history. Features interactive play zones for young children including soft play, role-play vehicles to climb aboard, and simulator experiences; upper galleries showcase historic trams, buses, Underground trains and iconic design. All-access buggy-friendly galleries with engaging hands-on activities across multiple levels.

The British Museum

The British Museum

History Museum · All Ages

One of the world's greatest museums spanning two million years of human history with iconic artifacts including the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies and Parthenon sculptures. The museum offers family-friendly activity backpacks for different ages, interactive explorer trails, and workshops during school holidays. Multiple cafés and restaurants on-site plus a dedicated Ford Centre for Young Visitors with picnic facilities and amenities.

The Postal Museum

The Postal Museum

History Museum · Ages 1–12

Interactive postal history museum with an immersive Mail Rail ride through 100-year-old underground tunnels beneath London. Features the Sorted! play zone for young children with role-play postal activities, slides, and interactive exhibits. Museum includes original stamps including the Penny Black, a historic mail coach, and themed activities across two floors.

National Army Museum

National Army Museum

History Museum · All Ages

Four-floor interactive history museum with 2,500+ objects telling stories of British Army soldiers from the 1600s to today. Play Base soft-play area for under-8s features assault course, climbing wall, role-play kitchen and army vehicles. Hands-on activities including marching drills, tank driving and craft workshops keep all ages engaged.

Tower of London

Tower of London

History Museum · Ages 5+

Medieval fortress housing the Crown Jewels exhibition, with 1,000 years of royal history told through interactive displays, dramatic Beefeater tours, and famous ravens roaming the grounds. Historic buildings include the White Tower with medieval armoury, the Bloody Tower with prisoner graffiti, and Traitors' Gate.

Museum of the Home

Museum of the Home

History Museum · All Ages

Free museum exploring 400 years of English domestic interiors from 1600 to the present, set in beautiful 18th-century Grade I-listed almshouses with interactive displays and recreated period rooms. Includes gardens showing historical garden styles from Tudor knots to modern greens, plus dedicated children's play spaces with sensory explorer backpacks, a Reading Lounge with role-play areas, and dressing-up stations. Molly's Bar & Kitchen serves food on site.

London Museum Docklands

London Museum Docklands

History Museum · All Ages

Interactive maritime history museum in a 200-year-old Grade I-listed warehouse exploring London's River Thames, docks, and global trade from Roman times to Canary Wharf. The Mudlarks gallery features soft play, water tables, and role-play for under-8s; Sailortown recreates atmospheric 19th-century riverside streets. Multiple themed galleries, activity trails, and monthly free toddler sessions bring history to life across five floors.

Royal Observatory Greenwich

Royal Observatory Greenwich

Planetarium · Ages 5+

Historic home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian, where you can stand with one foot in each hemisphere. Features London's only planetarium with immersive dome shows, interactive galleries on time and astronomy, the UK's largest refracting telescope under an onion dome, and hands-on activities including a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite and live science demonstrations on weekends. Camera obscura offers real-time views of Greenwich and the Thames.

London Museum of Water & Steam

London Museum of Water & Steam

Science Museum · Ages 3+

Home to the world's largest collection of stationary steam engines set within a historic 1838 Victorian waterworks. Interactive galleries with walk-through tunnels and sewers, hands-on water exhibits, and a Splash Zone for younger children. Steam engines and narrow-gauge railway operate on selected dates.

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