Museums, galleries and libraries

Museums, galleries and libraries

Immerse yourself in other worlds and cultures, become an expert for a day on the Egyptians or vintage aeroplanes, and stare amazed at art exhibitions the world comes to see. Museums and art galleries in England take you to faraway places. You get to peek into distant lives by travelling just a few footsteps. At the last count there were around 1,600 museums in England, catering to almost every interest you can imagine. Many of them are housed in buildings as impressive as the collections within.

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Get on board at the National Railway Museum

The world's largest railway museum is home to a staggering collection of restored locomotives, including the fastest steam engine of all time.

Location: York, North Yorkshire

 

Rainy Day Activities: Step back in time at York Castle Museum

Travel back in time on a rainy day at this trend-setting museum, which transports visitors back through 300 years of history.

Location: York, North Yorkshire

 

Nine floors of silver-screens

A visit to the National Media Museum is a must if you love photography, film, television, animation, gaming or the internet.

Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire

 

Rainy Day Activities: Discover military history at The Royal Armouries

Britain’s national museum of arms and armour is home to a fascinating and unique collection, including the only existing suit of armour built for an elephant.

Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire

 

Discover a tale of forbidden love at Bessie Surtees' house

A tale of forbidden love to rival Romeo and Juliet is immortalised in Bessie Surtees’ 16th century house, tucked behind NewcastleGateshead's quayside

Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear

 

Rainy Day Activities: Sunderland Museum

Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens is a great place for the whole family to spend the day – and it’s free.

Location: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear

 

Go Walrus hunting at Sunderland Museum

Discover the inspirational statue behind the Lewis Carroll poem Walrus and the Carpenter.

Location: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear

 

Explore the magnificent ruins of Kirkstall Abbey

This atmospheric 12th-century abbey is one of the most complete Cistercian monasteries in Britain, surrounded by tranquil tree-filled parkland.

Location: Leeds, Yorkshire

 

Rainy Day Activities: Discover Sheffield’s story at Kelham Island Museum

The ‘Steel City’s’ unique industrial story is brought to life through interactive galleries at this captivating indoor museum.

Location: Kelham Island, South Yorkshire

 

Hunt for ancient treasures in The Yorkshire Museum

This grandiose Georgian museum is filled with curiosities from an eye-popping Viking treasure hoard to dinosaur fossils and a working observatory.

Location: York, North Yorkshire

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