The Best Museums In London For Kids In 2024

Coming up with our list of the best museums in London for kids was kind of hard. London is one of the most historically rich cities in the world so it’s no wonder that there are some fabulous museums and our kids have enjoyed elements of all of them.

But there are some family-friendly museums in London that are much more focused on kids than others and it is these ones that we love.

These family-friendly museums in London have so many fun and educational activities for everyone to enjoy.

You know what else we love? We love that most of these child friendly London museums are free to visit (although we always give a donation)!

On that topic – you might want to find out what other free activities in London for kids there are or which restaurants in London offer kids eat free.

We also have posts on great days out with kids in London, fabulous child-friendly afternoon teas in London and day trips from London for families.

And if you’re looking for somewhere to stay in London, check out these family-friendly hotels with pools in London.

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These are the best museums in London for kids…

One final word of advice about visiting the best museums in London for kids. Just check before you go whether they require booking.

Some have implemented this policy and some haven’t. The most up to date information can be found on their websites (which we have included).

Save money on London attractions

If you are going to be visiting other attractions in London during your visit, the best way to save money on the top attractions in London is to buy a London Explorer Pass.  Add 2,3,4,5,6 or 7 attractions and make huge savings. See how it all works here.

It includes the Postal Museum and the London Transport Museum.

So here are the most family-friendly museums in London in no particular order.

Science Museum

The Science Museum is located in South Kensington in West London and conveniently is right next to the Natural History Museum.

The Science Museum is full of gadgetry big and small to capture the imagination of little scientists.

It’s fun and interactive and good for children of all ages – including toddlers who can get involved in some fun water play.

They also have an IMAX theatre for immersive 3D film experiences and like the Natural History Museum, they have sleepovers for a ‘Night in the Museum’ experience.

One of our favourite parts of the museum to visit with kids is the Wonderlab. I need to point out here that this part of the museum is not free to visit BUT but we thought it was well worth the price. There is so much for the kids to get involved with here. In fact, it is totally aimed at kids.

There are friction slides, instruments to experience the effect of sound waves on water and so much more.

So if you’re planning on visiting the Science Museum with kids, you won’t be disappointed.

If you’re looking for family-friendly accommodation nearby, we love the The Ampersand Hotel as it is just a 10-minute walk. It is not the cheapest of hotels so if you can’t justify a stay there, you might want to take a look at their child-friendly afternoon teas for a treat instead.

They have a science themed one (to go with your visit to the Science Museum) or a Jurassic themed one (to go with your visit to the Natural History Museum – see below!)

The Science Museum is free to visit but you do need to book free tickets. Museum is open seven days a week.

Natural History Museum

Like I mentioned above, the Natural History Museum is located right next to the Science Museum in South Kensington in West London.

We started going to the Natural History Museum when the kids were little and were massively into dinosaurs. Actually they still are, but this is where it all started for us.

Back when the kids were little, Dippy the Diplodocus greeted us at the entrance of the Natural History Museum.

A few years ago Dippy went on tour and was replaced with a skeleton of a Blue Whale which is suspended from the ceiling in Hintze Hall. Impressive but it’s no Dippy! Luckily they still have a very impressive dinosaur exhibit with a giant animatronic T-Rex. See here for guided family tours of the dinosaurs.

Your kids might also love to have their photo taken with Andy’s Clock from Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures on CBeebies.

You might also like to take a look at these great places to see dinosaurs in the UK which includes dinosaur parks, museums and even where you can see dinosaur footprints for real.

It isn’t just about dinosaurs of course. Always check out their temporary exhibits at the time of your visit. We love the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

The Natural History Museum is one of the most visited museums in the world and really has to be on your list of museums in London to visit with kids.

The Natural History Museum is free to visit  but you do need to buy your free ticket. It is open seven days a week.

British Museum

The British Museum in London may not seem like it would top a list of free family adventures in London but it is an excellent museum in London for families. In fact, it is one of the most visited attractions in London and one of the best children’s museums in London.

And as we are discovering over the years, it is a great place to re-visit depending on what your kids are studying in history at the time.

We have learned so much from visiting the Egyptian, Roman and Anglo Saxon sections.

You don’t have to be into history to enjoy a visit to the British Museum. Come and just sit in the cafe and marvel at the architecture. The entrance hall (the Great Court) is worth a visit in its own right.

Once past the entrance hall, there is so much going on in this London museum for families. See here for family-friendly things to do in the British Museum.

At the weekend you can head to the families desk where you can pick up an activity backpack or a museum explorer trail booklet. These booklets cover the main areas of the museum (Egyptians, Romans etc) and set kids various challenges to complete during the visit.

The British Museum is free to visit.

Young V&A

The Young V&A is the result of a rebranding of the Museum of Childhood.

The aim of the museum is to bring the concept of design to kids aged 0 – 14, to inspire young creators and innovators.

It tells a story of how design can change the world and encourages families to come and imagine, play and design.

The Young V&A is free to visit and you don’t need to book. It is open seven days a week.

Horniman Museum and Gardens

Many of the best museums in London for kids are located in central London and often are extremely busy, particularly in school holidays.

The Horniman Museum and Gardens is a little way out of the centre of London and off the main tourist trail so it doesn’t get as busy.

Don’t be put off by its location as you can reach it in 15 minutes by overground train from London Bridge to Forest Hill.

Their gardens are really beautiful and they also have a fabulous collection of natural history exhibits (although this is closed until 2026 for refurbishments).

One of the highlights for kids will be the butterfly house and the aquarium. Entrance to the museum and gardens is free but there is a charge to visit the aquarium and butterfly house and other exhibits.

The Horniman Museum is free to visit.

The Postal Museum

Learning about the history of Britain’s postal system may not sound that interesting but learning about it whilst riding an underground train should do the trick!

If you take a ride on Mail Rail at the Postal Museum, you will discover all about Britain’s postal history.

There is also Sorted! Postal Play Space which is an area for children under 8 where they can get involved in Royal Mail role play (fee applies). For under 5’s there is another play area which is available during term time.

Find out what is going on for families at the Postal Museum here. There are often extra activities for kids at weekends and during school holidays.

Although there is a fee to visit the Postal Museum, your ticket gives you unlimited entry for a year following your first visit.

It is closed on Mondays.

The Postal Museum is not free to visit but you can buy your tickets here.

National Maritime Museum

The National Maritime Museum is part of the Royal Museums Greenwich (which includes the Cutty Sark, the Queen’s House and the Royal Observatory).

We would say this is one of the best museums in London for toddlers. There are family trails, playgrounds and Play Tuesdays for under 5’s.

There is also a Children’s Gallery for under-7’s with lots of interactive play. The Children’s Gallery (AHOY!) is free during the week but £3 at weekends and during school holidays.

Note however, that AHOY! and the Great Map will be closed due to essential maintenance until summer 2025.

There’s more going on for older kids during the school holidays. You can keep up to date with their events here.

Our kids at the National Maritime Museum had so much fun.

While you’re here, head up to the Royal Observatory for some incredible views of London. Or if you’re visiting at Christmas, there is a great ice skating rink at the neighbouring Queen’s House. See also Christmas activities for kids in London.

The National Maritime Museum is free to visit.

The London Museum

We have a placeholder here for the London Museum. It is currently closed and undergoing extensive rennovations. It will re-open in 2026 in Smithfield.

We’re sure it will be similar to the previous Museum of London which was dedicated to telling the story of the City of London going as far back as 450,000 BC.

There were sections on Roman London, Medieval London, Victorian London with a recreated Victorian street and present day London.

Meanwhile you can visit its sister museum, the Museum of London Docklands (see below).

London Museum Docklands

The London Museum Docklands is located in the Docklands area of London (West India Quay to be precise).

It presents 400 years of Docklands history in fun yet informative ways.

They often have interesting events such as a mudlarking weekend where they show off items found on the shores of the River Thames over the years. There’s also a Great Fire of London family walk.

The Mudlarks family gallery is aimed at under 8s and there is a charge of £3 for kids to attend. You can see what there is for families here.

Older kids should find the section on trade expansion and the slave trade interesting.

The London Museum Docklands is free to visit.

RAF Museum

The RAF Museum, based in Hendon in North London, is a great place to take the grandparents.

It explores the first 100 years of the RAF with close to 100 planes on display in 6 enormous hangars. They even have a huge Lancaster Bomber, one of the largest planes ever made.

There are interactive displays too and a number of play areas for the kids including an outdoor playground.

On a different subject, did you know that the Harry Potter Studios are close by? You can grab your WB Studio Tour tickets here (they must be booked well in advance).

If you are a fan of Harry Potter, don’t miss this article on all the best Harry Potter experiences in the UK.

The RAF Museum is free to visit but you need to booked a timed entry ticket.

London Transport Museum

At the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden you can learn all about the history of London and its transport system and how it has evolved over the last 200 years.

You can also book hidden London tours of disused underground stations and wartime shelters.

It’s not all about the past though. You can also find out about the future of travel in London.

Special events run during the school holidays for families. You can check their schedule here.

Kids will love being trained as a Tube driver in the Future Engineer’s simulator. And if you didn’t get a chance to take a ride on the old style Routemaster bus (Routemaster Heritage Route 15 runs from Tower Hill to Trafalgar Square), here’s the place to see one.

You can buy your entry ticket to the London Transport Museum here. Your ticket is essentially an annual pass. Kids go free but you do need to book a time slot for them.

Other museums in London for kids

Tower of London

Although the Tower of London is a Royal Palace and not actually a museum, you will find lots of historical artifacts at the Tower of London.

To make the most of your visit, hop on a free Yeoman’s Tour at the beginning – or make a beeline first to the Crown Jewels and then take the tour.

It’s also one of the best places to visit at Halloween in London with kids.

You can book your skip the line tickets here.

Grant Museum of Zoology

If you miss out on tickets to the Natural History Museum, you could always pay a visit to the Grant Museum of Zoology at the University of Central London to see their impressive collection of natural history specimens.

The Imperial War Museum

The Imperial War Museum is the world’s leading museum on war and conflict and a way to see war through the eyes of Londoners who lived through it.

Their impressive collection of artefacts and stories from the First World War to present day enables you to get a great insight into people’s lives during these times.

There are adventure trails during the school holidays.

HMS Belfast

HMS Belfast is London’s Warship that has been on the River Thames for 50 years. There are 9 decks to explore and for families there are free trail guides and hands on activities.

See here for what there is to do for families.

We hope you enjoy these London museums for kids as much as we do. Let us know in the comments if you have any more suggestions!