family aimed museum, brillaint for the kids and it was free !…read morenice park for the kids to play in.

Great place to visit very interesting and educational here's some photos what I've takenread more

Magna is located in an old steel plant just off the M1 in Rotherham. It is clearly signposted and…read moreeasily found. It is a hands-on interactive science learning centre, primarily aimed at children, although adults can learn things as well. There is no heating in the building, so be prepared to wear your coat all day if it's cold. It is also quite dark in places, which creates an eerie feeling, like walking through an abandoned building. Inside there are four main areas, or pavilions, which are based on the four elements (Fire, Air, Earth and Water) and an exhibition area. There are also two fun/playareas outside: Sci-Tek an adventure playground) and Aqua-Tek (a very wet play area). The first thing we encountered was an exhibition on colour, what it is and how it effects our lives. This is a good exhibit, and if you don't know the difference between addictive and subtractive colour mixing, then this will teach you! You walk past the restaurant, and enter the main part of the building. Each of the pavilions is on a different level and there are stairs and lifts for access. We headed of towards Fire first. To get there you have to walk along a long gantry which runs alongside one of the old furnaces. It is very dark here with very little natural light. Every hour there is a display of how the furnace worked using lights and pyrotechnics which lasts about 10-15mins and is very good. In the Fire pavilion you can find out about fire and heat. The displays range from heating up a piece of wire with electricity, to how heat is used in making steel and there is an impressive fire-tornando in the centre of the room. Our next stop was up in an air-ship which was the Air pavilion. Here we found out how a dyson vacuum cleaner works, all about sound and various other things. Two floors down is the Water pavilion. Again this is hands on, so expect to get a bit wet. You can learn all about whirlpools, water flow and play with an industrial water soaker. Good fun for little ones! Down underground is the Earth pavilion. This is all about rocks and other natural resources. You can pretended to excavate rocks, carry them in a wheel barrow and watch how they move around a convey-belt system like a real quarry. It's even possible to lift yorself of the ground by pulling on a rope. There are three eating areas in the building: a restaurant which provides hot meals and sandwiches, a cafe (which we didn't sample) and a large area for eating picnics. This is also a reasonable gift shop which sells science related products and toys. This is a good example of a hands-on science museum that teaches children all about science without them realising. However, you'll probably find they want to spend all they're time outside playing in the play areas - probably the Aqua-Tek one. It is a good idea to bring either a swimming costume or a spare set of clothes for them as they will be absolutely soaked. Should you find you have finsihed here and there is still some time left in you day, then just 5mins away is Meadowhall Shopping Centre.

I would love to give Magna a 5 star review - in fact I would have done after my first visit. The…read moreproblem is that nothing has happened to it for some time and its is slowly falling into decline. Every time I go I see the place getting dirtier and dirtier, and if something is broken in one of the exhibition areas it isn't fixed next time I go. I suspect this is down to local funding being absent. It's a real shame as it's a fascinating place and my children absolutely love it, but even they remarked at how broken stuff hadn't been fixed since the last time. Despite all that the concept is a very good one and I still tend to go there about once a year. The fire tornado is still great but a lot of the other stuff in that section is run down and doesn't work properly. The air section features some fun bits such as a steam whirlwind, and the water section is still amusing (but take care as your children are likely to end up getting very wet here!). If some money could be spent here on maintaining the place it would be fantastic, but as it is I can't see it holding the attraction it used to for my family. One thing that is worth mentioning is the brilliant childrens' playground outside (there is a dry and a wet section!) - this is absolutely enormous and it's hard prising your children off it when it's time to go home!

Eureka is the absolutely fabulous children's museum located in spitting distance (sorry vulgar I…read moreknow) of Halifax Railway Station. You can see it as you're pulling up. This museum is made for the benefit of children, and they seem to love it. It's brilliant, brightly coloured and interesting, oversized objects and displays, interactive stuff, so kids are actually encouraged to touch things and mess around with them without the peril of hearing their full name, and every other name being bellowed at them in rebuke. All this and it's educational. Kids love it when you take them here, just don't tell them it's a museum and you're golden, they think it's fun poking at stuff and colouring things in and understanding how stuff works, and the fact that they're learning relevant things and information, and they're enjoying that fact is awesome, which is why it's such a big hit with school groups. Discovering everything from the human body, to space, to being a young person in a green green world, to surviving in the desert, it's brilliant and the galleries are brightly coloured, informative and inviting without being scary. Eureka is wheelchair accessible too, which is a plus, and should the little blighters require bread and water, there's a cafe and a picnic area to eat a pack up or to buy food, which is alright, it's not briliant grub, but it'll fill a void, and then there's a playground area outside, which in fine weather is fab. The only thing I do take issue with is the price. and whilst I don't find it too hideous for adults to pay £8.95 for entry, charging kids from 3 plus the same price is a bit steep. They do offer a family ticket which admits 5 people for £38, but still, it works out expensive for a day out, and that's without paying for parking. Stinger. You can see now why lots of schools take advantage of the school rates for kids, but can you really put a price on education? Yes. But wait and hang fire a moment, with purchase of a ticket, you can go back to Eureka as many times as you want throughout the year free of charge, as long as you keep your ticket.

Lovely attraction for the family for great day out, fun friendly and plenty of activities.read more

While we were visiting a couple of friends in Yorkshire, this was one of the highlights of our…read morevisit! I have a not entirely normal love of rocks, but I'm not a huge fan of heavy machinery, and I really enjoyed the museum. The underground tour is a must, with the colorful guide (typically a former miner) regaling us with the interesting stories and background of the workings of this mine. (Yes, as an American, it was nearly impossible to comprehend anything through the accent! :-) ) Be sure to wear flat, closed toe shoes and bring a light jumper, as it's dark and somewhat cold deep in the mine. Everyone gets a torch (weighing about 2 kg) to wear. The exhibit about the lives of the miners (in and out of the mine) was fascinating with first-hand stories and artifacts on display. The exhibit about the women and children who used to work the mine was eye-opening. The coal interface exhibit (discussing how the coal is mined) was also worthwhile, but, as a wannabe geologist, I wished for more information about the geological science behind the discovery and mining of the coal. The children would like the pit ponies (which we didn't get a chance to see). There's a nature trail surrounding the mine which we didn't have time to walk. Big rocks, big machinery - what else do you need?

A well organized operation and museum experience. Ian was a knowledgeable miner and excellent tour…read moreguide. Great history displayed in a former mine. Sad to learn some of the awful working conditions and exploitation of family labor and animals through the years.

We went to a Thomas event last weekend. I wouldn't recommend this in the cold as they have a bouncy…read morecastle which our daughter didn't want to get off so myself, hubby and the baby were stood freezing while she had a little bounce lol. The train ride was cold too but we all still enjoyed it, we didn;t get off at the other end though we stayed on to go back to the cafe for hot chocolate. The machine had run out so we ended up with warm milk. The staff were great and sorted the machine and gave us fresh cups. I was surprised they only charged a pound for it too because so many places now charge £3 for the same thing. We didn't try the food but it didn't smell or look very nice. They do have a lovely picnic area with a play park next to it so I would take a picnic if the weather is fine. It cost £8.50 for adults and £7.50 for over 2's. It was worth it because the children got a card each that let them do 6 other activities for free such as ride the miniture railway round the pond, get a free balloon, make badges and ride on Thomas himself (there were other things I just can't remember them off the top of my head right now).

This is a little steam railway near Huddersfield, which takes you on a 40-minute return journey…read morethrough the countryside. i have only been on 'Thomas the Tank Engine' special events, which have always been very well organised. You get a steam ride on one of the famous engines from Sodor, take part in the activities at the other side, then ride back for further activities (e.g. face painting, further train rides, balloons, etc.) The downside is the food in the cafe, which isn't great, but there are Thomas activities in the cafe, to keep the kids entertained.

Lots to do for the children. It's only a small building, but there's plenty to do for a couple of…read morehours & they have regular activities & sessions for children in the holidays.

I think it's great that Wakefield has a museum, as there is so much history in the area. It is…read moresmall, but it has a good exhibit on Sandal castle, which helped me a lot with my history GCSE project! For a small museum, there is quite a lot there, and the downstairs exhibits change quite regularly. It is on two levels but there's a lift, and it's very child-friendly. It's free too, although I think donations are accepted and should be considered to keep this worthwhile museum running.Worth a look just to find out about some local history. I would recommend allowing about two hours for a visit.

Fabulous place to spend an afternoon for a walk or cycle…read more Lots of flowers and plants and a national trust house.

Lyme Hall is placed within the huge Lyme Park, just outside Disley and just falls within the…read moreboundaries of Greater Manchester and in fact has a direct train line to Piccadilly Station. I'm reviewing the hall separately from the gardens as their simply too much to see on one visit. Once you've parked up in the gardens you'll soon find a fairly steep incline towards the house itself (up some rather large steps set in the grass). The house is perched up atop a hill and the views are incredible. A short distance away from the house lies the 'cage' and old hunting tower recently restored - it's said on a good day not only can you see the city of Manchester but also Liverpool Cathedral. Although a gorgeous day on our last visit we couldn't quite see that far. However, Manchester was clear to see - the 47 storey Beetham tower helping in that respect. I was quite odd looking at the city from this highpoint: it was almost as if the entire population had left the city so quiet and eery was the experience (you can barely hear a thing on top of the hill near said cage). Back to the houseyou enter via a lovely courtyard - this is predominantly Elizabethan although a few hundred years after it's conception is was redesigned by an Italian architect to resemble a so called 'Palazzo' (Palace). Over the years the rooms of the house were redesigned. For me this is one of the most complete houses I've seen at a National Trust property. I have a particular aversion to Victorian interiors (I really don't like the look of those ghastly Victorian dolls!) so thankfully many of the rooms hark back to an earlier age. I was quite taken with the leisure room, it's wooden carvings are surreal. There is also a kind of living room which contains greek marble sculptures (saved from destruction as walk on gravestones in Greece) which adorn the wall, with ceilings go intricate they almost bring a tear to the old 'mince pie'. I sometimes find the NT ladies and gentlemen who 'guard' the rooms a little cold and despotic, but in Lyme Hall they are the most welcoming and informative folk you could ever wish to meet despite their upper class mouth movements. I spent at least thirty minutes chatting to one lady about the meaning of such ornate bedrooms! It was simply too much to see in one day so it's a case of going back time and time again, but with the park below and some creative picnicking you've got yourself a fine Sunday out.

This area is beautiful. We walked around the area and there's just so much to see. Even the free…read morearea is iconic. The little river that runs behind the temple is so pretty. It's worth going in the actual grounds- such an experience me and my family will never forget. I got postcards and read about each room on the grounds. Very nice staff work there in the gift shop a well.

Had a nice family day out and we decided we would go here…read more We went up to Leeds and then had to catch the Bus 19 which took us up between Temple Newsam house and the golf grounds, we then had to walk about 10 minutes to get to the actual place. Walking up to it you're surrounded by green and then there are a load of tree's that seperate so you can walk through them towards the house and grounds, it was like something out of a postcard. When we actually got to the grounds we were stumped on where to go first! Do we go into Temple Newsam House OR do we head towards their little farm OR do we wonder around their 1500 acres of woodlands, fields etc!? Spoilt for choice We started off with the house itself. Prices for a family tickets (2 adults & up to 3 children) are: Temple Newsam House: £9.50 Home Farm: £8.70 Joint Ticket: £15.50 The house is magnificent! You are asked not to take photo's. This is because of the flash as the light and heat can damage pictures etc, it can cause a chemical reaction. I did take a few pictures, but made sure my flash was OFF as not to damage anything. You have a choice of walking around the house reading bits and bobs, or you can use these handheld blocks where you punch in the number per room and a recording will guide you through the room and explain. There are also children's versions of this. We all got confused by it so we opted out lol. Had a little laugh as there is a picture of a man near the picture gallery and he was a spitting image of my father - didn't take a photo of this. Despite it being so big and perhaps a bit dull for children, our children loved it and were full of questions that we tried to answer. They were excited about going into different rooms and their favourite room was the 'nannys room' where they had modern toys for children to play with. We then headed towards the farm. I will be honest with you, I didn't like the farm as much as I would have normally - perhaps it was because of the weather? I would have liked it to have been a farm where we could feed the animals too because places such as the barns with cows, they only had 1 large bucket of this protien stuff which meant that only the biggest cows had managed to get to it (would YOU try and squeeze inbetween 2 fully grown cows!?) and so the younger smaller ones had no chance - perhaps later in the day they would?? :( . One was even eating the straw on the ground which was covered in 'you know what', so I didn't like that bit. The highlight of the farm was that we saw piglets being born! That was amazing! The grounds are huge! As I've already said, all of this is within 1500 acres of land and they have woodlands you can explore which we didn't have time to get to, so it's deffinately an all day trip or perhaps even 2 days. I would go again, although I wouldn't pay for the farm again.