This is one of the best museums I've seen. There is so much there to see, so much history as well…read moreas modern art.There are areas to keep kids occupied where they can do various activities. Many of the displays in the Pump Rooms are interactive and there is a lot of visual and textual information. I would say that this kind of place would appeal to all sorts of different people, whether you like to interact or whether you prefer to just look at things, there is something there which will be of interest.My 6 year old particularly enjoyed the listening posts as well as the kid's area..The other thing which is good is that there is so much in one building. Art gallery, museum, library. There is also a small cafe and tourist information centre in the same building. The cafe is not too bad. I think it's a little over-priced, often crowded and doesn't offer a particularly wide choice.It's also free to get in which is always good!The one thing which disappointed me was that, when I looked for souvenirs in the tourist information centre, they were very over-priced and the prices weren't clearly displayed which meant that I had to tell my son he couldn't have something which I'd said he could have because it was a lot more expensive than we thought it was.Apart from that, though, the rest of the place is nice. Just don't buy anything from the tourist information centre!

The Art Gallery and Museum of Leamington Spa has numerous roles to take on.It explains the history…read moreof the Pump rooms and baths and explains why and how the victorians used them. However it is not just living in the past. With an extensive permanent art collection including a Lowry the gallery is a must for art lovers. There is also a temporary art collection with different shows on lasting for about three months. One of the most popular of these was the Open which allowed members of the public to submit their work in a competition witht he best best being displayed. Not only does the pump room cater to art lovers but it has lots of craft workshops for young children and adults and an interactive gallery for children to play in.

What an amazing place! We happened to see this museum as we…read morewere walking by and were intrigued by their moving signage. Inside there are plenty of machines that whir and perform small tasks or even make music. Lots of interactive things to see and do, buttons to push, pedals to press, even a magnetic marble track you can build yourself! It's a treat for young and old and definitely worth the small entry fee.

The opening hours are stated for October to March. Opening hours from April to September are a…read morelittle longer (10:30 to 18:30 daily). A friend recommended this place to me thinking that my boys would like it. My friend was right! We did all enjoy the interactive displays. The extent of the interactivity is mainly pressing a button though but it's still good. There is an interesting range of mechanical art and my boys and I were fascinated by the mechanisms. It is quite a small place. It cost £19 for the four of us (2 adults and 2 children) which isn't too bad but, considering we spent less than an hour in there and saw everything, it does seem a little expensive. There are two floors. One very small room on each floor displaying different pieces of art. It can get rather crowded due to the small size, especially downstairs where the entrance/exit is the same. In the same small area, there is a counter where there is a single member of staff who both admits people and serves the gift shop. The gift shop is basically a small portion of the wall within the ground floor of the museum. Many items are over-priced and the selection is very limited. We did enjoy ourselves there and would recommend it but it could get claustrophobic and the upstairs can be noisy (although it does state this on the signage).

Now that I live (temporarily) in Leamington, it was definitely worth a look at the Royal Pump…read moreRooms. The Pump Rooms use to house the water therapy bathing facilities for people. But now that the bathing facilities are gone, the Warwick District Council converted it into a different areas: an Art Gallery and Museum, Library, Visitor Centre, Cafe and Assembly rooms. For simplicity sake, I will talk about each area separately. **Art Gallery and Museum** Admission is free. The Art Gallery is located on one level and the Museum is on two levels. I didn't expect too much from the Museum but I did like reading about the history of Leamington and town's birth. The Leamington artifacts, and the old pump rooms paraphernalia is worth a look. Lots of hands on activities for children, too. **Library** The library is quaint and holds quite the book selection. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, and I was able to get a library card quickly without issue. Please be aware that you do have to show proof of address before getting a library card. I also like that their electronic checkout machines! Wow, super easy to use! BBC Coventry and Warwickshire Radio are also located inside, right near the entrance. They make it easy to get books on loan from other libraries on line, or asking the librarians. **Visitor Centre** Pretty much as its name implies there are loads of pamphlets of the surrounding areas, along with some cute gifts. I grabbed some "To Do" booklets about Cambridge, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and the Cotswold's from here. I also seriously considering buying a few British things to send back to the family in California. **Cafe and Assembly Rooms** The Cafe is open everyday, but with shorter hours on Sunday. It's directly across the Visitor Centre and Library you can't miss it. I've tried their organic green tea and Mediterranean pannini which is quite nice, all for under £8. I wasn't too impressed with their coffee, but I'm a bit of a coffee snob. There is also a menu board with their specials and typical British cuisine like Yorkshire pudding and cakes. The large assembly room holds local events, one that we got to visit was an amazing wine tasting! Aside from food in the cafe, everything is free to explore. Check it out!

Originally, I thought that the Royal Pump Rooms probably concentrated on the spa that gives…read moreLeamington its name, but it seems I was mistaken. This is, in fact, an art gallery, tourist information centre, cafe and library. I haven't been in the art gallery (though it is free and they do a guided talk on a Friday), but the library is very good. It is open long hours, including Sundays, and the staff are very helpful and friendly. The selection of books is good, and they can get other titles from other libraries if you can't find what you are looking for. They also have a large number of computers that you can use to access the internet. Once a month they run a 'bounce and rhyme' session for babies and toddlers, which is very successful and enjoyable.

I have to admit, I haven't read all of Shakespeare's works, but I've read enough in high school to…read moreknow who he is and appreciate his relevancy. Not to mention all the movie adaptations over the years. When coming to England, this is one of the places that you should stop by. Stratford Upon Avon is a charming city. Heck, it's where William Shakespeare was born. Just walking around the streets is enough to know why people would come here. But let me get to why you should go to Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust. It's the house where he was born. After you pay your fare and make your way into the museum, you have to go through a small series of movie theaters. As you progress through each one you're given bits and pieces of facts and history about Shakespeare from early life and his impact on the world. This is particularly useful if there are big crowds waiting to get in. Once you're done with the movie presentations you go into the house. You see how things used to be during his time. With the "actors" in period dress, they explain to you the rooms you're in, stories about the house, his family, and idioms that originate from his time. Here's an interesting bit: I used to wonder why little boys looked like little girls in all these old paintings from the 1500's-1600s. When you come here you'll find out. Or where the expression "Good night, sleep tight" comes from. Once you're done, there are bookstores dedicated to him and lots of little cafes and shops to spend the rest of the day at. Oh yeah, you can even make your way to the church where he is entombed. OUT DAMNED SPOT!

Being a lover of Shakespeare since high school, this place represents a pilgrimage for me. I've…read morevisited twice. Maybe I'm just more cynical, but the restoration of the property and the "period-style" furniture and other household items put me off the second time. Maybe the house wouldn't be exhibitable otherwise, but I like to see real history rather than a historian's recreated best guess. At least they don't lie to you like other places. I can't discourage anyone from visiting though. I mean--this was actually Shakespeare's house! Quaint garden in the back.

Visited the museum while in Oxford for the day. Lots of history and neat exhibits to visit. We…read moresaw insects, fossils and tons of other things, almost too many to list. The day of our visit, there were a few schools visiting but everyone we encountered from the staff to the young preschool students were friendly and considerate. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Oxford.

A museum of natural history would generally be on my list of "museums I don't wish to visit" but…read morethe Oxford Museum of Natural History proved that I barely know myself. First, it's free of charge which automatically makes it attractive. But though free may get me in the door it won't guarantee I'll enjoy it. This museum isn't just free but it is also gorgeous and interesting, a real home run. And, in the event that Natural History isn't your jam even here, this place contains the portal to the almost indescribable Pitt Rivers Museum (also free). One of these is bound to be your happy place.

We had a great time exploring the Pitt Rivers Museum! There is SO much on display it's almost hard…read moreto take it all in. If you're an anthropology buff, this is your place. So many neat things to see and everything you can imagine, too many to list. From clothing to masks to weapons to toys all from different cultures and different times. We even saw a Totem Pole! Overall a fascinating place to visit, just wish we'd had more time to explore!

What you think of Oxford's Pitt Rivers Museum likely depends on how you like your museums. With…read moremore than 500,000 objects on display, Pitt Rivers is ripe for exploration. There's multi-level display cases everywhere, each seemingly containing more than the last. And don't get me started on the drawers; they're everywhere too, and when you pull them out you'll find hundreds more items in each. So if you like your museums with a few paintings on each wall this might not be your jam but you'll still probably be happy you went. You've likely never seen anything like this. A young woman in a shop mentioned, several days before my visit, that she particularly liked this museum and the way she described the entrance intrigued me. As it should: the entrance to this museum is found when you're already inside another museum (The Museum of Natural History; both are free of charge). Officially, the Pitt Rivers Museum displays both the archeological and anthropological collections of the University of Oxford. But unofficially, it's like entering someone's giant garage, very well organized but also packed to the rafters. One could spend months in here and only skim the surface.

I stumbled upon the Time Machine Museum recently on a short visit to the sleepy little village of…read moreBromyard and would like to recommend it as certainly somewhere a little different than the ordinary run-of-the-mill attractions, and the perfect place to entertain the kiddies for a couple of hours! The building itself is actually the Old Bakery and looks like a very quaint old-fashioned village grocery store-cum-tea shop, but step inside and you will not only find a stunning Elizabethan style coffee shop, but also THE TARDIS! Step inside the old Police Box and you will immediately find yourself transported back in time to a fantastic wonderland consisting literally thousands of rare & collectable antique toys, bears and dolls just to name a few. There are also dozens of famous film memorabilia including life size droids & characters of The Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Stingray, Star Wars & of course, Dr Who & the Daleks to delight the enthusiast! There is also a permanent puppet display - the ONLY one in the country, a Railway, and Dads Army memrobilia including a genuine, Millitaria Display. Also, not to forget to mention - Disney! All in all, there is something for everyone, hours of fun for both young & olda magical collection of both fantasy & nostalgia that will take your breath away - I was totally amazed!

I'm about as far from a Sci-fi fan as you can get but as my brother loves all that so a friend…read moresuggested I take him here...... It's a little hidden gem and brought back memories of all the Dr Who I hid behind the sofa during. It's worth just turning up for a chat with Andy the owner of this private & vast collection. No spoilers here but if you were born in the 60's its a great way to spend a couple of hours reliving childhood memories, one or two exhibits are unique gems for avid fans too. Would agree maybe not for kids and OK its £8 adult but something has to pay the bills! No cafe that I seen but Brew just up the road is lovely, Combine with a stroll around Bromyard & its a great and reasonable day out

Great collection of buses here and a collection of milk floats and other electric vehicles. There…read moreis an exhibition about bus services in the Midlands, which is well done. Interpretation in the bus halls is less good, with some displays awkwardly positioned and I spotted one description of the wrong bus. The cafe is very basic, a pity it does not do cakes and cream teas etc. However, we worth a visit an what is excellent here is that they have running days when buses offer rides that really demonstrate well what these venerable vehicles sound like and feel like to ride on.

We've all taken a bus ride in our time but how about a trip down memory lane with this excellent…read moremuseum. With buses from all eras you'll probably spot one that you used to catch often. There are all sorts of buses here which have been beautifully restored and maintain by the members. Many of the vehicles are still running, I have to admit I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to large vehicles, not quite a train spotter, but close! I defy anyone not to be impressed by the finest and largest collection of beautifully preserved buses this country has. If you are into trains as well then there's also a miniature steam railway too. This is a fabulous day out for the whole family, take grandma and pops, they'll love it. Admission is £3.00 for adults £1.50 for children.

How fortunate the world is to have had Frank Whittle. It's really wonderful that this museum…read moreexists to capture the historic significance of Frank's ingenuity and perseverance for the turbine jet engine. Through so many disappointments and financial turmoil. He continued to push his ideas. What a wonderful documentary the film inside too. For aviation enthusiasts, this is a must!! Thank you for preserving and holding all of this legacy !!!

This privately-owned aviation museum is a too-little known "hidden" gem in Coventry. Staffed mostly…read moreby volunteers, with access to many cockpits and absolutely stuffed to the brim with aircraft (including many rare marques), memorabilia, design drawings, components and information, it's not to be missed by aviation enthusiasts. Had a fantastic day out.

This was a wonderful private collection started in 1978 by a man moving fro South Africa…read more He had a real eye for collecting. Cars, bikes, motorcycles, toys, pic nic sets , side cars and signs. Overwhelming. Great two hours. Nominal fee

One of the highlights of our trip. Went way above expectations and then some. So well organized…read more Spotless. An amazing collection of cars, camper vans, motorcycles, toys and even a "car parts shop" that looked like it could have been real. Very impressed and would go back many times again.