Museums in North West

A family guide to North West

Hands-on museums and family-friendly collections for curious minds.

The North West's museums are well suited to children who like to touch, build and explore. Science & Industry Museum in Manchester has interactive, messy and silly science exhibits that suit curious toddlers, and the Imperial War Museum North offers hands-on activities, crafts and interactive exhibitions, with special provision for autistic visitors and those with sensory needs. The National Football Museum is packed with football history, vintage kits and famous trophies, and is a fun, creative space even if you don't know the offside rule. Vehicles are a big draw. Bury Transport Museum has vintage buses, lorries, steam engines and industrial vehicles, with crafts and dressing-up, while Fireground Museum is set up for little ones to explore at their own pace with no time limits, ideal for fire engine fans. East Lancashire Railway runs Thomas the Tank Engine and heritage trains with a museum alongside. In Liverpool, World Museum has free family visits with a Triceratops exhibit and an on-site cafe. Showtown tells Blackpool's history near Blackpool Tower, with free access for Blackpool residents. Norton Priory combines a museum with woodland, a walled garden and ruins. Port Sunlight Museum, Stockport Hat Museum and The Coronation Street Experience are also listed. Hands-on museums and family-friendly collections for curious minds.