Thursday 28 March 2013

Easter Holiday Fun – Outdoor Museums


Now that spring has arrived (nominally at least) and the school Easter holidays are about to start, many visitor attractions will be opening their doors following their winter closure. Even attractions that remained open during the winter months tend to increase their opening hours and available facilities once we get into spring.

With warmer, drier weather, it’s a great time to get the kids out and about and make good use of their energy. If you enjoy museums, but don’t want to be stuck indoors, then why not visit some of the outdoor museums around the country?

The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, West Sussex, (7 miles north of Chichester on A286, adults from £10.40, children from £5.70, family from £29.50 (higher charges if agreeing to Gift Aid). This is a great rural location, with plenty of space for the kids to run around (50 acres), with over 50 buildings that have been rescued from various locations around the South East and rebuilt for visitors to enjoy. We particularly loved the Tudor kitchen, where we literally got a taste of some interesting Tudor fayre and enjoyed having a picnic lunch overlooking the lake, which we supplemented with hot drinks and cake from the café. It makes a really great day out.

East Anglia Transport Museum, Lowestoft, (at Carlton Colville, 3 miles outside Lowestoft), adults £7.50, children £5.50, with tickets valid for 1 year if you consent to Gift Aid. What’s great about this little museum is not only do you get to see the exhibits, you get to ride on them too (included in admission price). It’s great fun riding the trams, trolleybuses and light railway, as well as wandering round the recreated street complete with shop fronts. This is a great place to take the grandparents too for a bit of nostalgia.

Other places to try:
Museum of Kent Life, Maidstone, Kent, combines historic buildings with farm animals and children’s’ play areas, also hosts a number of special events.
Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, County Durham, a recreation of a small rural town, with a selection of shops, farm, mine etc – lots to do!

There’ll be some more Easter Holiday outing ideas coming next week.

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