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.

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).

Clean eating area nice food good service served quickly so no standing in long queues.read more

The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry was reopened following extensive reconstruction on…read more29th October 2008, as the city's main art gallery, museum, history and media centre. The museum was originally constructed from donations from Sir Alfred Herbert, who's machine tool works in Coventry was the largest in the world in the 1950s. The Herbert was first opened in 1962 but has been extensively rebuilt and added to since 2000. There are now now eight permanent galleries for its own collections together with a new history centre, housing archives documenting the life of the city though almost 800 years of its existence. There are also five temporary exhibition spaces and another five visitor galleries in which they show work across the arts and from some of the great museums and galleries in the country. Gallery 1 currently has an exhibition of photographs from the V&A, the while Gallery 4 contains an exhibition of the unusual work of Ana Maria Pacheco (see photos). Added to which, no less than three 'George Eliots' circle the galleries declaiming lines from her writings and bringing a touch of amusing realism to everyday Coventry. The Herbert must now be one of the finest city museums and art galleries in Britain - and as poppysmooch says, the cafe is excellent too!

Excellent history of manufacturing in Cov. Great bike & auto historical models…read more Enjoyable walk and a coffee after in the museum shoppe

It is a very interesting place to visit. Lots of things to…read moresee. Hope to be able to go in there again in the New Year.

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.

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.

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.

The owner of this shop/museum is one of THE most knowledgeable people on the planet when it comes…read moreto all things Sgt Bilko and Phil Silvers! You will see things at this museum that can never and will never be replicated anywhere. If you're a fan, this place should be on your life long bucket list! Coventry is very lucky to have this gem of a place in its' city. People come from all over the world to visit this one of a kind museum! Plus, it's located inside FarGo Village, where there's plenty to see and do and eat... so schedule a day of it! And be sure to sign his guest book on the way out. Your name will be along side celebrities and royalty. ;)

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.