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).

I do seriously love this place, and even though some of the exhibits are looking a bit tired,…read morethere's still a lot there, and new things coming in. There is a lot crammed in here, which, although it means the information on each subject is a bit watered down and lower quality than a specific museum, it's great for sparking the interest of kids and finding out what they love and keeping attention with varying material, the human body, forensics, machinery, industry, recycling, building, space, robots, computers, medicine, even a lighthouse bulb, it's got a lot going for it. The science garden is great, but filled with pushy children and parents who've given up caring after a full couple of hours inside, the planetarium was excellent. Our favourite bits were the planetarium and the beating heart that beats to your pulse, and the vehicles. Obscurely a lot of it seems to high up for kids, but there are loads of activities for them to get stuck into.

ThinkTank is a slightly sprawling science museum spread over 3 (and a half) floors. It can be…read morepricey for a family visit, but there's a lot to do and there are often good offers available. I'd recommend turning up early as on arrival you are given a timetable of talks, events and planetarium showings. You get a wristband on entry so you can go in and out as you please. (I recommend coffee from 6/8 Kafe, next door, or a well priced pub lunch at the Woodman, opposite Millennium Point.) The ground floor showcases huge bits of machinery, including car-manufacturing robots, traction engines, a lovely tram and.. A Spitfire, a Hurricane and the 1939 City of Birmingham Locomotive. A huuuge steam engine, one of the most powerful ever used. The main theme being Birmingham made, so it's a great Brummy experience. Just a shame you can go on any of them to explore. (Especially the Spitfire ;)) Other floors have sections on the human body (with videos of the digestive system.. Best not viewed near lunch), forensic crime scene investigations, how recycling works etc. There's a good little area called Kids City which has a doctor/dentist surgery, a cafe, a garden shed, and a big water play area (with aprons). It's really good for little ones. Upstairs is the space section, with a great 360 degrees planetarium which has a range of shows for different age ranges. The science garden wasn't open when we went, but in spring and summer it's another sciencey play area for kids. And grown ups.

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

Yes yes yes! Drive…read moreup, or walk from picturesque iron bridge, and pay in (with a gorge passport to get more bang for your buck if you fancy the other nearby museums or visiting more than once) and enter up the spiral staircase, through the dark industry introductions, and into the sun at the edge of the little town. You may be tempted by the little cafe on the left as you enter, but personally, I would ignore this and head to the bank. You can change new money for old, with a little helping guide sheet about how much your halfpennies and farthings are worth, and into the museum. The shed opposite often contains activities, candle dipping, or plays, and victorian carolling near christmas. You can find a post office (with a museum upstairs), an outfitters, sweetshop, woodturners, fish and chip shop, butchers, blacksmiths, school, candlemakers, printers, tinsmiths, photographers (unfortunately with a digital camera rather than silver baths, but still), green grocers, bakers, squatters cottage, doctors, dentists, church (where you can actually get married) and those are just the staffed buildings, where you can often find demonstrations or people in the know, with plenty of others too. You can buy products, with your victorian money of course, and it doesn't feel like they're just trying to make money off you, there's efforts with everything to make them look genuine, and a lot of things made by the staff themselves too, which is far more impressive than buying it in. There are sing-a-longs in the pub (yes, a proper pub, with beer and everything) every day, and so much tasty food where you don't have to go through the cafes for if you don't want to. Its a bit hilly to get down the the shipyard, the incline and the funfair, which is complete with a coconut shy and carousel among other treats and games, but if you don't fancy that there's always the horse bus. It's a good look into life, engineering and culture, along with all the little historical professions. It's excellent education for kids, but it's lovely for grownups too, extra entertained by some of the slightly cheeky old advertising. And if all of that isn't good enough, I took a die hard northerner last week, and he said it's better than beamish!!! Suck on that!

Step back into the early 19th century when people lived much harder daily lives. Start by stopping…read moreby Loyds bank to make sure you have a few shillings to spend on the goods you may need. Once you've collected your farthings and shillings, head on over to the general grocer or the pharmacy if you need a tonic or remedy for an ailment. Certainly pop on into the local pub for a meat pie and libations if you find your self famished. This place was so unique and everything I hoped it would be! Be sure to get here early because it takes a whole day to see everything.

Haughmond Abbey is a pleasant afternoon out in the shropshire countryside. The Abbey and grounds,…read morewhen approached from the road, look relatively small and there does not appear that there will be much to be seen, however first looks are very deceptive. As you enter on your left is a very small but very informative museum. Not many artifacts have been found from around the site but what have, have been well displayed and are suitably detailed on easy to read display boards. The Abbey itself is very impressive (or certainly would have been). There are display boards around the site to detail each aspect of the abbey as you enter into it. The grounds just seem to keep going where many rooms, unable to be seen from the raod, lie behind the remaining imposing structure. In some places the display boards have been replaced by simple signs telling the visitor where they are in the Abbey. This part of the visit could be improved by placing similar visual dispaly boards with artist impressions in more areas around the site. The history of the site unfolds as you walk around and it is easy to understand how the monks who lived in the Abbey led a relatively comfortable lifestyle compared to the country folk around it. Towards the end of the site is a display board detailing the true scale of the Abbey and how recent digs have unearthed a surrounding wall and large gatehouse which would have been the main entrance. It is a shame that this display is not incorporated into the museum to allow you to appreciate the grandeur at the start of the visit as opposed to trying to appreciate it at the end. The site has a small but well equipped visitor shop with protaloo toilets at one side of the site. Better toilets and display boards would make this a five star English Heritage visit.

Haughmond Abbey is located 3 miles NE of Shrewsbury off B5062. Another fantastic day out…read more It has a lovely picnic area and also able to get get light refreshments. On a lovely day its definatley a good picnic site.

Definitely one of the must visit air museums in the UK!…read more I've been to duxford a couple times over the years (also a must visit of course), and in my recent trip to the UK wanted to go somewhere else, so I picked RAF Cosford. Was not sure what to expect but the main hanger there definitely makes an impression on you as you pull up! Inside you will find a great collection of aircraft from WW1, WW2, to the cold war, to the near present (an early eurofighter prototype for example). Some aircraft you might not really see anywhere else as they are either one of a few left or teh ONLY one left in existence! Either way I had a great time walking all around the collection (all housed indoors thankfully). Honestly my only complaint was I felt like the last hanger was a disappointment compared to the others. Especially the main cold-war hanger, but in a way it's a good thing they have room from improvement, as well as room to hopefully expand the collection too, gives me hope there will be a reason to come back on one of my future UK trips.

Great museum to see lots of aircraft primarily stored inside out of the elements, with a few…read moreoutside on display. Absolutely loved the rare Japanese aircraft, experimental odd ones like the Bristol 188 and the Gloster Meteor Prone. Each of the planes have placards with plenty information about the history of that plane that is on display. They are the only place where you can find all of the V-Series bombers all intact, but unfortunately the Cold War hall is so crammed full of planes, that you truly cannot appreciate or completely see all of the planes. The museum overall is free, there is a fee to park which you supposedly can pay in advance online (it did not work for me), or you can pay inside because none of the machines in the parking lot work. There is also a cafe to get something to eat, located immediately to the left when you walk into the entrance.

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.

Shrewsbury Visitor Information Centre is based at the Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery which is…read morelocated at Rowley's House in Barker Street. So whether you're planning a trip, or already here, and you are tempted to find out more about Shrewsbury and Shropshire you could do no better than to have a chat with the helpful people at the Visitor Information Centre after all they're the people in the know, you know. Leaflets & guides pertaining to Accommodation What to do & See Where to Eat Guided Tours in addition to Maps, books & Souvenirs The Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery demonstrates the early & Roman history of town and is also open to the public with free admission. (Well worth a peek.)

Inexpensive to get in, and although Roman isn't my favourite era, this is a darn decent place- it's…read moregood for both adults and kids. A lot of the ruins are above ground, the bath houses, and the basilica walls. There are "historically accurate" replicas, and they hold some pretty big reenactments to go and watch. It's certainly worth a visit in my opinion, and has a tea room and your standard bits and bobs on site.

We have been meaning to visit this place for years and eventually took the plunge after seeing the…read more"Rome Wasnt Built In A Day" TV show. The villa from the TV show is still there with audio aids to tell you all about it. Cross the road (ancient Wattling Street) and go to the Roman Town Ruins (Wroxeter used to be the 4th biggest settlement in Roman England). The place is quite well preserved considering its age and has lots of great visual aids to help you to understand the ancient layout of the bath house and city. The museum is quite small but really well laid out and informative. The attached shop has all the EH accompaniments. About £13 for a family of 4 and free for English Heritage members, well worth a visit.