Opened in 1683, the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology is the world’s first university museum and it is regarded as Britain’s finest museum outside London.
The Pitt Rivers Museum is a traditional Victorian-era museum that is home to the United Kingdom’s largest collection of archaeological and anthropological artefacts.
The Oxford University Museum of Natural History was founded in 1860 and features several significant exhibits including the Oxford Dodo and quite a few important fossils and dinosaur skeletons.
The excellent Thackray Museum of Medicine (formerly the Thackray Medical Museum) in Leeds has interesting displays focusing on the history of medicine. The museum is housed in the former Leeds Union Workhouse, which was built in 1858 and has been primarily a medical facility for the poor before becoming the East Leeds War Hospital during the First World War.
The excellent Royal Armouries Museum is Leeds' top attraction. The museum houses an unsurpassed collection of arms and armour and also features demonstrations that include jousting tournaments.
The Brontë family lived in this Georgian Parsonage in Haworth between 1820 and 1861. The Brontë sisters wrote many of their most famous novels here and the parsonage is where Charlotte Brontë wrote Jane Eyre and where Emily Brontë wrote Wuthering Heights.
The National Science and Media Museum, formerly the National Media Museum (and before that, the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television), is Bradford’s top attraction. It has seven floors of galleries with a focus on the history, culture and the underlying science of photography, film and television.
Bolling Hall is one of Bradford’s oldest buildings, with much of the current building dating from the 14th century. The manor house was originally the seat of the Bolling and then the Tempests, two important land-owning families in the days when Bradford was just a small town.
The Museum of Liverpool is set in a striking modern building at Pier Head. The museum tells the story of Liverpool’s history, people and culture and its exhibits include displays about the role of the Industrial Revolution and Liverpool’s role as a major port city serving the British Empire. There are also exhibits about cultural icons such as The Beatles and recent changes to the city’s urban environment and culture.
The Beatles Story is a popular attraction that has displays on various aspects of the Beatles including Liverpool in the 60s, the Abbey Road studios and their Hamburg era. Highlights include a replica of the Cavern Club, George Harrison’s first guitar, John Lennon’s original glasses and the Beatles’ jackets.
William Shakespeare’s Birthplace is the most visited of Stratford-upon-Avon’s Shakespeare-related attractions. It is the house where Shakespeare was born and raised and it contains an exhibition about the Bard’s life.
The Natural History Museum is a fine Gothic revival building that features a rich collection of exhibits from the animal and plant kingdoms, which include the huge dinosaurs that dominate the main exhibition halls, the impressive mammal balcony and the ecology gallery with its moonlit, replica rainforest.
The Museum of London has displays about the history and culture of London. The museum has the world’s largest urban history collection with artefacts that include the Lord Mayor’s state coach and an Art Deco lift from Selfridges.
The Science Museum presents the world of science with interactive exhibits and important artefacts dating from around 1700 to the present day. The collection includes exhibits that relate to the fields of medicine, technology and the Industrial Revolution.
Marks & Spencer was founded in Leeds in 1884 and the M&S Company Archive in the Michael Marks Building at the University of Leeds is home to the Marks in Time exhibition that charts the company’s history.
Leeds Discovery Centre is primarily a storage facility built to house artefacts for Leeds Museums & Galleries. The centre is open to the public with tours operating on Thursdays.
Abbey House Museum is a museum housed inside Kirkstall Abbey’s 12th-century gatehouse, which features local history exhibits including a series of recreated Victorian-era streets depicting life in Leeds during the late 19th century.
The Yorkshire County Cricket Club Official Museum at Headingley Stadium has exhibits about the history of Yorkshire cricket including displays about famous players and key moments in the history of Yorkshire cricket.
The Warwickshire Yeomanry Museum is a regimental museum in Warwick’s town centre that is focused on the history of the Warwickshire Yeomanry regiment from 1794 to 1956.
The Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum is an art gallery and museum housed inside Leamington Spa’s historic Royal Pump Rooms. It is home to a surprisingly good collection of contemporary art and the museum also has displays of local history and culture.
Free
Load more listings
Plan your next trip to England with us
Planning a trip to England? englandrover.com is your independent source of travel information with information about how to get around, what to see and do and where to stay on your next trip to England.
Planning a trip to England? englandrover.com is your independent source of travel information with information about how to get around, what to see and do and where to stay on your next trip to England.