42 places on the list
Top 10: our best of the bunch
Ranked by our own favourites first, then by how families rate them on Google.
- 1
Wonderlab at the Science MuseumMuseums & galleries · Central · All ages£15-£30★ 4.6 - 2
Young V&A (Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood)Museums & galleries · East · All agesFree★ 4.4 - 3
Tate BritainMuseums & galleries · Central · All agesFree★ 4.7 - 4
Natural History MuseumMuseums & galleries · Central · All agesFree★ 4.6 - 5
Science MuseumMuseums & galleries · Central · All agesFree★ 4.6 - 6
National Maritime MuseumMuseums & galleries · East · All agesUnder £5★ 4.6 - 7
Horniman Museum and GardensMuseums & galleries · South · Under 13Free★ 4.6 - 8
Mudlarks at the London Museum, DocklandsMuseums & galleries · East · Under 13Under £5★ 4.6 - 9
Postal Museum & Mail RailMuseums & galleries · Central · All ages£5-£15★ 4.6 - 10
London Transport MuseumMuseums & galleries · Central · Under 13£5-£15★ 4.4
Everything on this list
Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery (And Mini Makers for tots)
Inside the Pitzhanger, the historic countryside retreat of architect Sir John Soane which is set within Walpole Park in Ealing, the main musem has contemporary art exhibitions, free digital family trails, hands-on building block stations, and access to Walpole Park's playground. On Fridays, under 5s will love the Mini Makers dedicated early years sessions, led by experienced artist practitioners, there's messy play, circus play and music and rhyme sessions. Pack a spare change of clothes - the messy play sessions mean business, and make a day of it with Walpole Park and its expansive green lawns, walled garden, and playground area.
See details
Wellcome Collection
A quirky museum exploring medicine, health and human life through bizarre historical objects, art and a wonderfully comfy Reading Room.
See details
The British Library (Family Trails)
Book-loving kids will enjoy an hour here among the world's most famous manuscripts, from the Magna Carta to Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks and Beatles lyrics, mostly in one ground-floor exhibition hall. There are free weekend family workshops too.
See details
Tate Modern
Housed in a dramatic former power station on the Thames, this is one of the world's biggest modern art museums - and free to get into for the permanent collection, with tickets only needed for the big temporary shows. Kids gravitate to the vast, cathedral-like Turbine Hall, which regularly hosts huge, playful art installations perfect for running around in. Pick up a free drawing kit or sound-based family trail from the family desk at weekends, or join the daily free guided tours if the little ones can sit still that long. UNIQLO Tate Play runs family-friendly art activities every weekend, and there's a Baby Care Room if you're travelling with very young children. Cross via the Millennium Bridge from St Paul's for the most dramatic approach.
See details
Dino Snores for Kids (Natural History Museum Sleepover)
The ultimate museum bucket-list experience for children. Once the museum doors close to the public, kids explore illuminated halls by torchlight, take part in hands-on science shows, and eat dinner before rolling out sleeping bags to sleep directly beneath Hope, the giant 25-meter blue whale skeleton in Hintze Hall. Includes breakfast and morning animal shows... But you'd want inclusions - tickets cost £80+.
See details
House of Dreamers
Step straight into a dreamscape at this massive immersive exhibition at ExCeL London. Packed with vibrant projection mapping, oversized sensory installations, giant ball pits and colourful themed rooms, it's a paradise for families who love exploring creative spaces and snapping vibrant photos together. Kids can dive, bounce and wander from one surreal room to the next, while grown-ups get their best family photos in years. It's all indoors, so it makes a great rainy-day plan.
See details
The National Gallery
The National Gallery is one of London's absolute heavyweights, housing over 2,300 Western European masterpieces from Van Gogh to Da Vinci. Taking children into a grand art institution can sound daunting, but the National is surprisingly brilliant for families, provided you go in with a strategy rather than trying to see all 60+ rooms. Start at the Roden Centre for Creative Learning, the dedicated family space inside the Gallery. It gives kids of all ages the chance to connect with world-class art through hands-on play, texture, light and sound, packed with artist-designed playboxes, interactive installations and sensory studios. It's completely free to enter, with no advance booking required for weekend and school holiday family drop-ins, making it one of the absolute best low-stress family spots in Central London. The Keeper of Paintings Game - a free augmented reality game called Canvas Quest works on your phone, so kids aged 7+ can turn exploring the main gallery into a brilliant hide-and-seek adventure, tracking down hidden details in famous paintings. General entry costs nothing, making it easy to pop in for 45 minutes to spot a few famous artworks without feeling guilty about ticket prices. You might want to focus on the ones they've looked at in school, maybe including Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Rousseau's Surprise! (the tiger in a tropical storm), and Stubbs' Whistlejacket (a massive, life-sized rearing horse). Try the 'Angel & Animal' game for younger kids: turn gallery-walking into a scavenger hunt by asking younger kids to count how many flying cherubs, dogs, or horses they can spot hidden in the classical paintings.
See details
Lightroom London
This four-storey immersive digital art space is a sensory feast - a purpose-built projection space in King's Cross with frequently-changing immersive shows from major artists and creative names - past programmes have included David Hockney's 60-year retrospective, Prehistoric Planet's life-sized dinosaurs, and a journey through David Bowie's world narrated by the man himself. Floor-to-ceiling laser projection and a powerful spatial sound system wrap around you as you wander freely through the space, with each show running on a loop of around 45-60 minutes so you can stay as long as you like. It's welcoming for children of all ages, and there's a St John-run café bar for snacks and drinks afterwards. Now showing: Larger Than Life, a brand-new 50-minute immersive experience starring Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Morph. Floor-to-ceiling projections put families right in the middle of the Aardman studio, showcasing iconic sets, original puppet characters, camera rigs, lighting and real animators hard at work bringing the classics to life. It combines behind-the-scenes magic with bespoke new animation made especially for the space - a nostalgic treat for all ages that shows exactly how clay figures turn into big-screen legends.
See details
London Canal Museum & Boat Trip
Housed in a Victorian ice warehouse built for ice cream pioneer Carlo Gatti, this interactive museum lets kids sit inside a replica narrowboat cabin and learn how canal families lived. Try to book your visit to align with one of the museum's seasonal narrowboat trips through the 878-yard-long Islington Tunnel - it's a lovely ride. If not, walk outside to Battlebridge Basin to catch a public London Waterbus down the canal to Camden Market.
See details
Museum of Illusions London
Rooms that tip you sideways, a vortex tunnel that scrambles your balance and a whole wall of holograms — an hour of proper "how did they do that?" fun just off Covent Garden. Endlessly photogenic, and small enough not to melt anyone down.
See details
Royal Institution Family Science
The Royal Institution in Mayfair is where the famous Christmas Lectures began, and it still runs family science days, holiday workshops and shows with explosions, liquid nitrogen and plenty of audience participation. Families can watch science happen in the historic lecture theatre where Michael Faraday once demonstrated electricity. The free Faraday Museum downstairs shows his original lab and equipment, so even a quick visit can tie in with what kids learn at school.
See details
The Traitors: Live Experience
If your family - like mine - spent the winter shouting accusations at the TV screen, this live Covent Garden theatrical event lets you step right into the velvet-draped drama. Guided by deliciously West End actor hosts, you take your place around a giant physical Round Table before secret roles are assigned. You will compete in hands-on mental and physical team challenges to build a prize pot, interspersed with hushed corridor side-chats, backstabbing, and explosive banishment votes. It's never the ones you expect who'll win - even if that's your own son or daughter! Family-friendly afternoon slots cater specifically to kids aged 12 and up, making it an absolutely perfect day out for teenagers who love a good poker face.
See details
Trent Park House of Secrets Museum
London's newest intelligence museum has opened inside the grandly restored Trent Park mansion. Dubbed the "House of Secrets", it reveals the WWII story of the Secret Listeners — a covert team of German-speaking refugees, many of them Jewish, who bugged the rooms of captured German officers and listened in from hidden basement rooms. Designed for older kids and curious minds, the museum blends 1930s high-society glamour upstairs with interactive listening rooms, AI-animated archival film and hands-on secret-agent history in the basement below.
See details
Imperial War Museum (IWM London)
Fascinating history museum packed with real Spitfires, tanks and submarine models, plus great interactive family trails. A must for history or transport-loving kids.
See details
MathsWorld London
Don't laugh - maths really can be fun and this really different and fun activity proves it! Tucked into a set of industrial railway arches just behind Tate Modern, this newly opened interactive space proves maths is far more than boring school worksheets. Spread across two floors, kids can scramble inside a giant soap bubble, face off against an AI chess master, test their logic on an elliptical pool table, and crack secret ciphers on the Codebreaker wall. It is brilliantly geared toward problem-solvers of all ages - there are definitely no textbooks here. And your day ticket turns into a 12-month annual pass, making it the ultimate South Bank rainy-day fallback whenever you are in the area. Keep in mind term-time weekdays often host school groups, so grab an afternoon slot or go on weekends for calmer vibes. The only disappointment we had were the loos: not brilliant!
See details
Hunterian Museum
Located inside the Royal College of Surgeons, this historic museum features thousands of medical specimens, skeletons, and anatomical preparations. Kids obsessed with biology or gross facts will be spellbound by the weird and wonderful clear jars of specimens... But be aware, this must be London's most macabre museum so check your kids are OK with its contents first.. It's ideal for older kids, teens, and families with an appetite for medical history, anatomical oddities, and science. At its core is the 18th-century collection of pioneering surgeon and anatomist John Hunter, featuring thousands of anatomical and pathological specimens, surgical instruments, and historical medical artifacts.
See details
Whitechapel Gallery
A touchstone modern art gallery in East London running free family creative workshops and dynamic art exhibitions. Provides free entry, brilliant family activity packs, and hands-on art-making sessions led by professional contemporary artists.
See details
Dulwich Picture Gallery
England's oldest purpose-built public art gallery, set in peaceful gardens with world-class paintings and active family programming. Kids can enjoy the interactive art trails, brilliant hands-on creative workshops, and wide lawns for post-gallery running around. The ArtPlay pavilion (see separate listing) is outstanding for younger kids, but does have an entry fee.
See details
Art Play Pavilion at Dulwich Picture Gallery
This is a beautiful creative space within the Dulwich Picture Gallery gardens. Like an Insta-worthy playroom, kids can explore and wander through areas themed around light and sky, and relax on soft-play-style shapes, or attend some of the many excellent workshops and classes. It's aimed at babies, toddlers and children under 8, and runs everyday between 9am and 4pm with 0-2 year old and SEND sessions available. Free-to-access community groups and organisations working with families based in Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham are able to access the ArtPlay Pavilion for free on Mondays. Otherwise, tickets cost £9 for one child and up to two adults.
See details
National Portrait Gallery
The world's largest collection of portraits also has family spaces, galleries, and interactive art trails. Kids will love spotting famous faces (from royalty to footballers), using interactive digital portrait stations, and joining weekend drop-in art workshops.
See details
Wildlife Photographer of the Year at Natural History Museum
This annual photography exhibition showcasing wildlife and nature images from around the globe is always awesome, and the combination of the backlit set-up and amazing array of animal shots means it's the one art exhibit that always keeps kids of any ages captivated. Try to go in the week or find an off-peak slot or go later in the season to avoid the crowds, as it can get very busy and a bit overwhelming.
See details
Harry Potter Platform 9 3/4 & Foundling Museum
Pair a pop-culture photo opp with rich London history. Start at King's Cross Station for the iconic Platform 9 ¾ luggage trolley photo and shop (there might be a queue but it moves fast). Then walk seven minutes south to the Foundling Museum, which tells the moving story of Britain's first home for abandoned children, founded in 1739 with support from artist William Hogarth and composer George Frideric Handel. The Granary Square fountains are nearby if it's a warm day - its 1,080 choreographed jets are a huge hit with younger kids in summer (bring a spare set of clothes). Coal Drops Yard next door has shops and food for older kids/teens who've outgrown splashing about.
See details
Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration
Set in the restored 18th-century New River Head waterworks in Clerkenwell, the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is the UK’s national flagship for picture-book magic and visual storytelling. While entry to its main exhibition galleries requires paid tickets, the venue is a masterclass in welcoming families on a tight budget - between the free-to-enter library space, interactive drawing areas, sensory gardens, and £1 tickets for low-income families, you can easily spend a full morning here without draining your wallet. The free Library and activity space lets kids curl up with over 1,000 picture books, graphic novels, and art materials. The main gallery exhibitions change regularly, and the weekly Little Owls drop-in sessions on Wednesday mornings are specifically for under-fives, packed with interactive songs, rhymes, and picture book readings. Don't miss the gated outdoor play garden if it's sunny.
See details
V&A Museum (South Kensington)
Not an obviously child-friendly museum, but a stunning collection of art, jewellery, performance and fashion, with giant statues, digital family backpacks and hands-on activity trails.
See details
Estorick Collection
The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art - which opened in London in 1998 and is housed in a Grade II listed Georgian town house - might not sound like a family-friendly activity. But this hidden gem of a gallery, which specialises in modern Italian art, Futurism, and sculpture, is small enough to prevent museum fatigue in children, hosts a free Family Trail to help you explore the Futurist art movement and portraiture in its collection, features a tranquil garden café serving excellent Italian food, and has Mini Marvels, an interactive and sensory play space designed for families with young children, which is free for kids (aka included in the adult ticket price.)
See detailsWonderlab at the Science Museum
A packed floor with experiments, interactive models, slides, and frequent presenter-led shows with fire, flashes and bangs.
See details★ 4.6Tate Britain
This art gallery on the Thames showcases five centuries of iconic British art, including the world's largest collection of works by Turner.. but you'll be here for the free, hands-on family play activities and children's explorer trail map you can pick up at the Clore Learning Centre.
See details★ 4.7Natural History Museum
A massive, world-class museum filled with dinosaur skeletons, minerals, and interactive natural science exhibits. Pack a lunch to eat on the East Lawn on nice days, and make sure to pre-book a free timed ticket online to skip the main queue.
See details★ 4.6Science Museum
Packed with hands-on space rockets, steam engines, and interactive technology zones. Head straight to the basement's Pattern Pod for toddlers or the Garden play area to burn off early energy before the crowds peak - older kids will enjoy Wonderlab (see separate listing) and Power Up (paid for).
See details★ 4.6
British Museum
Houses millions of historic artifacts, including ancient Egyptian mummies and the Rosetta Stone. Grab a free family activity trail map at the Information Desk in the Great Court to turn your visit into an engaging scavenger hunt. Book your (free) ticket online first, you'll probably still have to face a short queue but it moves quickly.
See details★ 4.2Postal Museum & Mail Rail
London's best rainy-day secret. Ride the Mail Rail — the world's first driverless electric railway — through the original tunnels 70 feet below the streets, which once whisked four million letters a day between Paddington and Whitechapel from 1927 to 2003. The 15-minute ride runs through open-top miniature carriages with audio-visual storytelling along the way, then it's up to the museum galleries for interactive exhibits spanning five centuries of postal history. The current family exhibition, The Jolly Postman, runs into January 2027, bringing the classic picture book to life through an interactive story world. There's also Sorted!, a separate-ticket play space for ages 1–8, if little ones need to burn energy after the ride. The museum and Mail Rail sit in two separate buildings across Phoenix Place from each other, so head to Mail Rail first and check in ahead of your printed time slot. Book online in advance — timed Mail Rail slots regularly sell out on weekends and school holidays.
See details★ 4.6Young V&A (Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood)
A museum completely redesigned for children, with interactive design, building toys, display cabinets of toys from parents' own childhood (way to feel old), performance spaces, and creative play zones. Large cafe on the ground floor and a temporary exhibit space as well as a large theatre area where kids can act.
See details★ 4.4
Grant Museum of Zoology
A 19th-century cabinet of curiosities packed floor to ceiling with over 68,000 animal specimens: a jar of preserved moles, dodo bones, a quagga skeleton and a brain collection. Weird, slightly spooky and compact enough to see in 45 minutes.
See details★ 4.8
London Mithraeum
An immersive underground archaeological site displaying the ruins of a Roman Temple of Mithras beneath Bloomberg's headquarters. Download their free interactive iPad guide on arrival - older kids can unlock the digital mysteries of ancient Roman London, younger ones will need to stay off the ancient ruins though!
See details★ 4.5Horniman Museum and Gardens
This eclectic museum in Forest Hill ostensibly covers natural history - the kids will love the musical instruments, aquarium, and famous overstuffed walrus. The huge gardens and animal walk are free, making it ideal for a low-cost family picnic with London skyline views. There is a fee to enter the aquarium and butterfly house.
See details★ 4.6National Maritime Museum
The world's largest maritime museum features boat displays, naval art, and a massive world map floor grids. But as a family, you need to head straight to the Ahoy! gallery (for ages 0–7) or AHOY! Children's Gallery for interactive pirate-themed ship play. Ever-changing exhibitions are often child-friendly too. Cove playground is fab too - there's a solid morning or afternoon to be spent here. Combine with a Greenwich wander round its parks, cafes and shops. Museum is free, play slots cost £4.50 on weekends plus school and bank holidays.
See details★ 4.6Mudlarks at the London Museum, Docklands
This London museum features a fantastic kids' area with water play, building blocks, and a climbing zone that's kept clean and tiny and packed with fun. It’s a great free indoor option that's perfect for toddlers up to kids aged 8 - you can find out what the docks were used for and what life would've been like for sailors many years ago, 'drive' a DLR train in the soft play area, move ships along the docks on the water play station and help the workers move their cargo using wheelbarrows. Sessions last 45m and cost from £4 - book ahead online. The rest of the (excellent) museum is free.
See details★ 4.6
RAF Museum, Hendon
This recently-updated museum is a must for airplane fans: its massive hangars are filled with real planes, chinooks, helicopters, and ride-on replicas; there's a new soft play area, a fun outdoor aviation-themed playground, simulators and more. There's a cafe so you can make a day of it. Free tickets can be booked ahead of time; there's scant local parking so you'll need to pay for the car park. Frequently-changed exhibitions are child-friendly and fascinating.
See details★ 4.8
Discover Children's Story Centre
One of my favourite London museums for under 7s, this imaginative centre includes indoor and outdoor playgrounds, storytelling rooms, exhibitions crafted around authors and books, and creative arts activities. It is wonderful for inspiring creativity in toddlers and younger children - I like to tire mine out with a morning here, then enjoy their buggy nap as I stroll around neighbouring Westfield. Discounts are available for Newham residents - everyone should remember to book a storytelling session while booking entry tickets.
See details★ 4.3London Transport Museum
This super-interactive museum lets children truly explore. It gets very busy (go early) but kids of all ages can experience what it's like to drive a train, learn about London's changing transport, go on old buses, follow an informative trail, get involved in workshops and more - it's an in-depth day out for kids who are obsessed with how things move. There's a cafe, and tickets are valid for a year so you can revisit as much as you like. It's in Covent Garden with lots of entertainers, shops and cafes to visit too.
See details★ 4.4
Eltham Palace and Gardens
Where else in London can your kids run through a medieval Tudor palace and step straight into a dazzling 1930s Art Deco mansion? Eltham Palace and Gardens is a south-east London treasure that manages to feel like two completely different time machines in one visit. Once a favourite childhood haunt of Henry VIII, the estate was given a glamorous makeover in the 1930s by millionaire eccentrics Stephen and Virginia Courtauld. Between the vast medieval Great Hall, 19 acres of grounds, and plenty of interactive fun, it makes for a fantastic family day out. Find the Pet Lemur’s Quarters: Keep your eyes peeled inside the house for a heated room with a custom ladder built specifically for Mah-Jongg, the Courtaulds' pampered pet lemur! Kids love hunting for lemur references hidden around the mansion. Head upstairs to find the vintage dress-up corner where both kids and adults can try on 1930s-inspired outfits and wartime gear for quick photo ops. The outdoor wooden playground is inspired by the Courtaulds’ global adventures - it’s conveniently located right next to the Orchid House Café, so parents can grab a coffee while the kids play. Cross London's Oldest Bridge: Take a stroll across the moat via the 15th-century stone bridge—the oldest working bridge in London—and explore the rock gardens and cascading pools down below.
See details
Florence Nightingale Museum
The Florence Nightingale Museum, tucked away inside St Thomas’ Hospital on London’s South Bank, offers a surprisingly intimate and engaging peek into the life of the woman who revolutionized modern nursing. Far from a dry history lesson, the museum brings Florence’s story to life through interactive displays, vivid artifacts, and colorful storytelling that hits just the right note for younger visitors. Kids can discover the actual oil lamp she carried through the dark wards during the Crimean War, meet Jimmy the pet owl she rescued and carried in her pocket, and see the heavy medicine chests used on the battlefield. To get the most out of your family visit, timing and a little preparation make all the difference. Catching one of the live performance sessions—where an actor portraying Florence brings her Crimean adventure to life—is easily the highlight for kids, so it is well worth checking the event schedule on the morning of your visit to time your arrival. The museum sits directly opposite the Houses of Parliament, making it an easy companion visit to a walk along the South Bank, but because space inside is cozy, visiting earlier in the day or during late afternoon hours helps avoid school groups and gives kids room to engage with the interactive stations without waiting. The museum offers clever activity trails at the front desk that turn the collection into a scavenger hunt, keeping little eyes focused and entertained as you explore. For a grand finish, cap off your trip with a stroll to the nearby Archbishop’s Park play area just a short walk away, giving kids a chance to burn off extra energy in the fresh air while parents enjoy views of London.
See details