IMAGES: NATIONAL MUSEUMS SCOTLAND; DREW FORSYTHGEEK OUT
SCIENCE & INDUSTRY MUSEUM,
MANCHESTER
Old steam engines, vintage cars
and sleek ighter jets are just
some of the exhibits children
(and adults) will marvel at in this
big-hitter of a museum. Don’t
miss The Sun (until 5 January)
— an epic exhibition that shines
a light on the centre of our
solar system, with blockbuster
simulations of a solar storm
and a sunrise over Antarctica.
scienceandindustrymuseum.org.ukSWOT UP
HORNIMAN MUSEUM & GARDENS,
LONDON
This museum is known for its
collection of curios, from the
natural history gallery presided
over by a walrus to a vast
number of musical instruments.
Plus, there’s a revolving calendar
of family-friendly events, from
natural trails around the gardens
to fun-illed family raves.
Don’t miss the Brick Wonders
exhibition (until 27 October),
featuring coral reefs, Egyptian
pyramids and more, all crated
from Lego. horniman.ac.ukACT OUT
MK GALLERY, MILTON KEYNES
Following a top-to-toe
makeover that included a
sprawling new extension,
this Buckinghamshire art
museum reopened in the
spring to rapturous applause.
A vibrant hub of art, cinema
and live performances, its new
features include an artist-
designed playground and a
lively programme of fun, child-
focused workshops.
mkgallery.orgBRIGHT IDEAS
Family fun
The UK’s museums never fail to inspire and inform,
so get your cultural ix with our pick of the best free
outings this autumnMUST-SEE MUSEUMS
Following a 15-year facelit, all eyes are
irmly on the National Museum of Scotland.
The Edinburgh institution unveiled the last
phase of its makeover earlier in the year,
with three new galleries: Ancient Egypt
Rediscovered, Exploring East Asia and Art
of Ceramics. Among the fascinating new
exhibits, you’ll ind a large block chipped
from the Great Pyramid of Giza and a coin
dating from around AD 175-200.
Elsewhere, the museum has plenty to
educate and entertain, too. Spread across
two buildings (one cool and contemporary,
the other polished and palatially Victorian),
it spans a range of topics, including natural
history and the arts. Little ones can ride in a
Formula 1 racing simulator, dance on a giant
sound board, dress up as a deep-sea diver, or
unearth fossils in the ‘palaeontologist’s pit’.
Visitors can even send mini hot air balloons
into the museum’s atrium and watch them
bob between aeroplanes suspended from the
ceiling. nms.ac.uk HELEN WARWICKRead our full list of must-see museums at
nationalgeographic.co.uk/travelSMART TRAVELLER34 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel