Museums and Living History school trips

person icon Bring the past to life


Explore the past

Which UK museums offer the best cross-curricular school trips?

Museum visits provide artefacts, interactive exhibits, and workshops -covering history, science, art, and more in one inspiring location.

The value of a good quality museum cannot be overstated when it comes to furthering our knowledge of history. The best places will spend time and money analysing how their visitors interact with the exhibits - what they stop to look at, which information boards they read, where they stand and perhaps whether they make any notes. If the museum does not understand what people are taking away from their visit, they were either really lucky in getting everything exactly right to begin with, or else they don't care about their visitor's enjoyment, and will quickly suffer declining attendances.

International Museums Day School Trips UK | 18 May 2026

International Museums Day on 18 May 2026 is the perfect excuse to get your class out exploring Britain's incredible historic collections. Maybe you are teaching about the Romans, the Tudors or 20th century transport - a museum visit can bring history to life like nothing else. From the vast British Museum in London to smaller regional gems around the country, an educational school trip to a museum lets pupils see real artefacts up close and join in guided tours that link straight to the national curriculum themes you are teaching in class. Art, science, design and history can all come together in one brilliant day. Teachers love how these trips spark questions that carry on back in the classroom.

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The museums listed below are examples of venues who have worked hard to give their visitors the best possible experience, and more than that, they cater excellently for school groups in particular. Whether you visit somewhere big enough to get lost in, like the British Museum, or a small regional venue like Gladstone Pottery, you will find a wide range of history topics including national railways, aeronautical, waterways, and heritage.

As a child I wasn't particularly fond of museums. After I had gazed into the hundredth glass display case and read the faded yellow postcard notes about the objects on view, I quickly started to lose interest. I didn't really understand the value of what I was seeing. Thankfully, the people who run such places these days are more aware of how to engage the younger generation in particular and some venues even bring the past to life in the form of living museums, complete with people in period costume and real shops displaying or selling goods that would have been available at the time. What could possible inspire your students more about the subject than standing them in a street as it would have been one or two hundred years ago and letting them explore with all of their senses.

national maritime museum

Exciting ways to teach the topic Museums

Chesters Roman Fort and Museum
Chesters Roman Fort and Museum
map pin North East

Chesters Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall gives a real sense of how the Roman army was trying to assert power over this part of the British countryside. The venue, complete with museum is a fantastic learning resource for school groups.
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Scottish Maritime Museum
Scottish Maritime Museum
map pin Scotland

The Scottish Maritime Museum contains exhibitions and collections that tell the story of that great maritime tradition. The sites have a collection of vessels that represent 150 years history.
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three school children and a teacher at the museum of Liverpool
Museum of Liverpool
map pin North West

Museum of Liverpool offers a great selection of curriculum-linked workshops for schools and groups, from a session exploring local transport to an arty 'Best Buildings' workshop all about Liverpool's stunning landscape.
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historic armour workshop at the wold museum
World Museum
map pin North West

World Museum offers a fantastic selection of curriculum-linked workshops for schools and groups ' from sessions on ancient civilisations to exciting experiences in our planetarium, aquarium and bug house.
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historic armour workshop at the wold museum
The Food Museum
map pin East of England

At the Food Museum we help people learn more about food. Where it comes from, how it's made and the role it's played down the centuries in shaping how we live our lives.
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historic armour workshop at the wold museum
The MAD Museum
map pin West Midlands

The Mechanical Art & Design Museum, or 'MAD Museum' for short, exhibits over 90 interactive pieces of kinetic art & automata made by inventors from all around the world. This is the UK's only centre for mechanical art & combines learning with fun
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historic armour workshop at the wold museum
International Slavery Museum on Tour
map pin online/in-school workshop

While the International Slavery Museum is currently closed for a major redevelopment project, we remain committed to inspiring learning and fostering understanding.
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historic armour workshop at the wold museum
Rivers Day at Bewdley Museum
map pin West Midlands

Join us as we take an in-depth look at the River Severn. Through practical activities and walks around the town of Bewdley, pupils will find out about its history and geography, including the effects of flooding .
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historic armour workshop at the wold museum
World War 2 Experience at Bewdley Museum
map pin West Midlands

Explore what life was like on the Home Front for evacuees during World War Two with our jam-packed experience day, full of interactive, immersive activities.
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historic armour workshop at the wold museum
National Museum Cardiff
map pin Wales

You can create your own visit or let us do it for you. We offer you a range of stimulating workshops which explore parts of our collections in more detail. All workshops are linked to the National Curriculum.
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historic armour workshop at the wold museum
National Waterfront Museum
map pin Wales

Explore the story of Wales's past, present and future contributions to industry and innovation, via cutting-edge, interactive technology married with traditional displays.
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historic armour workshop at the wold museum
National Coal Museum Wales
map pin Wales

Big Pit explores all aspects of mining, from strikes to disasters, from women in mining communities to the children forced to work underground in the nineteenth century.
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historic armour workshop at the wold museum
Spyscape - Immersive Spy Museum, London
map pin London & South East

SPYSCAPE is an immersive school experience created with MI6 experts. Students complete interactive spy challenges to build critical thinking, teamwork, and resilience. Each student receives a personalised profile showing strengths and learning style.
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Want to book Museums trips and workshops?

Find an exciting Museum experience for your school trip





How to book Museums School Trips - FAQ

1 March 2026

Why choose to visit a museum on your school trip?
Museums are fantastic because they cover all sorts of subjects like art, science, and history, using real objects that really get students asking questions. Plus, they fit well with the curriculum and are indoors, which is great if the weather isn’t on your side during your school visit.

Museum workshop or self-guided?
Workshops are great if you want focused activities and usually cost between £150 and £400 for the group. You get plenty of time to ask questions and get useful insights into the museum's collections. Self-guided visits give students more freedom to explore at their own pace, and we often recommend them for larger groups or when you want more flexibility.

Are there free museums?
Yes! Most national museums, like the British Museum, Science Museum, and Natural History Museum, are free to enter. Just remember to book in advance if you're bringing a group. Local museums are sometimes free for school groups, but even if they do charge and entry fee, it is usually great value.

Top 10 museum school trips:
Here are the most popular places for 2026:
1. British Museum, London
2. Science Museum
3. Natural History Museum
4. V&A Museum
5. National Museum of Scotland
6. Kelvingrove, Glasgow
7. National Museum Cardiff
8. Manchester Museum
9. Liverpool World Museum
10. Ashmolean, Oxford

Are museum trips suitable for SEND students?
Many museums offer sensory bags, quiet hours, and touch exhibits to make the experience accessible. It’s best to plan ahead and check the access info for each place.

What’s the budget for a museum trip?
Most trips are quite affordable. If you’re visiting free museums and taking the bus, it might cost around £4 to £12 per student. Paid-entry museums are usually between £6 and £15, and workshops can be from £150 to £400. Residential stays range from about £130 to £250 per student.

Anything else I should know?
Most trips are pretty budget-friendly, and planning ahead can help make the experience smooth and enjoyable for everyone!

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