Top 6 museums in England you must visit before 2023
Published 7th Nov 2022
England boasts some of the world’s most spectacular history and oldest museums, many of which are located outside of London.
If you’re interested in cutting-edge art and design or age-old tales, there are endless options for you and your family to enjoy.
With the evenings getting darker and wetter, take advantage of the opportunity to spend a day indoors in one of England’s top 5 museums this November 2022.
Founded by Sir Terence Conran, the Design Museum relocated to its current Kensington location back in 2016. The architecturally impressive building stood vacant for over a decade before it was transformed and made fit for a 21st century museum.
The Design Museum completely devotes itself to contemporary design in every form. By hosts cutting-edge contemporary exhibitions, from fashion and graphics to architecture and product and industrial design.
As well as the fascinating displays of past, present and future design through pop-ups and temporary shows, the museum hosts an array of learning programmes and activities aimed at children as well as opportunities for young people such as specialist courses, workshops and talks from leading experts in the industry.
Price to enter: Free
Website: www.designmuseum.org
The National Football Museum is a striking glass structure nestled in the centre of Manchester. With over 140,000 football related items on display, the Urbis building is the largest football museum in the world.
Discover the evolution of the game as you explore through items such as the 1966 World Cup Final ball and Maradona’s iconic ‘Hand of God’ moment shirt.
Get involved with the interactive events and take a penalty through the old Wembley goalposts and get an analysis on your kick’s speed, power, and precision.
Fancy something less physical? Then try your hand at calling the action and reliving some classic goals in the Match of the Day Commentary Challenge.
The museum is open from 10:00 – 17:00 every day, all year round.
Price to enter: Admission
Website: www.nationalfootballmuseum.com
In what was once the Bankside Power Station, Tate Modern looms over the waterfront of the South Bank. Its permanent collections house a wealth of modern British art and international artists including Henri Matisse and Auguste Rodin.
The immense Turbine Hall is dominated by a changing display of site-specific installations such as the millions of handcrafted porcelain sunflower seeds that filled the space in 2011.
Head to the top level of the Blavatnik Building, which was added in 2017, to visit the free viewing platform. Here you’ll be greeted with breath-taking panoramic views of the city's skyline.
Price to enter: Tickets
Website: www.tate.org.uk
Discover how war shaped your own life at the Imperial War Museum North.
This spectacular feat of architecture, designed by award winning architect Daniel Libeskind, might look completely bizarre upon first glance. When in fact, it’s designed to represent a globe shattered by conflict. The globe being split into three pieces, and though it’s been put back together, it will never be the same again. Making the building a symbol of the effects of war.
Once inside, Libeskind wanted visitors to feel the unsettling nature of war and consequently made the building purposely disorientating. He used a variety of clever techniques within the architecture to do so. As you walk around, you’ll find objects which have changed the course of history including the Field Gun which fired the first shell of WWI and a large section of twisted and rusted steelwork from the collapsed World Trade Centre.
Price to enter: Free
Website: www.iwm.org.uk
The Natural History Museum in London is a world-renowned institution that houses one of the largest collections of natural history artifacts in the world.
The museum is home to over 80 million specimens, ranging from fossils and minerals to plants and animals. The museum's collections are constantly growing, and new discoveries are made all the time. Visitors to the museum can explore the collections, learn about the latest research, and participate in public events.
The Natural History Museum is an essential part of London's cultural landscape, and it is well worth a visit.
Price to enter: Free
Website: www.nhm.ac.uk
The World Museum in Liverpool is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions and also one of the oldest, first opening in March 1853.
The museum houses an extensive collection of artefacts from around the world, including Egyptian mummies, Roman sculptures and Chinese ceramics.
The museum is also home to the popular Aquarium, which houses a variety of aquatic creatures. Visitors can also enjoy the museum's planetarium and IMAX cinema.
Price to enter: Free
Website: www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/
If you’re interested in cutting-edge art and design or age-old tales, there are endless options for you and your family to enjoy.
With the evenings getting darker and wetter, take advantage of the opportunity to spend a day indoors in one of England’s top 5 museums this November 2022.
1. Design Museum, London
Founded by Sir Terence Conran, the Design Museum relocated to its current Kensington location back in 2016. The architecturally impressive building stood vacant for over a decade before it was transformed and made fit for a 21st century museum.
The Design Museum completely devotes itself to contemporary design in every form. By hosts cutting-edge contemporary exhibitions, from fashion and graphics to architecture and product and industrial design.
As well as the fascinating displays of past, present and future design through pop-ups and temporary shows, the museum hosts an array of learning programmes and activities aimed at children as well as opportunities for young people such as specialist courses, workshops and talks from leading experts in the industry.
Price to enter: Free
Website: www.designmuseum.org
2. National Football Museum, Manchester
The National Football Museum is a striking glass structure nestled in the centre of Manchester. With over 140,000 football related items on display, the Urbis building is the largest football museum in the world.
Discover the evolution of the game as you explore through items such as the 1966 World Cup Final ball and Maradona’s iconic ‘Hand of God’ moment shirt.
Get involved with the interactive events and take a penalty through the old Wembley goalposts and get an analysis on your kick’s speed, power, and precision.
Fancy something less physical? Then try your hand at calling the action and reliving some classic goals in the Match of the Day Commentary Challenge.
The museum is open from 10:00 – 17:00 every day, all year round.
Price to enter: Admission
Website: www.nationalfootballmuseum.com
3. Tate Modern, London
In what was once the Bankside Power Station, Tate Modern looms over the waterfront of the South Bank. Its permanent collections house a wealth of modern British art and international artists including Henri Matisse and Auguste Rodin.
The immense Turbine Hall is dominated by a changing display of site-specific installations such as the millions of handcrafted porcelain sunflower seeds that filled the space in 2011.
Head to the top level of the Blavatnik Building, which was added in 2017, to visit the free viewing platform. Here you’ll be greeted with breath-taking panoramic views of the city's skyline.
Price to enter: Tickets
Website: www.tate.org.uk
4. Imperial War Museum North, Manchester
Discover how war shaped your own life at the Imperial War Museum North.
This spectacular feat of architecture, designed by award winning architect Daniel Libeskind, might look completely bizarre upon first glance. When in fact, it’s designed to represent a globe shattered by conflict. The globe being split into three pieces, and though it’s been put back together, it will never be the same again. Making the building a symbol of the effects of war.
Once inside, Libeskind wanted visitors to feel the unsettling nature of war and consequently made the building purposely disorientating. He used a variety of clever techniques within the architecture to do so. As you walk around, you’ll find objects which have changed the course of history including the Field Gun which fired the first shell of WWI and a large section of twisted and rusted steelwork from the collapsed World Trade Centre.
Price to enter: Free
Website: www.iwm.org.uk
5. Natural History Museum, London
The Natural History Museum in London is a world-renowned institution that houses one of the largest collections of natural history artifacts in the world.
The museum is home to over 80 million specimens, ranging from fossils and minerals to plants and animals. The museum's collections are constantly growing, and new discoveries are made all the time. Visitors to the museum can explore the collections, learn about the latest research, and participate in public events.
The Natural History Museum is an essential part of London's cultural landscape, and it is well worth a visit.
Price to enter: Free
Website: www.nhm.ac.uk
6. World Museum, Liverpool
The World Museum in Liverpool is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions and also one of the oldest, first opening in March 1853.
The museum houses an extensive collection of artefacts from around the world, including Egyptian mummies, Roman sculptures and Chinese ceramics.
The museum is also home to the popular Aquarium, which houses a variety of aquatic creatures. Visitors can also enjoy the museum's planetarium and IMAX cinema.
Price to enter: Free
Website: www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/