Weston Park Museum, located in the heart of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, is a great free day out. I was surprised at how big and interactive the whole place was, and there really was something to interest everyone! My one year old found it just as much fun as I did!
Opening times and tickets:
Weston Park Museum is free entry, with a suggested donation of £5. They are open 10am till 5pm Tuesday to Saturday, and 11am till 4pm on Sundays. They are closed on Mondays, including bank holidays.
Click here for more information on opening times.
Parking and travelling:
The nearest car park to Weston Park Museum is the Q-Park on Durham Road. You can claim 25% discount off parking by asking staff at the museum for the discount voucher. There is a disabled parking space at the top of Mushroom Lane.
If catching the bus, the 51 or 52 routes pass the museum.
By tram, the nearest stop is Sheffield University. It is then around an 8 minute walk to the museum.
The nearest train station is Sheffield Station. You can catch a tram from outside and get off at Sheffield University.
Accessibility and pram suitability:
The museum is very accessible to wheels, having smooth, flat floors and a lift to the upstairs activity rooms. The gaps between the exhibitions are also spacious, allowing plenty of room for prams and wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are available to borrow on request in advance.
Things to do at Weston Park Museum
1. Play
They say the best way to learn is through play, and this museum certainly has taken that to heart. With opportunities to play shopkeeper in a 1980’s Butchers, a dolls house to play with in the vintage toys section, a bus to play on and hieroglyphs to arrange into words, plus so much more, there was no shortage of activities for my toddler to get involved with. We also enjoyed being very mature and writing ‘poo’ and ‘fart’ with the hieroglyphs.
2. Read and Learn
There are several comfy spots set up throughout Weston Park Museum with high quality books available to read. They looked very exciting, and little ones and adults alike are encouraged to sate their curiosity and find out more about each exhibition through opening drawers for extra suprises (a firm favourite with my toddler). Lots of other modes of learning are used too, like listening to the stories behind artwork with headphones.
3. Craft
As if all that playing and learning wasn’t interactive enough, there are plenty of crafting opportunities too. Whether your little ones are into drawing their own masterpiece, putting magnetic tiles of microorganisms pictured under microscopes into cool arrangements, or modelling with tools like pipe cleaners, they are sure to find something here that keeps them busy.
