Museums & Landmarks in Greater London

Most of this list is free, and much of it sits in what Ciao Bambino calls London's museum quarter, South Kensington. Science Museum is the widest-ranging for mixed ages: a downstairs play space built for toddlers, a Flight gallery of life-size planes for older children, and Ciao Bambino rates its family atmosphere as outstanding. Victoria and Albert Museum next door rewards teens who will slow down for the Cast Courts; the same writer worried it could feel too highbrow for children without a particular interest. The British Museum works best if you pick two or three galleries, Egyptian mummies, the Rosetta Stone, Greek sculpture, rather than attempting a sweep.

For the youngest, Young V&A in East London is the clearest pick: free, compact, aimed at ages 0 to 8, with a supervised soft play area for under-2s that SilverSpoon London describes as a sensory space set at toddler eye level. National Army Museum and London Museum Docklands both pair serious content for older kids with a play area for younger siblings, and Alex Jessica Mills calls Docklands one of the best free museums in London.

The paid options are a different proposition. The Postal Museum and London Transport Museum are hands-on and suit primary-age children; do the timed Mail Rail first, and keep your Transport Museum ticket, which doubles as a year-long pass. Madame Tussauds London, Shrek's Adventure London and The Paddington Bear Experience land best with children who already know the characters. The London Dungeon and The Clink Prison Museum are genuinely frightening, with reviewers putting the floor at 9 and 8 respectively. Further out, Chislehurst Caves runs a 45-minute guided tour for children who can listen, and Eltham Palace gives younger ones moat trails and wooden bridges to roam.