Museums & Landmarks in South East

The transport museums suit school-age children best. Brooklands Museum in Weybridge is the one directories keep featuring: a regional days-out listing marks it as featured, and an interactive museums guide describes a 32-acre site with the world's first motor racing circuit, Concorde tours, simulators and bus rides. Reviewers praise the volunteer guides and hands-on access to aircraft and cars, and say the Concorde tour sells out. Silverstone Museum near Towcester runs on the same enthusiasm, with F1 simulators that also need booking ahead, while Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Museum is free to enter, covered in about an hour, and has a Concorde simulator that runs on request.

For science and sky, Observatory Science Centre & Museum in Hailsham pairs hands-on galleries with an outdoor Discovery Park whose water channel reviewers say five to ten year olds love; its stargazing evenings are capped and the galleries can be cold. Winchester Science Centre & Planetarium suits ages five to twelve if they can sit through a 20 to 30 minute show. South Downs Planetarium & Science Centre in Chichester is for eight and up: an hour-long presentation with stargazing tips reviewers have used to spot meteor showers. Science Oxford Centre in Headington books a two-hour indoor session on Saturdays that leads onto woodland trails with explorer backpacks.

For toddlers and outdoor days, The Look Out Discovery Centre in Bracknell runs themed toddler days for under-fives, The Nature Discovery Centre in Thatcham has lakeside routes of varying length, duck feeding and a free Tramper, and Rye Harbour Discovery Centre rewards a 1km exposed walk with a cafe reviewers call a destination in itself. Chiltern Open Air Museum offers over 30 historic buildings, farm animals and costumed weekends.

Smaller local options include East Surrey Museum with its free toy room, Bourne Hall Museum for brass rubbing, and The Cockney Museum, best for multi-generational groups; call ahead. Milton Keynes City Discovery Centre is only worth the trip on event days.