List of museums in Leicestershire facts for kids
Leicestershire, a county in England, is home to many exciting museums! These places are like treasure chests, collecting and looking after amazing objects. They show us things about history, art, science, and even how people lived long ago. You can find everything from ancient dinosaur bones to cool old cars and even space rockets!
Whether you love exploring old castles, learning about brave knights, or discovering how things work, there's a museum in Leicestershire for you. Get ready to dive into the past, explore new ideas, and have an adventure!
Contents
Awesome Museums to Explore
Journey Through Time
Leicestershire has many places where you can step back in time and discover incredible stories.
Ancient Discoveries
The Jewry Wall Museum in Leicester is super cool because it's right next to the ancient Roman Jewry Wall and old Roman baths! Inside, you can see Roman mosaics and other amazing items found from prehistoric times all the way to the Middle Ages in Leicester. It's like a window into how people lived thousands of years ago.
Medieval Life and Royalty
King Richard III: Dynasty, Death and Discovery in Leicester tells the fascinating story of King Richard III. You can learn about his life, his death, and how archaeologists found his remains under a car park! It's a real-life detective story.
The Leicester Guildhall is a beautiful old building from the Middle Ages. It has cool half-timbered walls and even Victorian prison cells! Since 2015, it also has galleries that show what medieval Leicester was like.
Donington le Heath Manor House Museum in Coalville is a medieval house from the 16th century. It gives you a peek into what life was like for people living hundreds of years ago.
Historic Homes and Castles
Belgrave Hall in Leicester is a Victorian house that shows you how different life was for a rich family compared to their servants. It's interesting to see the fancy rooms and the busy kitchens!
Belvoir Castle near Grantham is a grand castle with beautiful gardens. You can explore its impressive rooms and imagine what it was like to live in a castle.
Rockingham Castle near Market Harborough is another amazing historic house. It used to be a royal castle and a hunting lodge, and it also has lovely gardens to explore.
Stanford Hall near Lutterworth is a stunning house built in the William and Mary style. It's a great example of old English architecture.
Stoneywell in Ulverscroft is a unique summer home designed in the Arts and Crafts style. It's run by the National Trust and shows a different kind of historic living.
Battles and Bravery
The Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre and Country Park in Sutton Cheney tells the story of the famous Battle of Bosworth in 1485. This battle was a big part of the War of the Roses, and you can learn how historians found the exact spot where it happened.
The Loughborough Carillon & War Memorial is a World War I memorial. It has a carillon (a musical instrument with bells) and a military museum, teaching you about the brave soldiers.
Science, Space, and Technology
If you love science and how things work, these museums are for you!
Amazing Machines
The Abbey Pumping Station in Leicester is a science and technology museum inside a Victorian sewage pumping station. It has huge beam engines that still work, and cool exhibits on light, optics, old transport, and even an "interactive toilet"!
The National Space Centre in Leicester is an out-of-this-world experience! It's all about space science and astronomy. You can see rockets, learn about planets, and even feel like you're in space.
The Donington Grand Prix Exhibition at the Donington Park motor racing circuit is perfect for car lovers. It focuses on Grand Prix and Formula One race cars – super fast machines!
The Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome Aircraft Museum has a collection of Cold War jet planes. Imagine seeing these powerful aircraft up close! (Note: This museum is currently closed.)
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The East Midlands Aeropark near Castle Donington also has complete airplanes on display, along with engines and other aircraft parts. You can get a close look at how planes are built.
Industrial Innovations
Moira Furnace is a 19th-century iron-making blast furnace. It shows how iron was made long ago, which was a very important industry.
The National Gas Museum Leicester explores the history of the gas industry. You can learn how gas was produced and supplied, and see old gas appliances.
John Taylor & Co in Loughborough is a bell foundry. They have a collection of bells used in clock towers, churches, and carillons. You can learn how these huge musical instruments are made!
The Wigston Framework Knitters Museum shows how stockings and other knitted items were made using special machines called stocking frames. It's a look into an important local industry.
Local Life and Culture
These museums tell the stories of the towns and villages in Leicestershire.
Community Stories
Charnwood Museum in Loughborough covers the history, geology, archaeology, and industries of the local area. It's a great place to learn about the land you live on.
The Melton Carnegie Museum in Melton Mowbray focuses on local history and culture, including the famous Stilton cheese and pork pies made in the area. Yum!
Harborough Museum in Market Harborough also explores local history, culture, and industry, and it's home to the amazing Hallaton Treasure!
The Hinckley and District Museum is in a framework knitter's cottage from the 1740s. You can see an old knitting frame and learn about local history.
Transport Tales
The Foxton Canal Museum near Foxton tells the story of the Foxton Locks, which are a series of steps that boats use to go up and down a hill on the canal. You can learn about the lives of the canal workers and how canals changed transport.
Loughborough Central Station is a 1950s period station museum on the Great Central Railway. You can experience what a train station was like many years ago.
The Shackerstone Railwayana Museum is at Shackerstone Station, which is part of the Battlefield Line Railway. It's a great place for train enthusiasts!
Other Interesting Museums
Variety of Collections
The New Walk Museum and Art Gallery in Leicester is a fantastic place with many different collections. You can see dinosaurs, learn about geology, admire art, explore Ancient Egypt, and discover natural history and world art.
Newarke Houses Museum in Leicester also has a variety of exhibits. It covers local history, shows rooms set up like they were in the 17th century and the 1950s/70s, and has collections of toys and a period street scene. It also tells the story of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment.
Conkers in Moira is a natural history museum and visitor center for The National Forest. It's all about nature, woodlands, and the environment.
The Stonehurst Family Farm and Motor Museum in Mountsorrel combines a family farm with an automobile museum. You can see farm animals and cool old cars!
Swannington Hough Mill is a historic mill operated by the Swannington Heritage Trust. It's a great example of old milling technology.
Specialized Collections
The Guru Nanak Sikh Museum in Leicester focuses on Sikh art, history, and culture. It's a place to learn about this important religion and its traditions.
The William Carey Museum in Leicester, located at the Central Baptist Church, tells the story of William Carey, a pioneer missionary.
Museums to Discover (Check Websites!)
Some smaller museums are great for local history:
- Ashby de la Zouch Museum in Ashby-de-la-Zouch
- Castle Donington Museum in Castle Donington
- Fleckney Museum in Fleckney
- Hallaton Museum in Hallaton
- Kegworth Museum in Kegworth
- Lutterworth Museum in Lutterworth, which also has a display about Sir Frank Whittle, who invented the jet engine!
- Measham Museum in Measham, housed in an old railway station.
- Old Rectory Museum in Loughborough, run by the Loughborough Archaeological and Historical Society.
- Sir John Moore Heritage Centre in Appleby Magna, showing Victorian life in a school from 1891.
Museums That Have Closed
Sometimes museums close their doors. Here are a couple that used to be open in Leicestershire:
- City Gallery, Leicester, closed in 2010.
- Snibston Discovery Museum, closed in July 2015.
Images for kids
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Castle Donington Museum is in the stone building on the right.
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De Montfort University Heritage Centre.
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Leicester Baptist Church, home to the William Carey Museum.
See also
- Category:Tourist attractions in Leicestershire
