Windermere Lake Cruises
England's biggest lake from the deck of a proper boat, with red, yellow and green routes so you can pick a 45-minute hop or a full lake cruise. Combo tickets pair it with the aquarium or the steam railway.
The Dock Museum
Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
The building sits over a Victorian graving dock, which gives it an unusual shape and a very deep hole at its centre.
The collections run from the Oldest Northerner and Viking and Roman finds through the railways to the shipbuilding that defined Barrow, and the galleries are laid out with families in mind instead of as a chronology to be endured.
Everything about the pricing is easy. Entry is free, the car park is free, the wifi is free, and there are quizzes with prizes for children as they go round. The Bridge Cafe handles food and drink, there is a shop, and the baby changing is described as spacious, which is not a phrase museums usually bother with.
Outside there is an adventure playground, picnic tables and a walk along the historic dock where you can watch the fishing boats. Opening is Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, with variations at Christmas. For a free day out in a part of Cumbria with very little else on offer, it is a good one.
Know before you go
- Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm, and shut Monday and Tuesday. It is a short window for a free museum, so plan around it. Bring a picnic for the tables outside and the whole day can cost you a coffee, though the playground and the dockside walk are outdoors, so a wet day here is museum only.
Seasonal: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays all year. Check before travelling.
Looking for more museums & science near Barrow-in-Furness?
Nearest to Barrow-in-Furness
Brockhole on Windermere
The national park's visitor centre with treetop nets, archery, mini golf, boat hire and a big adventure playground running down to the lake shore. Free to wander; the activities are pay-as-you-go.
The World of Beatrix Potter
Peter Rabbit's world recreated in walk-through scenes, ending in the garden with Mr McGregor's vegetables. Squarely for the under-8s; it is small, sweet and unashamed of it.
Lakes Aquarium
A small, well-done aquarium at the quiet end of Windermere with an underwater tunnel walk beneath the lake's own fish, plus otters and rays. Pairs naturally with the steam railway next door.
Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway
A short, perfectly-formed steam line through the Leven valley that connects with the Windermere boats at Lakeside. Do train plus cruise and you have built the classic Lakes day without a single car park argument.
Lakeland Motor Museum
Thousands of vehicles and period pieces packed into a riverside mill, with the Campbell Bluebird story told properly in its own gallery. One for kids who like machines; a surprisingly good wet-weather card.