Britain's most family friendly museums announced

Manchester Museum.

The longlist for the Telegraph Family Friendly Museum Award – the biggest museum award in Britain – has been announced. Kids in Museums joined forces with the Telegraph newspaper for the the award which was launched by poet and broadcaster Michael Rosen in the Life section of the Sunday Telegraph.  

Dea Birkett, Director of Kids in Museums, said:

'Museums are changing and visitors are becoming more and more discerning. It's no longer enough to offer a few finger paints for five year olds. Visitors have said in their hundreds that they want the whole family – from 15 to a few months – to feel they belong among the mummies and old masters. That's the challenge they’ve set museums. And that’s what the longlist are working so well towards meeting.'

A distinguished panel of judges, chaired by Jenny Abramsky, chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund, will pick a shortlist, which will be announced in the Telegraph in April. The shortlisted museums will then be road-tested anonymously by families who will pick the winner, to be announced in May.

The longlisted museums are:

• World Museum, Liverpool
• Haslemere Educational Museum, Surrey
• Museum of London and Museum of London Docklands
• National Army Museum, London
• The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke on Trent
• River and Rowing Museum, Henley on Thames
• Yorkshire Sculpture Park
• Jewish Museum, London
• Museum of English Rural Life, West Berkshire
• Brixham Heritage Museum, Devon
• Geffrye Museum, London
• The Cardiff Story 
• Cumberland House Natural History Museum, Southsea
• Manchester Museum
• Nottingham Contemporary 
• Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon
• Wolverhampton Art Gallery
• National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
• Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archives
• Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery, Cumbria

Find out more about the award at www.kidsinmuseums.org.uk/awards

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