18 museums shortlisted across four categories with undercover family judges to visit venues over summer holidays to rate against charity’s manifesto.
The shortlist for the annual Family Friendly Museum Award has been announced.
Run by charity Kids in Museums, the annual awards are based on votes from hundreds of UK families via its website. An expert panel, including children, young people and accessibility experts whittle down the nominations to the shortlist announced today.
The charity said the 18 nominees for 2025 “have demonstrated their commitment to providing a memorable experience for families of all shapes and sizes”, and “are vital spaces for disadvantaged communities, offering families a comfortable, free place to spend time together.”
Vanessa Eke, chair of Kids in Museums, called the shortlist “testament to the hard work and dedication of venues creating welcoming, memorable experiences for their family visitors”.
“It’s great to see how many venues are going the extra mile to provide free and low cost opportunities for families to spend time together, have fun and try something new. The Family Friendly Museum Award is a great opportunity to recognise this ambition and dedication on a national level.”
The full list of museums shortlisted for the Family Friendly Museum Award 2025 is:
Best Accessible Museum
- The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, Canterbury
- Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, Halifax
- Worsbrough Mill Museum and Country Park, Barnsley
Best Small Museum
- Abbey House Museum, Leeds
- Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea
- Experience Barnsley Museum and Discovery Centre, Barnsley
- North Lincolnshire Museum, Scunthorpe
- Showtown Blackpool
Best Medium Museum
- The Amelia Scott, Tunbridge Wells
- Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle upon Tyne
- National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
- V&A Dundee
Best Large Museum
- The Burrell Collection, Glasgow
- Horniman Museum and Gardens, London
- London Transport Museum, London
Over the summer holidays, undercover family judges will visit the shortlisted museums and rate them on how well they meet the Kids in Museums Manifesto, a set of guidelines created by families on what makes a great museum visit for all ages.
This year, a new award category celebrates museums that have given young people meaningful opportunities to explore social justice issues. The charity said new ‘Best Museum Youth Project: Social Justice’ award was open to museum applications only and will be judged by an expert panel, including the Kids in Museums Youth Panel.
Best Museum Youth Project: Social Justice
- Black Cultural Archives, London
- Glasgow Life Museums
- Wiltshire Museum
Previous winners of the Family Friendly Museum Award include Young V&A (2024), Craven Museum (2023), the National Emergency Services Museum in Sheffield (2022), Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery in Alnwick (2021), Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum in Dunfermline (2019) and Leeds City Museum (2018).
