The shortlist for this year’s Family Friendly Museum Award has been revealed ahead of an awards ceremony in October.

The annual awards are organised by Kids in Museums, a charity which works with museums to make them more welcoming of children, young people and families.

The shortlist was created after a panel of the charity’s staff, volunteers, Trustees, young people, accessibility experts, schoolchildren and an ESOL group, assessed 110 nominations submitted by families.

To select its winners, undercover family judges will now visit the shortlisted museums and assess them against the Kids in Museums Manifesto, the charity’s set of guidelines for museums.

This year includes a new award category, Best Youth Project – Climate. The award has been created to recognise projects engaging young people on the topic of the climate emergency and sustainability, and was open to museum applications.

The shortlist for the Family Friendly Museum Award 2023

Best Large Museum

  • Horniman Museum and Gardens, London
  • Museum of Liverpool
  • National Maritime Museum, London

Best Medium Museum

  • The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, Canterbury
  • Compton Verney, Warwickshire
  • Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle upon Tyne
  • The MAC, Belfast

Best Small Museum

  • Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea
  • National Civil War Centre, Newark
  • Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro
  • Valence House Museum, Dagenham
  • Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Best Accessible Museum

  • Cannon Hall Museum, Park and Gardens, Barnsley
  • Craven Museum | Skipton Town Hall
  • Maidstone Museum

Best Youth Project – Climate

  • Falmouth Art Gallery – Splanna
  • London Transport Museum – Green Skills Hackathon
  • Tullie, Carlisle – Once Upon a Planet

Vanessa Eke, Chair of Kids in Museums, said: “Museums across the UK are an amazing resource for families looking for a memorable, affordable and fun day out this summer. We hope families enjoy visiting the shortlist over the holidays!”

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