Do you visit museums and art galleries? Do you have a favourite?

[jonny jeez]

A good friend of mine is a senior curator at the V&A so I spend a good deal of time there, backstage too. That said an imperial Museum isn't my first choice, I prefer science or nature.

I always have loved the architecture...actually the brickwork... at the Natural History Museum, its awesome.The content there is pretty good too, the free stuff at least, I've never paid to enter any of the "special" displays.

 

[Dave 123]

The Fitzwilliam in Cambridge is great. Lots of your usual artefacts and a big pottery & porcelain exhibit that's nice.
Went to the National Gallery the other week and I can never get my head around Turners skies. I like to stand up real close and scrutinise every tiny bit, then walk across the gallery and turn and look again- a WOW moment every time.
There was one of his in there the other day of a train coming across a bridge, all blurs and smudges, and from 10yds you can hear the noise of the train, it's so brilliant!
After this we went to see Tosca at the Royal Opera House. Northern working class lad jumps ship....

 

[stephec]

The last museum I went to was the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry which was well worth a visit. I also enjoyed the Imperial War Museum North a few years ago.

Those two are both good.

I like the RAF museum at Cosford, and the NRM at York is always worth a visit.

 

[screenman]

I have never been to a museum I did not enjoy, like User the Maritime is or was a favourite my nan used to live by the entrance to it so I spent many a day in there, often as a child and often on my own.

 

[Sandra6]

Locally we only really have tullie house, which we visit a couple of times a year. We go to at least one of the places along Hadrian's wall in the summer too but they're pricey for what you get
Love York railway museum and the one behind Clifford's tower - also love that you pay once and can go back all year! The art gallery used to be a fave too but we were disappointed on the last trip.
We visited Liverpool recently and went to the world museum which was good, but the surprise hit was the museum of slavery. Not for the faint hearted!
Newcastle discovery museum is alright too, and free!

 

[glenn forger]

The Museum of London is good but a bit claustrophobic, it will have half as much space again when it moves to Smithfield. If I went to the BM I'd walk in and cross the quad and go to the left where those two Assyrian gates were that had a game scratched in the stone so bored guards 3000 years ago could play dice as they guarded.

 

[Moon bunny]

Part of my job is visiting other museums. Discounting science, transport and maritime museums because of professional interest, I would say the minerals in the Ulster museum, Belfast are well worth a visit if you are round that way, including one specimen of haematite which was mined within view of my present address. Being allowed to drive Falcon at the museum of the Broads is perhaps the outstanding highlight so far. Another privilege is seeing 19th century engineering drawings, many too fragile to be displayed to the public, but real works of art, beautifully water-coloured and hand lettered.

 

[screenman]

Had a walk around the Natural History one night with only security lights on, it was an invitation only do, a change of pants was needed shortly after.

 

[annedonnelly]

If I'm visiting somewhere new I try to visit one or more museums. Locally I'll go to see special exhibitions when they're on.

If you like museums can I suggest you keep visiting them - and encourage your family & friends too. They're really suffering from cuts - at least three in the north east are closing soon. So if you don't go now you might never get the chance!

 

[Mrs M]

I liked the Museum of Childhood in Edinburgh which I last visited on a school trip (many moons ago).
Probably have space hoppers and Raleigh Choppers in there now .
Aberdeen Art Gallery is pretty good although they've just discovered a medieval grave beneath it, believed to be the site of Blackfriars Abbey dating from around 1230ish.
Gallery will be closed for a while.
Don't know if Anne Frank's House is a museum or gallery but one of the most memorable for me. Especially the height chart drawn on the wall and the pictures of the Queen and Princess Margaret, along with film stars pasted onto the wall.

 

[screenman]

If I'm visiting somewhere new I try to visit one or more museums. Locally I'll go to see special exhibitions when they're on.

If you like museums can I suggest you keep visiting them - and encourage your family & friends too. They're really suffering from cuts - at least three in the north east are closing soon. So if you don't go now you might never get the chance!

That is sad.

 

[Profpointy]

I give you The Nothe Fort - a museum / historic fort near Weymouth. I believe it's run by enthusiasts rather.than officialdom and that enthusiasm, attention to detail, and above all quirkiness and joy shines through. As you go into the fort you come to the tea shop - done up like a NAAFI with vera lynne on the valve-sound wireless at tea in tin mugs. Each section is done up in a different era - 100 ton rifle muzzle loaders manned by (manekin) Victorian Artillerymen in pill-box hats in one area, their "NAAFI being a iron stove with a bubbling stew, and hams hanging up and a little mouse peeping out. Next area a WW2 anti aircraft defence, then a massive diorama of D-day - each room something different.

Highly reccommended. We managed to just about see most of it in a couple of hours by virtually running round. Will go again allowing a full day

 

[London Female]

Don't know if Anne Frank's House is a museum or gallery but one of the most memorable for me. Especially the height chart drawn on the wall and the pictures of the Queen and Princess Margaret, along with film stars pasted onto the wall.[/QUOTE]

We queued for ages to get into the Anne Frank House but it was worth the wait. My daughter would like to go back and see it again along with a few other museums we didn't get around to seeing.

 

[Sandra6]

Having only got as far as the cafe and one of their offices when my daughter split her head open while queuing for Anne Frank's house, its on my list of places to revisit.

 

[Piemaster]

Science museum down that London... fabulous.

Only been there once but...wow. My wife wanted to know why I was standing there all slacked jawed and gawping.
"It's The Rocket"
"The what?"
"THE ROCKET"
"??"
"The.....oh I give up"
Surprised me that it struck me at that moment how significant it is, having seen replicas before

Duxford air museum is very special too. There was a spitfire doing practice flybys the day we were there. Somewhere I really want to go back to as we skipped one of the exhibit hangers completely to not rush around the others.