Each year we put the power in families’ hands to crown the winner of our annual Family Friendly Museum Award – the only museum award to be judged by families.

Between April and June, we received hundreds of nominations for 80 different museums across the UK. At the end of June, our shortlisting panel whittled down these nominations to 20 outstanding museums going the extra mile to welcome children, young people and families.

Returning after our one-off celebration of digital activities in 2020, this year’s award recognises museums’ work both online and offline since our last Family Friendly Museum Award winner was announced in October 2019.

Our new Best Accessible Museum category celebrates museums making excellent efforts to include families with children or young people who have special educational needs and disabilities. Shortlisted museums will also be given feedback on how they can further improve their offer for families.

Emmajane Avery, Chair of Kids in Museums, said: “Congratulations to all the museums shortlisted for this year’s Family Friendly Museum Award. We had a great response despite the challenging circumstances, showing how important these places are as the settings of some of our happiest family memories. We hope our family judges enjoy their visits over the summer holidays and we look forward to hearing their verdicts.”

The shortlist for the Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award 2021 is:

Best Large Museum

  • Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle
  • Horniman Museum and Gardens, London
  • World Museum, Liverpool

Best Medium Museum

  • London Transport Museum
  • The Box, Plymouth
  • Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum
  • University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge

Best Small Museum

  • Abbey House Museum, Leeds
  • Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery, Alnwick
  • Dorset Museum
  • Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast
  • Wisbech and Fenland Museum

Best Accessible Museum

  • Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
  • Postal Museum, London
  • The Egypt Centre, Swansea

Best Digital Activity

What happens next?

Over the summer holidays, undercover family judges will visit each shortlisted museum and judge them on how well they meet our Kids in Museums Manifesto. Families will also test out our shortlisted digital activities from home.

Their experiences will decide a winner for each award category and an overall winner of the Family Friendly Museum Award 2021. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.

Interested in becoming a family judge? Find out more and sign up.

Follow the Family Friendly Museum Award on social media by following @kidsinmuseums and #FamilyFriendlyMuseum.