With an improved offer for families, more interactive exhibits and on-the-water and waterside attractions, it’s never been a better time to visit the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester.
Housed in a listed warehouse in the heart of what once was the bustling Gloucester Docks, the museum will take you on a historical journey, telling the 200-year history of the docks and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.
For your entrance fee, which lasts for 12 months of repeat visits, you can enjoy a fantastic new ‘help yourself’ family activity station with word searches, trails, and activity books. There are also play areas on the ground and first floors with water related toys and equipment from dressing up to playing in boats!
The museum now houses the regional headquarters of the Canal and River Trust, owners of the museum. Together they can collaborate in bringing more people to enjoy the docks. There are plans to improve the pontoons along with offering more activity on the water days and taster sessions with Discover Paddling.
Along with the family and water attractions, a new audio stories bench is being launched in July. Visitors will be able to sit next to the waterside and listen to a series of theatrical recordings about Gloucester Docks from the historical points of view of people who experienced it.
Marketing Manager Sarah Betts wants the museum to be a ‘haven’ for people seeking both fun, but also a place of calm and well-being. She said, ‘We have improved, and are still in the process of improving our offer for visitors. We want families to come and just hang-out here; the kids can play while you have cake and coffee in our lovely café. Your ticket allows you to return as many times as you like in 12 months. We want to make it easy for people to come back and make the most of their annual membership ‘
For an extra cost, the National Waterways Museum Gloucester offers 45-minute boat trips along the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal on Queen Boadicea II, a Dunkirk Little Ship. This fantastic commentary led boat trip runs from Tuesday to Saturday until the end of October.
Sarah said, ‘We are a well-being charity, so along with all the history, we want people to come and discover the canal as something living; something they can enjoy now. Mental well-being is currently particularly low for young adults across the UK, but spending time by the water is a brilliant way to recharge and improve your wellbeing.’
Along with the café, the National Waterways Museum has a fantastic selection of picnic benches, funded by the Friends of the National Waterways Museum, which you can relax on outside. The café and the gift shop are free to visit all year round to pop in for a cuppa!
For all information about the museum including opening times and activities, click here:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit/national-waterways-museum-gloucester
