“The National Maritime Museum is free to enter, large, fascinating and includes lots of great things for you and your baby to see and do.”

We highly recommend this museum for you and your baby. There are many great facilities and sights you and your little one will enjoy. The National Maritime Museum is free to enter, large, fascinating and includes lots of great things for you and your baby to see and do. There are very few down sides here. Lily was fascinated by the colours, light and sights of the museum’s galleries. She particularly liked the world map which is on the floor in the main foyer area –with lots of space for little ones to crawl or toddle around in a wide, safe and inspiring open space. 

There is a one-way system in operation at the moment to support covid safety. This had the unintended benefit of highlighting galleries we had never visited before. The route is entirely level access and all of the front of house staff were helpful, kind and supportive. Lily is particularly excited about boats at the moment so all of the different and unusual types of boats and ships on display were a particular highlight for her. There are lots of displays at low level – perfectly situated to be seen from a buggy or wheelchair, what a kind and inclusive idea, thank you NMM!

A small word of caution for little children – the Lord Nelson Gallery has a discreet section about historic medical techniques. This is a bit gory, but easily avoided.

Under usual circumstances I would enthuse about and highly recommend their toddler’s interactive gallery “A’ hoy”. This on-theme section is situated on the ground floor, there is a buggy-park and the toddler interactive gallery is completely enclosed so there is no risk of any small feet running off or getting lost. Interactives include rock pools to play in, a range of seaside shops and a fish mongers for imaginative play, a scaled size ship to explore and climb around including ‘cabins’, ‘the boiler room’, ‘ships wheel’ and ‘galley’. There is an iceberg game and polar explorer dressing up. This space is free to enter, never overcrowded and perfect for crawlers to 4-year-olds. The National Maritime Museum is free to enter, although places should be booked in advance at present. 

If we are going to nit-pick the baby changing facilities were not very clean or very nice. (Note to Museums – please don’t use your access loo as a broom cupboard, that’s not ok people!) On to better things, we travelled to the museum by car and parked just off Trafalgar Road (£3 per hour pay and display). The nearest DLR station is Cutty Sark and they have full level access.