National Waterways Museum Gloucester — Attraction in Gloucester

There's really not a lot here at all. Only for real enthusiasts.

It has recently had a refurbishment and does appear to be well presented when you arrive with a gift shop.and quaint little cafe area. There's a lift available to take you to the higher level which is handy too.

The exhibitions are of a good size, but there's very few of them.if you didn't read all the blurb and/or stand and watch the videos (as I often don't with kids in tow) you could see this in 10 minutes there's that little here.

On the second floor there are two bridge building activities and a fancy dress section which are nice for kids, but that's the only interactive element in the whole museum. The kids loved this little section and if you're lucky and visit with kids when it's quite you could likely spend a short while here, but I'd hate to think what it would be like if it was busy.

3 Standout Good Things/Things to try:

Seems to have some nice things for enthusiasts like a huge replica string boat, working engines, videos and so on. Someone who has the enthusiasm and inclination could probably spend a good while soaking it all up. Cafe seemed nice and gift shop seemed nice Lovely location and outside around the docks (which isn't actually part of the museum) there are loads of boats to see and other activities like the Quays shopping centre, restaurant and bars.

3 Areas that could be improved:

More interactive exhibitions, especially ones aimed at children Guides giving you explanations about exhibits etc. Greater use of the amazing outlook. (One thing that was a particular disappointment is that this is on the docks, but you can't see out of any of the windows on the first floor. Being able to appreciate the area from an aerial vantage point would be a huge plus. Especially if there was a guide there to explain more about the area and what elements were/are used for

I like to try and include 3 points in each category for my main reviews and so the negatives and positives should really be taken in the context of the whole review.

In the case of the National Waterways Museum I really felt disappointed. With a National status I would really have expected a lot more and would rather have paid more for a better experience than the disappointing one...

Excellent value but only for repeat visits. Great Café.

Everything is well preserved and presented though there’s no sense of continuity or narrative to everything as a whole. I also found the layout sightly confusing and, on my first visit, didn’t realise there was an upstairs.

The many exhibits keep the attention of adults whereas the hands on stuff is very much for kids. The museum is fairly small so try and visit in half term to avoid school groups.

The entrance fee is expensive for a single visit but includes repeat visits for a year. If the visit is a 'one off’ then get your money’s worth by buttonholing a volunteer to explain things. They know a lot that more than is on the display cards.

All the staff are a great bunch and willing to help and offer information.

The café serves reasonably priced food and drinks. The tea is good and cakes taste homemade (in a good way). If it’s not too sunny or crowded, sit in the area by the big window.

There’s a small car park nearby (Southgate Moorings - Gloucester Docks), just off the main road, which fills quickly every day. The Quays shopping centre (5 minutes walk away) has a large multi storey...

This was first on my list when visiting Gloucester.

Tickets cost £10 and you can spend about an hour here (maybe less) if you'd like to see everything. It's on 2 floors, and details the waterways if Gloucester and the history of it all.

Its quite educational if you'd like to learn about ships and the river Severn. But the museum isn't that big so there isn't really a lot to see and look around. There is a café and gift shop on the ground floor.

I think £5 would be a fairer price to visit, considering how short I stayed, and I usually immerse myself with all the exhibits, photos and information.

I enjoyed the Gloucester museum much more, which is a free museum and has a bit more interesting artefacts and information (though you can probably see all of that in about an hour or so).

I did like the outside area where you can turn a device that plays animal sounds, asking you to guess...