LearningCenters, Penzance

The story of the Mayflower Pilgrims is an enduring tale of courage in the face of adversity. Though these early settlers of the New World play a significant role in America's past, they left their mark in Plymouth too. These early religious refugees, who sailed into Plymouth by chance, were only in port for a few days. Evidence of their stay can be found on the streets around the city and Mayflower is a familiar name heard by many. The Mayflower set sail for the New World in 1620. However, this epic journey begins some years earlier in the Midlands, in a small village called Scrooby. The gallery features a model of the Mayflower Ship built on a 1:11 inch scale by apprentices at Devonport Royal Dockyard for the 350th year anniversary of the Mayflower Pilgrims sailing from Plymouth. The model features 360 fathoms of rigging, 332 handmade blocks and six handmade sails totalling 64 square feet in area. https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/things-to-do/mayflower-museum-p928703

Visit the UK's largest Aquarium and be amazed by our fascinating underwater world and how we all play a part in conserving it. All-day tickets come with a free 12-month pass so pay once, and return as much as you like throughout the year! The National Marine Aquarium is run by the Ocean Conservation Trust, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the Ocean. A visit to the Aquarium will take you on a journey across the world's Ocean, from the shores of Plymouth Sound to the coral reefs of the tropics of Australia. With over 4000 animals to meet including sharks, stingrays, octopuses, jellyfish and a cheeky turtle, there will be something different on every visit. Their Ocean Conservation Trust’s public Host team deliver an action-packed talk schedule, including feeds, workshops and their famous not-to-be-missed interactive Dive Show every day at 2 pm. With four main zones, their exhibits include the UK’s deepest and largest tank, the UK’s largest native exhibit, the UK’s largest single viewing panel and many more interactive displays. If you’re looking for a day to keep the little ones engaged, then you can break up the learning & inspiration with some hands-on fun in Aquarium’s new Loola Land Soft Play or catch some sun in their stunning garden with sea views and games. https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/things-to-do/national-marine-aquarium-p126153

At the National Waterfront Museum take in the sights and sounds of more than 300 years of Welsh industry and innovation. Using cutting-edge interactive technology, the Museum puts you in charge of the experience putting the past right at your fingertips. Located on the quayside of Swansea Marina - originally the South Dock of 1859 - the Museum stands in the former commercial heart of one of Wales's foremost industrial towns. Copper sheets made in Swansea once sheathed the hulls of the Royal Navy - to this day the term copper-bottomed implies quality and reliability! 15 themed galleries each tell a different aspect of this crucial period in Welsh history using a mix of touch screen technology and real objects, enabling visitors to be in charge of tracing their own experience of the fascinating - and still evolving - story of industrial Wales. https://www.visitwales.com/product/968712

The Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea is the focal point for exhibitions, studies and events on Dylan Thomas. The Centre is home to a permanent exhibition, ‘Love the Words’, which opened on 27 October 2014, Dylan’s 100th birthday. The interactive displays tell the story of the work, life and cultural context of one of the twentieth century’s most significant writers, and the exhibition includes a learning space, activities for children, and a temporary exhibition area. The Dylan Thomas Centre also runs a learning, outreach, and events programme. Guided tours of the exhibition at the Dylan Thomas Centre can be arranged for groups of all ages. https://www.visitwales.com/product/518079

A huge exciting exhibition of all things connected with the sea. You'll need a full day here, with aquariums, film & live shows and over 1000 kinds of living creatures. Discover the oceans in 3 pavilions: Polar (penguins, seals & a real ice floe); Tropical (underwater views of sharks & coral reefs) and Temperate (aspects of the sea around Brittany including seals & jellyfish). A new exhibition, 'Abysses' explains the wonders and diversity of marine life. http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/guides/france/brittany/brest/attractions/oceanopolis

National Museum Cardiff is situated in the heart of Cardiff’s elegant civic centre and houses world-class art and natural history, including Wales’s national art, natural history and geology collections, as well as major touring and temporary exhibitions. If you want to stand and stare, there’s plenty to please your eye – from Impressionist paintings to gigantic dinosaurs. For exploring you can pick up a range of gallery trails to guide you around the Museum. With a busy programme of exhibitions and events, we have something to amaze everyone, whatever your interest – and admission is free! https://www.visitcardiff.com/highlights/national-museum/

Come and visit the ‘Jewel’ in the crown of the Jurassic Coast, The Etches Collection Museum of Jurassic Marine Life situated in the village of Kimmeridge, Dorset Housing the finest single collection of Late Jurassic age fossils all found by just one man, Dr Steve Etches MBE - you will be mesmerised by sea monsters, prehistoric predators and the marine flora and fauna of 152-157 million years ago when Kimmeridge was but a shallow, tropical sea, during the great age of the Dinosaurs. All of the fossils in the collection were found by Steve in the Kimmeridge Bay locality, from the world-famous oil-rich Kimmeridge Clay, within 2 miles of where the Museum is located. Learn about their Stories from Deep Time interpreted with state of the art CGI imagery of Jurassic marine life swimming above the amazing fossils in the museum gallery. https://www.bournemouth.co.uk/things-to-do/the-etches-collection-museum-of-jurassic-marine-life-p2629493

Discover over 400 species of exotic and endangered animals from across the globe at Bristol Zoo Gardens, all set within award-winning gardens spanning over 12 acres. Journey into an amazing animal kingdom and meet famous faces as well as some unusual creatures you never knew existed! Meet your favourite creatures face to face with spectacular immersive experiences. Marvel at a 32-stone gorilla strolling overhead in a glass-floored gorilla house, the only one of its kind in Europe. Crawl through a tunnel to pop up among a cheeky meerkat mob. Journey underwater to watch seals and penguins zoom around you. Enter the leafy home of the lemurs in a walk-through (peak season only), or meet a flock of colourful lorikeets. Big and little adventurers alike can climb, clamber and swing through the air in a thrilling aerial ropes course, ZooRopia. Travel through the treetops alongside the gibbons and gorillas, tackling 17 gravity-defying challenges before flying down the zip wire to finish. Kids also love Splash, a water play area with winding streams, dams and the chance to get toes wet. Run wild in a adventure playground, or head to the Activity Centre for face-painting* and crafts galore from 11am to 4.30pm every day. https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/bristol-zoo-gardens-p24341

Based at the heart of Southampton, SeaCity Museum tells the story of the people of the city, their fascinating lives and historic connections with Titanic and the sea through three interactive exhibitions: Southampton's Titanic Story, Gateway to the World and the new Southampton Stories exhibition in the Pavilion. The SeaCity Cafe has a wide range of fresh locally sources food available https://visitsouthampton.co.uk/business-directory/seacity-museum

The Dinan Rail Museum has been open to the public since 1989 and welcomes nearly 5,000 visitors each year. The museum is spread over 4 large rooms, video projections, static and dynamic collections of scale models will immerse you in the heart of the history of rail. Since its creation in 1983, the association of friends of the Dinanne rail has brought together enthusiasts of the railroad and railway model making (some often merging with the others). This museum is the fruit of their unconventional love for the railway heritage of their region. The visit lasts approximately 45 minutes and can continue with the discovery of Dinan, a medieval city. The city has a park: the Val Cocherel garden - equipped for picnics with the family (tables, games, toilets ...). The museum staff will provide you with any information on this subject. http://www.museedurail-dinan.com/

Important pilgrimage centre from the 8th to 18th century, the Benedictine Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel is a remarkable example of medieval architecture which is both military and religious. Visitors will be enthralled by the abbey church, the cloisters, the refectory and the monks' promenade. In summer, see a different facet of the abbey, watching the night fall during a nocturnal visit accompanied by sound and light… http://en.normandie-tourisme.fr/pcu/abbaye-du-mont-saint-michel/le-mont-saint-michel/fiche-PCUNOR050FS000M6-2.html?iDD=6

Re-opened at the old Music Hall in April 2014, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery tells the stories that make Shropshire unique through its’ amazing galleries: Roman Gallery, Shropshire Gallery, Medieval, Tudor and Stuart Galleries and the Special Exhibition Gallery. Come and explore millions of years of history through over one thousand remarkable objects in the extraordinary set of building that house Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery. From key Shropshire finds like the Roman tombstones and headstones and the Shropshire Mammoth to a fine geology and Tudor collection, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery intimately depicts local history using all senses. Since opening, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery has established itself as the perfect family museum and holds events and activities throughout the week that are ideal for children. Children and their families can take part in great activities like Mini-Mammoths to following the trail of Maximo Mouse through the museum – there’s always something in this family Museum for children to have fun and learn. https://originalshrewsbury.co.uk/visit/shrewsbury-museum-art-gallery

A Museum displaying the University's natural history specimens including some remarkable Paleontological Collections. The museum is also the home to the last seen Dodo bird in existence. Today, all that remains from rot are its beak and its feet. The Museum was also the sight of the 1860s evolution debate between Thomas Henry Huxley and Bishop Samuel Wilberforce, which famously critiqued the publication of Charles Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species'. http://www.oxfordcityguide.com/frmInfoDetail.aspx?aId=227

Cadbury World is a self-guided exhibition tour. Find out how popular Cadbury brands are made, including Creme Egg, Buttons and Roses. What makes Cadbury chocolate so deliciously wonderful? Here's where you'll find out how Cadbury World do it. Discover how it's made and hold on tight, you could be in for a few surprises! Learn about the most important ingredients of milk chocolate... and the way Cadbury combines them to create that unique Cadbury taste. Also practice your chocolate piping skills at Cadbury World new demonstration tables. Doodle your name in chocolate & try your hand at traditional chocolate tempering. The Have A Go zone is not to be missed! https://www.cadburyworld.co.uk/en

Award-winning corner of the West Midlands is now one of the finest and largest open-air museums in the United Kingdom. After very humble beginnings, a bright idea and 40 years of inspiration, this is twenty six acres worth exploring. Amazing as it may seem, we have created a ‘place’ – a real and lively place, where once there was nothing and nobody. With a village and charismatic residents to chat with. Hear the stories of the people who lived and worked in the Black Country from our friendly Historic Characters. They'll explain what it was really like to be alive at the height of the Industrial Revolution. Visit a fairground - fancy a bit of old-fashioned fun? Why not visit our fairground with original rides dating back to 1910? Have a go on the Brooklyn Cakewalk, test your skills on the 'hook a duck' or hit the right spot with a throw on the the coconut shy. Have a ride on a vintage bus. Museum maintains a selection of vintage vehicles for you to ride throughout the year. Why not hop on the longest trolleybus route in the country? Play some old school street games. Head on down to the cobbled street and try your hand at some classic street games including the 'hoop and stick' and the 'cup and ball' . And also Explore over 40 period shops, houses and industrial areas. Since 1978 we've been recreating buildings from around the Black Country, sometimes moving them here brick-by-brick. Grab and a map and get exploring! https://www.bclm.co.uk/

All year round, you can discover and appreciate some iconic Breton animals at the Ecomusée du Pays de Rennes. Many of these species, which are part of the region's living heritage, were saved from extinction by the Ecomusée and animal lovers. From the Coucou de Rennes or black Janzé chickens to the Pie Noire Breton cow, Breton horse, Chèvre des Fossés (ditch goat), West French White pig or Ouessant sheep, each animal has its own story to tell. https://www.tourisme-rennes.com/en/focus-on/breton-animals

Apart from the amazing art and exciting exhibitions, there are many more reasons to spend time at the National Gallery of Ireland! A visit to the National Gallery of Ireland is free. Since 1854, when it opened its doors for the first time, the National Gallery of Ireland has always believed that the National Collection is the nation’s collection and as such is available for your pleasure almost all year round. https://www.nationalgallery.ie

Guinness is synonymous with Ireland and no visit to Dublin is complete without a trip to the Guinness Storehouse – the Home of Guinness. Located in the heart of the legendary St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin, this production site has been home to the Guinness Brewery since 1759, when Arthur Guinness signed a lease for 9,000 years. The Guinness Storehouse building dates back to 1904 and is built in the style of the Chicago School of Architecture. It was once the fermentation plant of the brewery and is now a seven-storey visitor experience dedicated to the history of the making of this world famous beer. The Guinness Storehouse is the Home of Guinness, where you will discover what goes into the making of each and every pint, and learn about the incredible brand history stretching over 250 years. https://www.visitdublin.com/see-do/details/guinness-storehouse

Kilmainham Gaol opened in 1796 as the new County Gaol for Dublin. It closed its doors in 1924. Today the building symbolises the tradition of militant and constitutional nationalism from the rebellion of 1798 to the Irish Civil War of 1922-23. Leaders of the rebellions of 1798, 1803, 1848,1867 and 1916 were detained and in some cases executed here. Many members of the Irish Republican movement during the Anglo-Irish War (1919-21) were also detained in Kilmainham Gaol, guarded by British troops. Names such as Henry Joy McCracken, Robert Emmet, Anne Devlin, Charles Stewart Parnell and the leaders of 1916 will always be associated with the building. It should not be forgotten however that, as a county gaol, Kilmainham held thousands of ordinary men, women and children. Their crimes ranged from petty offences such as stealing food to more serious crimes such as murder or rape. Convicts from many parts of Ireland were held here for long periods waiting to be transported to Australia. Kilmainham Gaol Museum is operated and managed by the Office of Public Works. http://kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie/#

Visit the National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham and get closer than ever before to over 2000 creatures including the UK's only 360 degree Ocean Tunnel. Which sea creatures do you love the most? Magnificent Sharks, colourful Clownfish or perhaps inquisitive Sea Turtles? Does a clever Common Octopus grab your attention or do you prefer playful penguins? Maybe you simply can’t decide! Here at SEA LIFE you can make up your mind and see them all - from the curious and the rescued to the rare and the enigmatic. And you’ll be able to get closer to them than ever before. https://www.visitsealife.com/birmingham/

Based at Braywick Nature Centre, the Royal Borough's Countryside Service promotes awareness of the natural environment through our programme of events, walks and talks, and providing education sessions and advice to schools and other groups. https://www.windsor.gov.uk/things-to-do/braywick-nature-centre-p281691

Just a 15-minute journey from Caen, there's a great way to find out what everyday life was like in Gallo-Roman times! A museum, two restored houses and an archaeological dig are all open to visitors. The modern museum with its interactive resources (tactile exhibits, activity booklets...) and archaeological sites, a good excuse for a walk outside, will delight young and old alike. Activities and exhibitions throughout the year. English is spoken. Texts and brochures in English, German and Italian. https://www.caenlamer-tourisme.fr/noesit/!/fiche/vieux-la-romaine-musee-et-sites-archeologiques-663/

A museum of the vegetable world. Created in 1736 in an old ‘Caen stone’ quarry as a university garden to provide plants for the schools of medecine and pharmacology. After the Revolution it became a Botanical Garden and public park. On an 8 acre site, there is a large and interesting plant collection including the region’s indigenous flora laid out systematically, a medicinal garden, and also rock garden and exotic greenhouse plants. In addition to these more scientific features, there are a landscaped park and children’s play areas. Officially recognised as a Botanical Garden of France and the Francophone Countries. The garden’s objectives are science, conservation and education. http://en.normandie-tourisme.fr/pcu/botanical-garden-in-caen/caen/fiche-PCUNOR014FS00075-2.html

With the iconic Royal Albert Dock Liverpool being one of the prime locations to visit during a visit to Liverpool, visitors can take advantage of the impressive retail and leisure offering at the Dock, world class museums and attractions and some of the city’s finest independents. Visitors to Tate Liverpool will find British and international modern and contemporary art, activities for families as well as a Tate café and shop. Uncover objects from the Titanic, find out about life at sea and learn about the port of Liverpool at Merseyside Maritime Museum. The International Slavery Museum tells the untold stories of enslaved people and learn about historical and contemporary slavery. At the award-winning The Beatles Story, the world's largest permanent exhibition purely devoted to the lives and times of The Beatles, visitors can find everything they need to know about four lads from Liverpool who shook the world. https://www.visitliverpool.com/things-to-do/the-albert-dock-p16143

From the sea to the stars, a visit to World Museum reveals millions of years of the Earth’s history through thousands of exhibits and hands-on activities. Travel to distant continents and ancient civilisations in the amazing galleries. The Museum’s brand new Ancient Egypt: A journey through time gallery takes visitors on a 5,000-year adventure to the land of the pharaohs, and reveals one of the UK’s most significant collections of Egyptian objects. There’s no better place to come face-to-face with the past and delve deeper into the myths, mysteries and rituals surrounding the ancient Egyptian afterlife than in the gallery’s atmospheric Mummy Room. Discover the wonders of the natural world in the award winning Clore Natural History Centre. This is the place to get your hands on more than 20,000 of the most unusual items from the huge collections, from a hippopotamus skull to a mammoth tooth. There’s also the Weston Discovery Centre, which offers a range of activities and interaction to provide a fascinating insight into human history throughout the ages. https://www.visitliverpool.com/things-to-do/world-museum-p8573

This incredible 17ha site overlooks the Baie de Seine and has fabulous views of the sea and port. Go through the fort's main entrance and start your visit at the top exploring the four bastions each dedicated to the great botanist explorers and their discoveries. https://www.lehavretourisme.com/en/diffusio/le-havre/les-jardins-suspendus_TFOPCUNORM00FS000AL

Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history. Enjoy a unique comparison of the treasures of world cultures under one roof, centred around the magnificent Great Court. World-famous objects such as the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon sculptures, and Egyptian mummies are visited by up to six million visitors per year. In addition to the vast permanent collection, the museum’s special exhibitions, displays and events are all designed to advance understanding of the collection and cultures they represent. https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/285709-british-museum

New Walk Museum & Art Gallery, Leicester's original museum, has wide ranging collections and displays spanning the natural and cultural world. A family friendly day out, the galleries include Ancient Egypt, Dinosaurs, Wild Space, The Den gallery for the under 5s, the Victorian art gallery, Arts & Crafts gallery and a modern and contemporary art gallery. The first floor galleries include World Arts, Picasso Ceramics: The Attenborough Collection and Leicester's internationally renowned collection of German Expressionism. The museum welcomes a vast array of temporary exhibitions, featuring works from the collections, touring exhibitions from national museums and a programme of contemporary art and craft displays. https://www.visitleicester.info/see-and-do/new-walk-museum-and-art-gallery-p700961

The award-winning National Space Centre is an out of this world experience for the whole family! With six interactive galleries, the UK’s largest planetarium, world unique 3D SIM ride and iconic 42m high Rocket Tower, there really is something for everybody to enjoy. The rocket tower is pretty impressive for people of all ages, as it towers 42m into the air and its semi-transparent “pillow” design can be seen as you approach the Centre from any direction! It is home two rockets: Blue Streak and Thor Able, as well as a Gagarin Experience, Apollo Lunar Lander and real Moon Rock. Each year the National Space Centre hosts many special weekends which in the past have included celebrations of Star Wars, LEGO and Daleks. School holiday periods are always exciting, as the Centre adds plenty of workshops and talks into the mix, so advanced booking is advised. A visit to The National Space Centre wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Cargo Bay Shop to pick up a souvenir as a memento of your journey to outer space. The shop boasts a full range of fun and interactive space toys, books, games and telescopes. https://www.visitleicester.info/see-and-do/national-space-centre-p696391

The Manchester United Museum & Stadium Tour offers a behind the scenes look at the world’s most iconic stadium; Old Trafford https://www.visitmanchester.com/things-to-see-and-do/manchester-united-museum-and-tour-centre-p85721

IWM North is part of Imperial War Museums – the world’s leading museum of war. Its unique purpose-built exhibition space gives powerful voice to the extraordinary experiences of ordinary people forced to live their lives in a world torn apart by conflict. Walkthrough a timeline of history from the First World War to the present day. Explore a vast collection of over 2,000 objects, each one with the power to move, surprise and inspire – from the First World War field gun that fired the opening British round on the Western Front, to the twisted rust-ridden steelwork retrieved from the rubble of the World Trade Center in New York. And immerse yourself in the award-winning 360-degree cinematic Big Picture Shows that bring a broad range of perspectives into poignant focus, reflecting not only on the immediate effects of war but also on what happens when the guns stop firing. This is a place where every object on display, every contemporary work of art and every special exhibition is designed to live long in the memory. This is IWM North. https://www.visitmanchester.com/things-to-see-and-do/iwm-north-p85551

Since Wollaton Hall opened to the public in 1926, it has been home to the city’s natural history museum. On display are some of the best items from the three-quarters of a million specimens that make up its zoology, geology, and botany collections. Natural Connections Gallery explores the relationship between the natural world and ourselves. One of the central themes in the gallery is extinction, and a number of extinct and near-extinct species are on display. These include a passenger pigeon and a flightless parrot from New Zealand – the kakapo. Recent additions to the gallery include the extraordinary duck-billed platypus, a giant anteater and a rare maned sloth. Other popular exhibits include an orangutan skeleton, a hippo skull and a Humboldt penguin, together with many other mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, insects, and fossils. Mineral Gallery showcases some of the 5,000 specimens that make up the rock and mineral collection. It includes some the original Nottingham Naturalists’ Society collection and fine displays of classic minerals from the North of England (early 20th century) and Cornwall and Devon (19th century). You can also get up close to some giant ammonites – fossilised coiled shells of ancient squid-like sea creatures. https://www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk/things-to-do/natural-history-museum-at-wollaton-hall-p684441

Located on the banks of the Loire river, across from the Musée Jules Verne, the Carrousel des Mondes Marins seems to have been born in the belly of Île de Nantes, the city’s most maritime spot. http://www.lesmachines-nantes.fr/en/machines-de-l-ile/the-carrousel-des-mondes-marins/presentation/