Travel

Take the kids to … The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge


In a nutshell

Based around the collection of Anglo-Irish aristo and Francophile Richard, 7th Viscount FitzWilliam of Merrion, this university-affiliated art-and-history treasure trove is the grandest of Cambridge’s museums. It feels like an amalgam of London’s British Museum, National Portrait Gallery and National Gallery, all squeezed under one (domed and sky-lit) roof. In its 30-plus exhibition rooms, Egyptian sarcophagi and Chinese pottery share space with Renaissance masterpieces and French impressionist paintings. There is an extensive programme for kids, from a baby play-mat for under-twos to themed gallery trails for pre-teens. And the museum’s calendar is dotted with fun-packed, one-off events for children.

Egyptian coffin on display in glass cabinet at The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. UK.



Tomb with a view … Egyptian display at the museum. Photograph: Martin Bond

Fun fact

Two pairs of imposing stone lions guard the columned steps in front of the museum’s grand, neoclassical entrance. Legend has it that they come alive at night and head down for a midnight drink from an ancient, nearby waterway known as Hobson’s Conduit.

Best things about it

The Fitz Kits. Available at the courtyard entrance, these explorer packs contain games and puzzles designed to bring to life the museum’s collection for younger visitors. Regularly updated, the latest version contains five different “treasure maps”, each of which takes about 10 minutes to complete. Best discovery: the Roman-era Swiss army knife (with a spike for removing meat from snails). Also good fun are the Story Starter satchels: essentially, a classic children’s storybook with associated challenges. In our case, The Owl and the Pussycat initiated a lengthy search of the porcelain gallery for illustrated depictions of said fluffy bird and his four-legged friend.

The stone lions at the Fitzwilliam museum’s entrance. Cambridge, UK.



The stone lions at the museum’s entrance. Photograph: Martin Bond

What about lunch?

The museum cafe’s homemade soup is a trusted favourite (£5.45, or £6.95 with a crusty-bread sandwich). Otherwise, there are light lunches (feta and roast beetroot salad, £8.95; ploughman’s, £9.95) and hot dishes (the broccoli and stilton tart, £10.95, got my vote). Children’s lunches are an either-or affair: pesto pasta or a sandwich bag, both at £4.95. Alternatively, the swanky-but-not extortionate Browns Brasserie and Bar is close to the museum’s main entrance (serves two and three-course children’s menus, £7.95/£9.95).

The Fitzwilliam Museum’s Courtyard cafe and shop, Cambridge, UK.



The museum’s Courtyard cafe and shop

Exit through the gift shop?

Not necessarily. The shop is close to the courtyard entrance, so can feasibly be bypassed if you enter and leave by the main entrance. It’s worth a visit, however. Alongside the usual (postcards,bookmarks, key rings and floral-patterned paraphernalia), there is an impressive selection of art and history books, including lots of titles for kids – the recently published Hidden Trails: Riddle of the White Sphinx is an adventure series that leads families on a treasure hunt around Cambridge’s principal museums.

Greek and Roman gallery at The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK.



Greek and Roman Gallery

Getting there

The museum is in central Cambridge, around a 20-minute walk from the city’s (not-so-central) railway station. Drivers are advised to use one of the various park-and-ride facilities on the edge of the city. The U bus from Madingley Road Park & Ride, Cambridge station, and Addenbrooke’s hospital, stops outside the museum.

Value for money?

Admission is free, so it’s a great British bargain. Visitors are invited to make a donation (£5 is recommended). The extensive children’s programme does include specific activities that carry a fee, usually £5-£10. Other one-off events are free but require booking in advance.

Child trying on armour at The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK.



The museum has a range of activities for kids, as well as one-off family events. Photograph: Martin Bond

Opening hours

Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm, Sundays and bank holidays midday-5pm. Closed Good Friday, Christmas week and New Year’s Day.

Verdict

8/10. Created in the age of Victorian grandiosity, this jewel in Cambridge’s museum world isn’t geared towards children but an energetic and imaginative children’s team has brought fun and fascination to its richly filled halls. Especially good for early teens.

fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

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