River and Rowing Museum

KidRated’s River and Rowing Museum Top Tips:

• Baby changing, lunch boxes and high chair facilities are available, making a visit perfect even for smaller children
• Don’t miss the Row Together interactive exhibit!
• Look out for water voles in the garden

Shortlisted for the Family Friendly Museum Award 2016

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The River and Rowing Museum in Henley holds over 20,000 artefacts dedicated to rivers, rowing and Wind and the Willows – making it a perfect museum for sports fans, keen geographers and younger kids who are fans of the Kenneth Grahame classic.

The River runs through all the exhibitions and you will leave the museum knowing a lot more about many aspects of the Thames, which is a truly fascinating river. For Londoners, the trip to Henley might also be nice as it shows a very different side of the Thames than the massive expanse of water framed by urban landmarks that splits London in two.

Rowing is very important to this part of the world with the Henley Regatta which happens in July. Who knows… your kids may catch the rowing bug here by learning about the history and heritage of the sport and become future Olympic gold medallists!

The Wind and the Willows exhibition is great for youngsters, with 3D models, lighting and music. There are constantly temporary exhibitions and events happening in the museum so check the website to see what is on before you go.

You can also pick up free backpacks to explore the galleries with, and make use of the museum’s activity trolley with colouring, crafts and museum trails. Children will love dressing up in replica regatta costume!

For little ones, try out Taylor Tug’s on Wednesday during term-time. For children aged 18 months to 5 years, there are songs and fun activities in the museum setting.

Booking Advice:

• Once you have bought a ticket for the River and Rowing Museum, admission is valid for a whole year so you can come back whenever you like.
• Free for Art Fund members
• Tickets available on the door