Eureka! The National Children’s Museum Review
Eureka! Museum
Halifax
Reviewed by Sobia Naseer
The first thing you notice is about Eureka, based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, is the beautiful surroundings. The hilly cliffs are truly a sight for sore eyes and make you want to return again. It is a beautiful pace to have a picnic if the weather is beautiful. There is a play area for children with a sand pit and the adults can sit and enjoy the beautiful surroundings whilst the children busy themselves.
Upon entry to the museum we were greeted by a very polite and personable member of staff who gave us a leaflet containing a map of the museum. She stamped our hands with a dinosaur stamp (chosen by the children) and off we went.
Eureka is the National Children’s Museum in a stimulating environment, offering a multi-sensory interactive learning and discovery through play. There a buttons to press, levers to turn and textures to feel and water to splash about in. Although it is aimed at children from 0–11 years of age I think it has more of an appeal for pre-schoolers and their parents but there is something for everyone to enjoy. My daughter enjoyed looking in the bedroom where she wrote down her bad dreams and fed them to the elephant. She enjoyed looking at toys of bygone days. My daughter is 11 and a little advanced for her age, but my little boy really enjoyed himself. He especially loved the car garage area. He refused to get out of one of the cars because he wanted to drive it! They both loved the robot. I liked the town area that had a Halifax Building Society and a Marks & Spencer where children can pretend to be Bankers etc… We visited the gift shop on our way out and the prices were quite reasonable. My daughter bought some rubbers and a large pencil. All in all it was a good family day out.
On purchasing your entry ticket you get a free Annual pass which entitles you to unlimited visits throughout the year. I t is worth returning as different events are held which can add to the experience for children. As it run as an educational charity and not for profit organisation the cost for adults is justified I suppose. Although some families may not be able to afford it, especially those with more children. That said, if you were to visit more than once throughout the year it makes the cost of the tickets excellent value for money!
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost: 0-11 months: Free!, 1-2: £4.25, 3+: £11.95, Grown-ups: £11.95 (all tickets include free annual pass for unlimited access throughout the year).
For more information or to book tickets visit www.eureka.org.uk.
Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, Discovery Road, Halifax, HX1 2NE
