Things to do in Bristol - The M Shed Museum

The M shed museum in Bristol has something for everyone. From aircraft to antiquities, balloons to buses, crayoning to a cafe, dressing up to displays of dinosaur finds and loads more!

We spent just an hour in there recently after checking the Bristol Harbourside Treasure Trail and the Redcliffe and Temple Quay Treasure Trail. It was packed with families enjoying the exhibits and pressing buttons to light up interactive displays.

I watched a little girl using a giant Etch A Sketch and another working out where she lived on an enormous map of Bristol laid out on the floor.

We also had a coffee and a toasted sandwich in the cafe and browsed in the shop. You could easily spend a lot longer than we did. A perfect place for a wet afternoon with children.

Upstairs, there is even more to capture the imagination. There is an original Banksy stencil of the grim reaper. The display takes pride of place on the first floor.

Also upstairs, there was masses of stuff to look at. One display I really liked was of props for a school play in 2009. There are loads of stories about real ordinary people that are fascinating. I loved it.

From street art to fine art, there were adorable collections of all sorts of things. My favourite was the model ships. I would defy anyone not to be enchanted.

There is also a beautiful and sensitive exhibition about Bristol’s involvement with the slave trade. As of the time of writing (February 2018), there is currently the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the M Shed as well.

There is a suggested donation of £5, but no entrance fee. Parking is very close by and at the weekends is £4.50 for the whole day. The cafe was good and the toilets were clean.

What more could you ask for to entertain the whole family for a morning or afternoon. Apart from a Treasure Trail of course!

Actually, Bristol's M Shed is perfect to do before or after one of the Treasure Trails that starts at the M Shed. The Bristol Harbourside one will take around an hour and a half. It is just right for younger families. The Redcliffe and Temple Quay Trail will take nearly 3 hours and is better for older families or couples.