Free London Museums only a train ride from Kent

The weather is wet, the children are hungry for adventure and you would rather not blow all the pennies in one go.

While plenty of attractions in our capital city can be costly for families, there are a raft of brilliant museums and hands-on exhibitions which are entirely free to enter and enjoy.

If you can run to the cost of the train travel, which can be helped with some off-peak group discounts, there is plenty of fun to be had and things to learn.

Below are our top five free-to-enter London museums for families. Can you suggest any more in our comments section below?

The Natural History Museum

Always a massive hit with adults and children, the Natural History Museum is an absolute must for the ‘to-visit’ list.

From dinosaurs to massive mammals, families can explore the amazing diversity of life on earth through a range of zones within the museum that are guaranteed to keep youngsters entertained for hours.

The museum’s dinosaurs are world famous, with a roaring T-Rex, amazing fossils and lifelike models among the attractions in the dinosaur gallery.

This section of the museum is extremely popular with visitors so be prepared to queue during busy periods – but it's well worth the wait when you finally file through.

The museum’s main entrance is on Cromwell Road, a five minute walk from South Kensington Tube station.

More details here.

The Science Museum

A couple of minutes walk from the Natural History Museum is the neighbouring Science Museum.

Packed full of hands-on and interactive exhibitions and activities in all areas, this museum is suitable for children and young people of all ages.

Again, the museum is free to enter although special exhibitions or screenings may require an additional charge or need to be booked in advance.

The history of flight, the science of space, steam engines and the making of the modern world are all depicted and explained through breathtaking galleries full of rockets, steam engines, space and flight craft guaranteed to satisfy any knowledge hungry future scientist or engineer.

The museum’s main entrance is Exhibition Road and the nearest tube is South Kensington.

More details here.

The Museum of London

Through street scenes and reconstructed interiors, the history of London from prehistoric times to the present day is told at the Museum of London.

There are displays of original artefacts found during the museum’s archaeological digs, interactive maps and more recently it has become the new home of the London 2012 Cauldron from the Olympic and Paralympic Games in a new exhibition which relives its unveiling to the world.

Special exhibitions, children’s event days and additional activities are frequently held at the museum so it is worth checking its events calendar before planning a visit.

The Museum of London is on London Wall at the junction with Aldersgate Street and the nearest tube stations are St Paul’s or Barbican.

More details here.

V&A Museum of Childhood

The Museum of Childhood can be found in Bethnal Green, East London and is home to one of the finest collections of children’s toys, dolls houses, games and costumes.

As part of the V&A Museum, it has been collecting childhood-related objects for decades and continues to do so – with the ‘must have toys’ section of the museum keeping collections from 1900 to the 2000s.

From the must-have toys to mechanical ones, construction sets to toy figures the museum provides a trip down memory lane for the grown-ups while younger visitors will enjoy the treasure trove of toy displays both old and new and in some cases reinvented as they spot family favourites and familiar characters.

The museum can be found on Cambridge Heath Road and is a five minute walk from Bethnal Green tube station.

More details here.

Imperial War Museum

Perhaps most suited to older children and teenagers, the Imperial War Museum tells the stories of people’s experiences of modern war from the First World War to conflicts today.

First World War galleries, displays depicting life on the home front and for families caught in conflict, curiosities of war and objects found that tell the more unusual stories, the work of the British Special Forces and the largest collection of George and Victoria Crosses are just some of the items of interest in galleries throughout the museum.

There is also a regular programme of special exhibitions, photographs, talks and screenings that more recently have looked at subjects including the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, global security and women caught in war from 2000 to 2011.

Some of these may be ticketed events, suitable only for adults, and could require pre-booking in advance.

The Imperial War Museum in on Lambeth Road. The nearest tube station Lambeth North is a five to 10 minute walk away.

More details here.