Woodhorn on the shortlist for national Family Friendly Museum Award

Kids in Museums has run the prestigious annual accolades since 2004. It is the only museum award to be judged by families, with voting taking place on the charity’s website from February to late April.

A panel of museum experts, children and young people then whittled down hundreds of nominations to a shortlist of 20 heritage attractions.

Woodhorn Museum is among those shortlisted in the Best Accessible Museum category.

Jo Raw, Northumberland venues manager for North East Museums, said: “We're delighted to have been shortlisted for the Best Accessible Museum award.

“Accessibility is at the heart of everything we do and we're committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive and enjoyable experience for every visitor.

“We’d like to thank everyone who nominated us and we’re looking forward to welcoming the judges to Woodhorn over the summer.”

Woodhorn offers a wide range of experiences for families to enjoy together and accessibility is embedded throughout the museum including sensory spaces, quiet spaces, an accessible Pit Yard play area, Changing Places facilities and a range of resources to support visitors of all needs and abilities.

Over the summer holidays, the museum will be visited by undercover family judges who will assess the shortlisted museums against the Kids in Museums Manifesto – a set of guidelines on what makes a great museum visit for all ages.

Their experiences will decide a winner for each award category and an overall winner of the Family Friendly Museum Award 2026. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.