Fifteen museums from across the UK are in the running to win in the Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the prize. Hundreds of nominations were made by families on the Kids in Museums website, with the shortlist decided by a panel that included young people and accessibility experts.

The 15 shortlisted museums across four categories are:

Best Large Museum

  • Horniman Museum and Gardens, London
  • Museum of Liverpool
  • National Maritime Museum, London

Best Medium Museum

  • The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, Canterbury
  • Compton Verney, Warwickshire
  • Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle upon Tyne
  • The MAC, Belfast

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Best Small Museum

  • Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea
  • National Civil War Centre, Newark
  • Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro
  • Valence House Museum, Dagenham
  • Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Best Accessible Museum

  • Cannon Hall Museum, Park and Gardens, Barnsley
  • Craven Museum | Skipton Town Hall
  • Maidstone Museum

Over the summer holidays, undercover family judges will visit the shortlisted museums and rate them on how well they meet 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 museum category and an overall winner of the Family Friendly Museum Award 2023 to be announced at an awards ceremony in London in October.

A new award category has been introduced for 2023 that recognises innovative and thoughtful projects engaging young people on the topic of the climate emergency and sustainability. The category was open to museum applications only. The museums will present their work over the summer to an expert panel to decide the winner.

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Best Youth Project – Climate

The Family Friendly Museum Award is funded by Arts Council England.

Vanessa Eke, chair of Kids in Museums, said: “What made these venues stand out in an exceptionally strong year of applications was how embedded they are in their local communities.

“Many are actively supporting more families to get involved, from creative workshops for Ukrainian refugees to special ticketing offers during the cost-of-living crisis. I’m thrilled we can recognise their ambition and dedication on a national level.”

To mark its 20th anniversary, Kids in Museums is inviting heritage organisations on 12 July to share what museums provide for children, young people and families using the hashtag #KidsInMuseums. More information is available on the Kids in Museums website.