National Videogame Museum

A museum built around play, set in the city centre of Sheffield. Visitors can try more than a hundred playable games, from retro arcade cabinets to modern consoles, and follow how videogames have developed over the last fifty years or so. Exhibitions rotate, and recent displays have covered the city's own games industry and a showcase devoted to a well-known puzzle series. Families tend to enjoy the mix of hands-on play and objects from the collection, and older children often take to the workshops, where they can explore how a museum works or start to think about making their own game or controller. The building is on one level and step-free from the street, with an accessible toilet and free ear defenders at reception for anyone who finds the screens and sounds intense. Under-fives go free, but every child needs a ticket and under-16s must be accompanied by a paying adult. Booking a timed session in advance is recommended.