Colchester Castle Museum

Colchester Castle houses the largest Norman keep in Europe, with interactive displays, guided tours through the Roman vaults beneath it, and the opportunity to see the view from the castle roof. Children can have a go at building a Norman archway, dressing as an Iron Age Briton, steering a Roman chariot or firing a replica ballista. The collections include the Colchester Gladiator Vase, the Fenwick Hoard of Roman jewellery, the Bronze Age Sheepen Cauldron, and finds ranging from Celtic coins to medieval paintings and civil war armour. Interactive tablets hired from the welcome desk add augmented reality views of how castle spaces originally appeared. Tours suitable for those aged 4+ are available at selected times and can be booked on arrival or online.