Things to do in Nottinghamshire, England: The Best Museums

Can you imagine anyone in the UK not knowing about the Holocaust? Unfortunately, recent studies show that this is indeed the case. Some people are unaware, others deny it. This lack of awareness and outright denial is terrifying when you consider that, put simply, The Holocaust was the attempt by the Nazi regime and its collaborators to murder all of European Jewry during the Second World War. The Nazis succeeded in murdering six million Jewish people and millions of other minority groups who they considered to be ‘inferior’. The magnitude of personal loss is impossible to fathom. This is why the National Holocaust Centre and Museum exists. We are the only dedicated memorial, museum and centre of Holocaust learning in the UK. Our purpose is pressing within today’s society, as hate is on the rise. We are communicators of Holocaust memory for a contemporary purpose: to encourage people to stand up against hate.

Independent museum and historic house. Open by arrangement, generally Tuesday-Thursday, but please call or email in advance to arrange to avoid disappointment. Open other dates and times for special events.

Sherwood Observatory is the home of the Mansfield & Sutton Astronomical Society and is situated in Sutton-in-Ashfield overlooking the town of Mansfield to the north. The Observatory building comprises of a workshop, office, kitchen, toilet, storeroom and a lecture room as well as the observatory dome itself which houses our hand built 24 inch Newtonian Reflecting Telescope.

Here at the haunted museum we house many haunted items and oddities from around the world. Join us for restricted area tours, late night paranormal investigations, horror movies in our original 1920's cinema and much more. If all that sounds a bit too scary, just come down and enjoy our tearoom within the museum, which has a five star food rating.

Green's Windmill is a restored 19th Century tower mill, once home to mathematical physicist George Green. Turning again since 1986, climb to the top of our windmill and see how our sails turn grain into flour. In our interactive Science Centre discover the remarkable story of George Green, and experiment with light, electricity and magnetism. There's something for all the family!

Based in Nottingham’s historic Lace Market, the National Justice Museum is housed in Nottinghamshire’s Grade 2 listed old Shire Hall and County Gaol. The Museum uses original Courtrooms, dungeons and prison cells, along with a number of more contemporary galleries to exhibit collections relating to justice, the law, crime and punishment in a fun and interactive way. When visiting the museum you may also meet a variety of colourful historical characters with different stories of justice to tell.

Walk in the footsteps of the Ice Age hunter and enter a world of fire and flint. Discover a legacy etched in stone with cave art 10,000 years older than the pyramids, and medieval Witch Marks as a reminder of more superstitious times. Explore life on the edge of the Ice Age world. Creswell Crags features the only authenticated Ice Age cave art in Britain. Stone tools and remains of animals found in the caves by archaeologists provide evidence for a fascinating story of life during the last Ice Age between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago. Robin Hood Cave has more apotropaic Witch Marks than anywhere else in the UK. The unique archaeology, geology, wildlife and fauna have resulted in Creswell Crags being one of the most protected sites in the UK. The beautiful natural landscape is also popular with walkers and boasts a variety of rare species. Visit the museum or book a cave tour. See website for details.