Weekends | Daily throughout school holidays
IWM North
Families
Free event
Stories to inspire with free fun-packed activities
Spend family time learning together at IWM North. Join us to learn about the stories behind war and conflict. Activities take place on weekends and daily throughout school holidays.
Suitable for children 5+ years. For families attending with additional younger children, step-free accessibility information can be found here.
Story Seekers
Weekends
Drop in, 10am to 4pm
Main Exhibition Space
Every one of the objects at Imperial War Museum North has a story to tell.
Explore our collection with the Story Seekers trail to discover compelling real-life stories with your family.
From survival at sea to astonishing acts of bravery, learn about the people behind the objects and the extraordinary circumstances they found themselves in.
Story Seekers: Animals and War
5 April to 21 April
Drop in, 10am to 4pm
Main Exhibition Space
Explore the animal heroes of the Second World War through objects, photographs and stories. Learn the stories of Rip the Dog and his ARP service, and Frankenstein the Cat, HMS Belfast's mascot. Discover the ways animals supported and saved humans during wartime, and the different animals involved.
Animals were not only used for work. Dogs, cats, and more unusual animals including monkeys, bears and lions, were kept as pets and mascots to raise morale and provide comfort amidst the hardships of war. Superstition also played a part as mascots were thought to bring good luck to troops.
Family Hub | Amazing Animals
5 April to 21 April
Drop in, 10am to 4pm
Libeskind Rooms
Discover more stories of amazing animals during wartime, by exploring animal mascots. Learn about different animals through stories and photos from IWM's collections.
Make your own animal mascot, what would their skills be? Which animal would you choose? How would they help you?
We Were There Family Day
9 and 16 April
Drop in, 11am to 3pm
Main Exhibition Space
Meet IWM’s veterans and eyewitnesses of conflict to gain a unique insight into the impact of war on people’s lives. You'll hear an array of personal stories, recollections and powerful memories from those who have experienced conflict first-hand, ranging from driving a tank to being evacuated from the place they called home.
All our eyewitnesses and veterans are volunteers, who give their time to share these important true stories.
VE Day Street Party
Bank Holiday Monday 5 May 2025
Drop in 10am to 3pm
Libeskind Rooms
Families and communities are invited to join in our Family Hub to celebrate 80 years since VE Day, the end of the Second World War in Europe. Enjoy street party activities, including interactive workshops on paper hat making, paper flower making, and paper plate portraiture and games for children.
IWM Family Membership
IWM family membership is great value and offers a host of benefits. Explore and discover IWM branches, including IWM Duxford, Churchill War Rooms and HMS Belfast – places where history happened.
Be part of it. Join IWM with a family membership and you'll get unlimited free entry to all of our charging sites. Other benefits include fast track entry, 10% discount on Duxford Air Shows tickets, free entry to IWM Duxford Flying Days and much more!
