Nothe Fort has been shortlisted for the Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award, it was announced today.
Charity Kids in Museums has run a prestigious annual award since 2004, recognising the most family friendly heritage sites in the UK. It is the only museum award to be judged by families.
From late March to early June, families across the UK voted for their favourite heritage attraction on the Kids in Museums website. A panel of museum experts then whittled down hundreds of nominations to a shortlist of 19 heritage attractions.
Nothe Fort is vying against four other museums in the Best Small Museum category.
Mary-Anne Edwards, General Manager at Nothe Fort said, “The whole team is beyond proud to have been shortlisted. Our family friendly journey began 40 years ago, when Nothe Fort first opened, with the famous Mouse Hunt. We love welcoming families of different generations who come back year after year. This award will give us the confidence to go further.”
Nothe Fort prides themselves on their top-quality visitor experience with friendly volunteers on hand to help and fun trails to keep the children entertained. They offer a free annual pass with every ticket, meaning families can return as many times as they wish throughout the year to enjoy the jam-packed programme of family activities. They create a hands-on and fun experience throughout the year, and their wonderful café has fantastic freshly made and reasonably priced lunches for children.
Hali (age 8), who visits regularly with her family, said, “The Nothe Fort is my happy place, it’s where I can be myself. I have learnt so much, the WWII weekends are my favourite because I love the assault course. I get to do so many different things at the Nothe Fort, even abseiling and a silent disco. You can do a mouse hunt when you visit and at the end you will get a certificate. I have an annual pass and visit nearly every week, the volunteers are very friendly and helpful, and they are always smiling. When I’m older, I would like to volunteer at the Nothe Fort.”
Over the summer holidays, the museum will be visited by undercover family judges who will assess the shortlisted museums against 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 award category and an overall winner of the Family Friendly Museum Award 2024. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.
Follow the Family Friendly Museum Award on social media by following @kidsinmuseums and #FamilyFriendlyMuseum.
The Family Friendly Museum Award has been made possible by funding from Arts Council England.
Notes to Editors
About Nothe Fort
Nothe Fort is Weymouth’s number one heritage attraction. Located at the entrance to Weymouth Harbour, the Fort offers excellent 360-degree views across Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. Discover the maze of underground passages, a museum of the Fort’s history, parade ground, impressive guns positioned high on the ramparts, and fun trails to keep the children busy. We pride ourselves on our top-quality visitor experience, with friendly volunteers on hand to help.
About Kids in Museums
Kids in Museums is an award-winning charity dedicated to making museums open and welcoming to all children, young people and families. They support and champion family friendly organisations through wide-ranging initiatives, including the Family Friendly Museum Award and Takeover Day. They invite heritage organisations to sign up to their Manifesto, which sets out simple guidelines for making museums easy to reach for all ages. www.kidsinmuseums.org.uk
Find them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About the Family Friendly Museum Award
Kids in Museums began the Family Friendly Museum Award in 2004 to recognise heritage sites that are the most welcoming, fun and accessible for families.
Previous winners of the Family Friendly Museum Award include Craven Museum (2023), currently shortlisted for Art Fund’s Museum of the Year 2024, the National Emergency Services Museum in Sheffield (2022), Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery in Alnwick (2021), Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum in Dunfermline (2019), and Leeds City Museum (2018).
