Quick answer
On a wet day in Sheffield, Kelham Island Museum, Weston Park Museum and the Millennium Gallery are free, each with a suggested £5 donation. The Winter Garden glasshouse is free too. Paid choices include an emergency services museum, family swims and Magna, near Sheffield at Templeborough, Rotherham. Check the day first: the three free museums close on Mondays for general visits, and Magna opens on set days only.
Each place links to its own VisitKids page. For more ideas, see our Sheffield hub or every place in Sheffield.
Before you set off: closed days
- Mondays: Kelham Island Museum, Weston Park Museum and the Millennium Gallery are closed for general visits, including bank holidays.
- Mondays and Tuesdays: the National Emergency Services Museum is closed, though it opens most bank holiday Mondays. On 12 November its booking calendar also offered slots on Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 December.
- Set days: Magna is not open every day, so read its entry below.
- Christmas: the Winter Garden closes on Christmas Day. On 12 November, Weston Park Museum, the Millennium Gallery and Ponds Forge had published no Christmas 2026 hours.
Free museums and a glasshouse
- Kelham Island Museum, Alma Street. Free entry, with a suggested £5 donation and no ticket needed. It opens Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm, and Sunday 11am to 4pm. The giant River Don Engine runs at 12pm and 2pm, Thursday to Sunday, with exceptions on the visit page. On 12 November that page said the engine would not run on Sunday 22 November. It also said the Upper Transport Gallery and Simplex Car display close for events on 14, 21 and 28 November. The engine is very noisy, and ear defenders are available on request. Some areas are dark, with uneven floors. The 1916 House tells of a Zeppelin raid in which 24 people died. Food and drink are not allowed inside. The Victorian Christmas Market on 5 and 6 December 2026 is ticketed, with no visitor parking. Lifts reach all three floors, but Little Mesters Lane is fully cobbled.
- Weston Park Museum, Western Bank. Free entry, with a suggested £5 donation. It opens Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm, and Sunday 11am to 4pm. Meet Spike, a lifelike woolly rhinoceros replica, and board the play bus in Sheffield Stories. The Ancient Egypt gallery shows two coffins containing mummies. The museum says it can be loud when busy, and some galleries have low lighting. Fridays Under 5s runs in term time, 10am to 12.30pm, for a suggested £3 donation, with no session on 20 November. Every child must be with an adult at all times. On Sunday 15 November 2026, Picturing Sheffield and Sheffield Stories close for an event. All displays are on the ground floor, with a ramp to the main entrance.
- Millennium Gallery, Arundel Gate. Free entry, with a suggested £5 donation and no ticket needed. It opens Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 11am to 4pm. The Metalwork Collection has toys, storybooks and a tiny tea set. A Metalwork film plays loud machinery sounds on a loop. Visitors must not touch the artworks, and food and drink are not allowed in the galleries. The galleries are upstairs, by lift or escalator. There are no toilets upstairs, so use the ground-floor toilets and baby change first.
- Sheffield Winter Garden, Surrey Street. A free glasshouse with more than 2,500 plants. The council lists Monday to Saturday 8am to 8pm, and Sunday and bank holidays 10am to 5pm. It is sometimes closed from 6pm for private events, so call 0114 273 6895 first. The AccessAble guide gives different Sunday hours. There are no toilets inside. The nearest are in the Millennium Gallery, which keeps shorter hours and is closed on Mondays. The St Paul’s Place entrance is step-free, while the left-hand Surrey Street entrance has 11 steps. Watch little feet near the shallow gullies around the planted areas.
Paid indoor days out
- National Emergency Services Museum, West Bar. Historic police, fire and ambulance vehicles, with a wartime fire engine to sit in and uniforms to try on. Adults pay £9.50, children aged 3 to 15 pay £7.50, and under 3s go free. It opens Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 4pm, with last entry at 3pm. On 12 November the museum said its main policing exhibition and some of its life safety exhibition were closed for restoration. Some areas of Hazard House, on the second floor, are closed for refurbishment. During the work, the police cells are reached by stairs only. They cover Victorian crime, including murderers, with weapons on show. Some areas use lighting, sound, smoke and smells, and some feel cold. On 12 November its booking calendar offered no slots on 11, 25, 26 or 31 December, or in January 2027. Its last slot on 24 December was 1pm. At Festive Forties on 12 and 13 December, some usual exhibitions may be restricted. Only online booking guarantees your chosen time. Prices may change on special event days, or extra costs may apply. You can eat your own packed lunch in the café space.
- Magna Science Adventure Centre, Templeborough, Rotherham. Over 100 hands-on exhibits in a former steelworks, plus Sci-Tek, an outdoor playground. Online tickets are £20.95 for adults, £18.95 for children aged 4 to 15, and £9.50 for ages 2 to 3. Under 2s go free, and door prices are higher. The FAQ says under 18s need a responsible adult, unless acting as a parent or guardian. The ticket shop’s wording on the adult’s age differs, so check with Magna. On 12 November its calendar showed Mondays and Fridays closed to 30 November, with Tuesday to Thursday hours of 10am to 2.30pm. It also showed 4 December, weekdays from 7 to 11 and 14 to 18 December, 24 to 26 December and 1 January 2027 closed. Magna is dark, noisy and cold, so bring coats. Some exhibits have flashing lights. The Big Melt show has loud sounds, strobe lighting, sparks and flames. Low electrostatic fields in the Fire level lift lobby may affect cochlear implants, so contact Magna first if concerned. Magna is cashless and cannot store prams.
- Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheaf Street. On 12 November 2026 the timetable listed weekend Family Swimming with Water Features, in one-hour sessions starting from 11am. Off-peak prices were £5.40 for adults, £4.40 for juniors and £2.20 for under 3s. Peak prices were £10.50 for adults and £6.20 for juniors. Under 8s must be supervised by a parent or an adult aged 18 or over. No adult may supervise more than two under 8s in the water. Children who are not toilet trained must wear swim nappies. Book each swim with a free Everyone Active account, including your whole party, or at reception subject to availability. The FAQ says juniors and parents each book separately.
Frequently asked questions
What is free to do in Sheffield on a rainy day?
Kelham Island Museum, Weston Park Museum and the Millennium Gallery are free, with a suggested £5 donation. The Winter Garden is free too.
Are Sheffield museums open on Mondays?
Kelham Island Museum, Weston Park Museum and the Millennium Gallery are closed on Mondays for general visits, including bank holidays. The National Emergency Services Museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but opens most bank holiday Mondays. On 12 November its booking calendar also offered slots on 28 and 29 December, so check first.
Where can toddlers play indoors in Sheffield?
Try the play bus at Weston Park Museum. The Millennium Gallery has toys and storybooks in the Metalwork Collection.
Is Magna in Sheffield?
No. Magna is at Templeborough in Rotherham, with X3 bus and Tram Train links to Sheffield. It opens on set days only.
Which indoor places suit sensitive children?
Kelham Island Museum offers ear defenders and a visual story, and Weston Park Museum lends ear defenders on request. The National Emergency Services Museum lends free sensory backpacks. Magna is dark and noisy.
Checked on 13 November 2026 against the official websites, through our Sheffield venue pages, which were checked on 12 November 2026. Prices and opening times change, so check before you travel.
Photo: M J Richardson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).