Days out diary - child friendly and family activities

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Coventry Transport Museum

27 January 2007

Coventry Transport Museum

I have visited the Coventry Transport Museum again, this time with my 18 month old daughter. The museum is baby friendly in a number of ways, including proper baby changing facilities and good lift access to the floors. I have identified a few minor issues that if changed could make it better for young children. I've sent these points in an email to the museum:

Example of the high tables in the Coventry Transport Museum

**Start of Email**

I have visited the Coventry Transport Museum on a number of occasions, and I have been very impressed with the museum. This visit I attended with my 18 month old daughter and as a result I have a few observations about visiting the museum with a young child which I hope you can use to improve the museum further.

1/ My daughter enjoys colouring and I think the crayons and paper in the "future / activity area" and the cyclopedia section area a good idea. Unfortunately the tables were too high for my daughter. Although the cycleopedia had higher chairs it was too high so that I had to constantly hold on to my daughter, and as she was unable to put her legs under the table had to reach a long way forward.

I think it would be much better if there could be lower tables, or lower sections on the existing tables.

2/ There are no high chairs in the cafe. You may already be planning to add these when the new larger cafe is created, but at the moment it is very inconvenient trying to feed a young child.

3/ The disabled lift in the model car section is a goods lift. Whilst this is not a problem in its self there did not appear to be any signs on how to use the lift. I tried pressing the button, but the lift did not appear, and I ended up having to lift the push chair up the stairs.

I am very much impressed with the museum, and hope that these small changes can be made, or incorporated into future plans to improve the museum further.

Stewart

** End of email **

I would still recommend the museum for a visit. The museum is going through another phase of refurbishment. The model car section is almost complete, and the Blitz section is fully opened, but a large section of the museum is closed. I think that this is a positive thing as it will improve the overall museum. The area that is currently closed should be open by the end of February 2007.

A more detailed review of the Coventry Transport Museum (formally the National Museum of British Transport)

Coventry Transport Museum (Official Web Site)