Please note: this article pre-dates the current National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.

What kind of experience will be remembered by the children in your class in 20 or 30 years’ time? A trip to Beamish, The North of England Open Air Museum, would be a likely candidate. There are open-air and experiential museums in various locations across the country, but what is it they offer? Well, excellent educational opportunities for children of all ages, drawing together learning that has been initiated in the classroom. The power of first hand, real life immersion in history animates children, making them enthusiastic about what they have seen, smelled, touched and experienced.