The authentic atmosphere aboard the Golden Hinde, a full-size reconstruction of Sir Francis Drake’s sixteenth-century flagship, is thoroughly seaworthy. You can visit by means of a self-guided tour, but if you’ve got kids it’s much more fun to join in on a ‘living history’ experience, when the ship's 'crew', dressed in Elizabethan costume, regale visitors with tales of uncomfortable nights on bare decks and the brutal justice imposed on sailors who stole precious rations. Participants dress in period clothes, eat Tudor fare and learn the skills of the Elizabethan seafarer; book well in advance. At weekends, the ship swarms with children dressed up as pirates for birthday dos.
Fancy a night at another museum? Check our guide to London's museum sleepovers.