CCLR Museum

The Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway Museum sits right where the seaside charm of Cleethorpes meets proper railway nostalgia. It's a working museum focused on the old narrow-gauge railway that once carried visitors along the coast - you get to see restored locomotives, vintage carriages, and if you're lucky, actually ride a stretch of track on a heritage train. The whole place smells of oil and history, which is exactly what you want from a railway museum.

It's genuinely brilliant for anyone with even a passing interest in Victorian engineering or British seaside heritage. Kids usually find the train rides exciting rather than dry-as-dust, though if they're expecting theme-park thrills they'll be disappointed. Adults who remember steam trains or love industrial history will get far more from an hour or two here.

The beauty of it for a park holiday at Haven Cleethorpes Beach Holiday Park - which sits less than a mile away - is that it fills an afternoon without needing to trek inland. You've got the beach and amusement arcades on your doorstep, so the museum works as a nice change of pace when the weather's iffy or you want something a bit different. You're looking at maybe two to three hours maximum, longer if there's a train ride running.

Bring layers. Coastal Lincolnshire can be surprisingly breezy, and you'll be standing around outside quite a bit. Go on a weekday if you can - weekends get rammed with school groups.