Rotunda Museum: Museum of Coastal Heritage and Geology

The Rotunda Museum sits on Scarborough's seafront like a Victorian time capsule, its distinctive circular building impossible to miss. Step inside and you're surrounded by fossils, rocks, and geological specimens that tell the story of this stretch of Yorkshire coast - the cliffs above town are basically an open book if you know how to read them.

It's genuinely absorbing stuff if you care about geology or natural history. The museum focuses on coastal heritage alongside the rocks themselves, so you get context about how people have lived alongside these cliffs rather than just looking at specimens in glass cases. The circular layout means you can't really get lost, which sounds daft but matters when you've got restless kids in tow.

Geology enthusiasts will spend a solid two hours here. Families with younger children might find an hour enough unless they're particularly keen on fossils and minerals. It's the kind of place that works best on a rainy afternoon - and in Scarborough, you'll get plenty of those.

Based near Scarborough Camping and Caravanning Club and within easy reach of Parkdean Resorts Cayton Bay Holiday Park, it slots well into a broader seaside holiday. The museum works as a counterpoint to beach time, giving you something to do when the weather turns. The clifftop location means you're not far from a walk either, so you can combine a museum visit with some proper air.