Yorkshire Air Museum

The Yorkshire Air Museum sits just outside York and fills a genuine gap if you've got any interest in aviation history. You're walking around actual aircraft - Avro Lancasters, Handley Page Halifaxes, that sort of thing - parked up in hangars and out on the tarmac where you can properly examine them rather than viewing them through glass.

It's hands-on in places. You can clamber into some of the cockpits, which beats staring at a static display any day. The museum covers RAF operations during World War II, with particular focus on the Yorkshire squadrons who flew from bases across the region. If you've got history enthusiasts in the family, they'll spend hours poking around the crew quarters and reading the personal stories pinned to the walls.

Kids under ten might lose interest after ninety minutes unless they're properly plane-mad - it's not theme park territory. But teenagers and anyone with a genuine curiosity will find it absorbing. Allow two to three hours if you want to do it justice.

Staying at one of the nearby parks - Acorn Glade Glamping or The Spinney Wild Camping are all within spitting distance - means you can base yourself outside York proper while being close enough for a day trip here. It works well as part of a broader East Yorkshire jaunt. Check ahead for admission fees and opening times before you set off, as these aren't always straightforward at specialist museums.