Peak District Mining Museum

Lead ore, galena, has been dug out of these hills since before Roman times, and many local families made a basic living from it well into the 20th century. This is not a static case-and-label collection: there is working machinery, tunnels built for crawling through, and then a genuine mine across the road. It also happens to sit inside Matlock Bath's Grand Pavilion, a 1910 pleasure palace, on the edge of the national park, reachable by car, bus or train.

• Thousands of artefacts from Derbyshire's lead-mining industry, including hundreds of rock and mineral specimens.
• The centrepiece Wills Founder Water Pressure Engine, built in Coalbrookdale in 1819, which used falling water to pump water up from deep underground.
• The Howie Mineral Collection, more than 3,000 specimens gathered by Professor Howie, with a large selection on display.
• Three mock-mine tunnels to climb and crawl through, consistently the highlight for families.

Across the road, Temple Mine is an authentic 1920s lead and fluorspar mine. The guided tour lasts about an hour and takes in workings from the 1920s and 1950s plus some more than 200 years old, miners' tools and equipment, a rare 1936 locomotive, rocks and minerals, and traces of the geological processes that shaped the surrounding landscape. Guides are widely praised for knowing their subject and answering questions properly.

Afterwards you can pan for fool's gold, galena and crystals and keep what you find. Nothing here is real gold, so set expectations with children accordingly.

• Allow 2 to 3 hours for museum and mine together, or 1 to 2 hours for the museum alone. Reviewers regularly say they underestimated the sheer volume of artefacts and reading.
• Mine-tour places are limited, so arrive early or call ahead if the underground tour is the reason you are coming.
• A strong wet-weather or mixed-weather option, since almost all of it is under cover.
• There is a gift shop, and cold drinks and confectionery are sold at the museum; other food and drink is available in Matlock Bath. Nearby parking is pay-and-display.