Taking your mentees out
Leisure trips
Bank of England Museum
020 7601 5491
Bartholomew Lane, EC2
Bank tube/Liverpool Street tube/Fenchurch Street rail
Open 10am - 5pm Mon-Fri. Closed Sat, Sun.
An excellent and accessible museum that traces the bank's history from 1694 to the present. Try your hand at a spot of banknote printing and see the gold bars (dating back to ancient times) held in the vaults.
Barbican Centre
020 7638 8891
Moorgate/Barbican tubes
The Centre is open generally 10am - Midnight.
Barbican Art organises a variety of exhibitions, from fashion to fine art and from photography to design, in spaces all around the Centre. Barbican Gallery on level 3 is one of London's leading galleries and hosts a programme of high profile exhibitions that have paid admission, in its two-floor space, but there are also plenty of free exhibitions to enjoy. The Curve, on the ground floor right by the advance Box Office, is developing a reputation for presenting some of London's most interesting contemporary art exhibitions - and admission is usually free.
Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood
020 8983 5200
Bethnal Green tube, 2 minutes walk
Open 10am - 5.45pm Mon - Thurs, Sat, Sun. Fri closed.
Free admission.
British Museum
020 7636 1555/7323 8605
Great Russell Street, WC1
Holborn, Russell Square or Tottenham Court Road tube.
Open 10am - 5pm Mon-Sat; 2.30 - 6pm Sun.
Most famous for its awesome Egyptian collection, the museum has added a permanent African Gallery to its treasures, and the Great Court in all its bright and spectacular glory is an excellent place to wander. Other famous exhibits include the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles and there's also the gallery of Native American Art.
Geffrye Museum
020 7739 9893/7729 5647
Kingsland Road, E2
Liverpool Street tube/rail then 149,242 bus/Old Street tube then 67, 149, 242, 243 bus.
Open 10am - 5pm Tues-Sat; 12noon - 5pm Sun.
This museum is dedicated to English Domestic Interiors, past and present, the Geffrye organises a wide range of educational activities for children, teenagers, adults and families.
Guildhall Art Gallery
East side of Guildhall Yard.
Bank, St Paul's, Mansion House (Bow Lane exit) and Moorgate tubes. Various buses.
Open 10am - 5pm Mon - Sat; 12 pm - 4pm Sun.
Last admissions are 30 mins. before advertised closing time.
From time to time ceremonial functions in Guildhall may require the temporary closure of the Gallery. Please telephone 020 7332 3700 for a daily recorded message about notice of closures. Free all day Friday and from 3.30pm onwards Mon-Thurs and Sat.
The new Guildhall Art Gallery, which opened in 1999. The original Gallery was burned down during a severe air raid in May 1941. The new Gallery displays about 250 works of art at a time, with a programme of temporary exhibitions exploring different themes and allowing many lesser-known pictures from the collection out of store.
The Monument
020 7626 2717
Monument tube/Bank tube and walk through to Monument
Open 10am - 5.40pm everyday.
50p for under-16s, £1.50 otherwise.
Built by Christopher Wren between 1671 and 1677 to celebrate the rebuilding of the City after the Great Fire of London in 1666. 202 ft high, there is a viewing platform at 133ft with 311 steps to reach it.
Museum of London
020 7600 3699
150 London Wall, EC2
Barbican or St Paul's tube/Moorgate tube/rail.
Open 10am - 5.50pm Mon - Sat; 12noon - 5.50pm Sun.
Free under-16s. Free after 4.30pm. (Otherwise £3-£5).
Natural History Museum
020 7942 500
Cromwell Road SW7
South Kensington tube/buses 14, 49, 70, 345, C1.
Open 10am - 5.50pm Mon - Sat; 11.30am - 5.50pm Sun.
Free under-17s, over-60s. Free after 4.30pm Mon-Fri, after 5pm Sat, Sun. (Otherwise £7.50).
St Paul's Cathedral - Evensong
020 7236 4128
St Paul's tube
Evensong, Mon - Sat at 5pm. Sun 3.15pm.
Free to enter from 4.30pm onwards.
Victoria & Albert Museum
020 7942 2000/2528
Cromwell Road, SW7
South Kensington tube.
Open 10am - 5.45pm daily.
Free under-18s and concs; free after 4.30pm (Otherwise £5)
National Gallery
020 7747 2885
Trafalgar Square WC2
Leicester Square tube/Charing Cross tube/rail.
Open 10am - 6pm Mon, Tue, Thur - Sun; 10am - 9pm Wed.
Tate Modern
020 7887 8008
25 Sumner Street, Bankside SE1 (main entrance Holland Street)
Open 10am - 6pm Mon-Thur, Sun; 10am - 10pm Fri, Sat.
HMS Belfast
020 7940 6328
Morgan's Lane, Tooley Street, SE1
London Bridge tube/rail.
Open until Oct 10am - 6pm daily (last entry 5.15pm)
Free under-16s (Otherwise £5).
A Thames spectacle in the form of a 11,500-ton battle cruiser, built in 1938. Children can explore its seven decks and check out its boiler, engine rooms and massive gun turrets.
Also...
Broadgate Ice
An outdoor ice rink near to Liverpool Street Station is open for six months between October and April every year. It is also home to the Broomball league. Broomball is played on the ice in training shoes and players slip and slide across the ice swinging 'brooms' in an effort to sweep the ball into the goal. The competition commences in November with finals being played in March. The league is free to watch and is played each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evening.