The MAD Museum
The MAD Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
10:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
10:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
10:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
10:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
10:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
About
Stratford upon Avon is most famous for being the birthplace of poet and play writer William Shakespeare, but why not try something completely outside of the box and visit the towns newest most exciting attraction- The MAD (Mechanical Art & Design) Museum.As soon as you step into this quirky attraction you'll be greeted with whirling robotics, churning clogs, rolling ball circuits, ingenious design and crazy sounds! The MAD Museum does what it says on the tin, showcasing an absolutely MAD assortment of Kinetic Art, Automata and Steampunk contraptions, gadgets and gismos. Venture into an eccentric world of moving art; The MAD Museum is a wonderful place to watch and interact with an astonishing assortment of both modern and old fashioned, yet highly innovative and elaborate machines! For the young ones: Dancing lasers, rolling ball machines, roaring mechanical dinosaur heads and whirligigs all with lots of buttons to press! The MAD Museum offers an exciting visit with an educational bias, relevant to curriculum modules such as Design & Technology and Science. We give children an experience that is worthwhile, educationally beneficial and also a lot of fun!
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • Pete F
    Grantham, United Kingdom694 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The entrance belies how good this exhibition really is !
    Two seniors, travelling through Stratford stopped for lunch and as we had heard about the Mad Museum decided to visit. So delighted that we did. For those with limited ability, there is a lift to the main floor, and then you are simply mesmerised by the sheer amount of exhibits that there are, and everyone is in excellent order and works perfectly. Remarkable really, when you consider that tiny hand must often touch the exhibits. The entrance fee, when you consider this a family event, might seem a little steep, but believe me it really is worth it. Clean & tidy, and you can fully immerse yourself in these remarkable exhibits for a good hour or two. Never seen anything like it. 10/10
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 October 2023
  • Nina R
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mechanical Art & Design wonderment
    I've been "MAD" several times, usually with kids on a trip out over the school holidays. This time as a couple. The place never ceases to amaze, there's something for everyone of all ages from the interactive build your own area to the intracate workings of the models large and small. Well worth a visit and I highly recommend when you're in the area. Hard to find, look nothing from the road side, buggies stay downstairs under the stairs, but as you go up you'll understand why! Walking tours of town give you a discount and tesco club card too!
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 30 December 2023
  • Pops and the Two Js
    North Chailey, United Kingdom15 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great visit when visiting Stratford for the day
    We spent just over 2 hours exploring the MAD museum. Our 7 year old was enthralled by the mechanics of the pieces and we were blown away with the craftsmanship and ingenuity. We especially liked the room with the hands on games where we spent over half an hour trying to perfect the marble run!
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 6 January 2024
  • Neil Barlow
    Aylesbury, United Kingdom24 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    An absolute treasure
    I took my Grandchildren here ages 4 & 7, we absolutely loved it and spent about 3 hours watching and playing. They both had great fun trying to build their own marble runs and enjoyed watching the many moving creations. Situated in a beautiful town so had a short walk to the river when we had finished.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 13 January 2024
  • Donna W
    15 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Definitely recommend visiting!
    From aged 7 to 74 (no prizes for guessing who has the shortest attention span!) our whole family group enjoyed at least 2.5hrs of brilliant fun combined learning. We were full of admiration for the designers, mesmerised by the exhibits with everything so accessible and lively! Not a conventional museum for sure. Definitely enjoyed ourselves. Couldn’t recommend a visit more!
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 20 January 2024
  • Gidi
    8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great place for families
    We were grandparents with two grandchildren ages 4 and 5.5 and we all had a great time for about 2 hours from entry. The best part is the room we're you can make your own slides and experiment your engeneering abilities. It is a small museum but well organized. It was really fun!
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 13 February 2024
  • Goswoppit
    31 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A real gem
    I spotted this while waiting to meet up with a group of friends. My friend and I decided to check out the museum while the others were having lunch and it was fabulous. There's a lovely flow around the museum with lots of brilliantly designed exhibits by skilled craftspeople for young and old to explore. Press buttons and see many and varied designs in action, a number of which are installed so you can observe the internal workings. All in all, it was a great way to spend 90 minutes seeing engineering and design and art in action. I plan to bring my teenagers here later this year.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 3 March 2024
  • Helen D
    48 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A place for fun.
    A great place to visit for the young and old. Lots if quirky gadgets to see and interact with. A really fun place go with the family. Well laid out with toilet facilities.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 6 March 2024
  • Val750
    39 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feel like a child, once more.
    We were looking for a diversion and something to do, on a cold, cloudy day. Stepped into here and felt like children again. We had a really good laugh. It's not a full day's visit, but also not advertised as such. The displays are only in the one floor, so not a massive place. However all the displays are interactive and kept us amused for an hour or so. Price..? My one small gripe. At nearly £9/adult it is in my mind, a little overpriced but we knew the price before entering so can't grumble it's just an observation.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 12 March 2024
  • Sue C
    51 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    DO not miss!
    This is an absolute gem of a place. It's tiny and probably only takes a couple of hours to go round but is absolutely incredible. It's amazing what ingenious people there are in this world. The shop is also fantastic - you could do all your year's gift shopping there!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 2 April 2024
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,678 reviews
Excellent
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353
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Terrible
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Bobz_08
Midlands35 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
We visited the Mad museum website and saw the warning about no pushchairs at peak times and timed our trip at the end of the day when we knew it would be quieter so we could enjoy the museum as a family. Despite it being less than half full, the unfriendly jobsworth on reception told us that it’s a no pushchairs at any time policy, no discretion, no exceptions, apparently no common sense either. She quoted the usual “health and safety” rubbish at us. Wish I’d known that before my 4 year old got excited about being there! Trying to get round the museum with a wriggly baby in your arms plus nappy bag etc does not make for an enjoyable visit and I definitely wouldn’t recommend a visit to anyone who needs to use a pushchair for their little one like we do. It wasn’t that great for a 4 year old, just load of buttons to push to activate the displays, with the odd foot pedal. He did enjoy the short time at the make your own marble run though, would have been longer if his baby brother could have been in his comfy pushchair instead of being carried!!! On another note, pushchairs have to be left downstairs, at street level, in front of an open double door in full sight of passers by. There is a sign saying they have security cameras. Not sure how effective they will be when someone legs it with your expensive baby gear! See pic. We won’t return, mainly because of the unfriendly “welcome” we received.
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Bobz_08 Sorry you feel that the safety of your children is just "Health and Safety Rubbish". The Museum was extremely busy throughout all of the half term holiday and the safety of all our visitors is paramount to us at all times and just not during busy periods. We enforce the pushchair policy during these very busy times as we are not a large museum and space can get very tight and last thing we or any responsible parent would want is somebody tripping or falling into your pushchair. While i agree this can be an "inconvenience" pretty much all of the parents that visited us over the half term totally understood why we had to enforce this policy. We have now been open for 8 years and in all that time we have never had any pushchair go missing when it has been left downstairs. I can also say that our staff are amazing and that 95% of the staff we have, have been with us since we opened Mad and the rest have been with us for the last 2 years, i can say that they are never rude (or jobworth's) as you will see from all our reviews on tripadvisor or facebook the staff are always welcoming and friendly. So i'm sorry you had to carry your son around with you but at least he enjoyed the Marble Wall.
Written 5 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jimtay1984
Calver, UK90 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
This museum isn’t very big but it’s loads of fun and totally unique. We spent about an hour looking at all the various contraptions, some of which are absolutely brilliant. Only one or two weren’t working. Our girls (8 & 5) particularly liked the area where you can build your own marble runs. We went early on a Sunday morning and it was busy but not unbearable. Definitely £20 well spent.
Written 23 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Jimtay1984 Fun and unique is a very good way of describing what Mad is all about, we do have some amazing exhibits and our marble wall is always very popular, sorry a couple of the exhibits didn't appear to work, we had them all fixed and working by Monday morning. The Sunday was the end of our very busy half term week so you picked the best day to go on. Thank you for your review and we hope you'll visit us again someday.
Written 5 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

MH2511
Droitwich, UK340 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2022 • Family
A great visit. Plenty to do for the price and with reduced capacity, there is plenty of space to walk around without feeling like you are rushed or unable to social distance. Since our previous visit, touch buttons have been replaced by sensors to increase safety - a great idea. All displays were fully operational and there were some innovative pieces of art on display.

Blue Peter badge holders and children 5 and under are free. Given children 3 and older would probably get a lot from a visit, this makes it a bit of a bargain.
Written 5 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

nicolanoycewilliams
Southend-on-Sea, UK254 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Family
So much packed into a tiny space

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but saw other reviews and thought we’d give it a go! There’s a lot of different mechanical pieces that all work with a wave of the hand to help stop germs spreading.
So many were favourites. Some incredibly clever and detailed pieces with astounding craftsmanship and ingenuity. My son loved it. He’s definitely a hands on person and saw that there is a world beyond books and writing where being able to imagine and build has its own worth. Thank you for being MAD!
Written 5 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jason Wicks
Birmingham, UK136 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2021 • Family
Fantastic little place for kids & adults alike, perfect to kill an hour or so. We booked in advance and when we arrived on the day, we saw signage saying only bookings were being admitted so I would strongly advise booking, especially if you're looking to go in the busier periods.

Surprisingly, the meuseum wasn't overly packed out and we got plenty of time to look at each display. The displays themselves were incredible and mindblowing! Staff were lovely and the gift shop at the end had all sorts of cool & quirky things to buy.

Would definitely recommend to all.
Written 2 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Liane K
Rugby, UK6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
The MAD Museum is my four year old son's favourite place. He spends several hours looking at the exhibits and immersed in the activities each time we visit. A fun and inspiring place for kids, adults and budding engineers and inventors.
Written 11 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi LianeKavanagh Happy to hear you found the Museum inspiring and your son enjoys his visits, you have summed up very well what the Museum is all about. I hope you and your son continue to visit and enjoy all the Mad creations from the very talented artists who always put so much time and effort into creating such interesting pieces for us. MG
Written 14 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Hope213
Sheffield, UK56 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
I visited here with my 12 and 14 year olds. We were amazed by all the interesting creations. If you have a Blue Peter Badge card they are excepted too :) The place is very well laid out with a button to press for each creation to come alive and a description of the art next to it. Once you have paid you are welcomed and given a brief introduction about the place. There are even coat hooks which is a nice touch! At the end of the museum the exhibits are more interactive. My children enjoyed building their own marble run. Overall we spent 1 and 1/2 hours there - the museum is fairly small but it’s worth spending your time carefully looking at each creation. If you rush round you will definitely miss things. The museum is definitely suitable for all ages! Well worth a visit!
Written 2 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello J123R123 :) Thank you for your lovely review of Mad, you clearly enjoyed your visit and it's great to hear you took the time to look at the descriptions about all the exhibits, we aim to just give people just enough information about the artist and the creations they have made without overloading you with to much text. As you mentioned we are not a huge place but we have managed to fit so much in for you to do and interact with. Thank you for visiting and we hope to see you all again. MG
Written 27 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Stratford-Blue
Stratford upon Avon14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
Every time my grandsons come to visit they have to go to the MAD Museum, they absolutely love it. It is so entertaining and interactive that it keeps them amused for 2 - 3 hours. Anyone with children (up to 95) should visit this wonderful establishment.
Written 25 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RAINB0WSH0ES
Leicester, UK316 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021 • Friends
Museum of Art & Design. This place is situated above shops and the entrance wasn't obvious so I walked past and had to backtrack. The museum is smaller than I expected, but there is a lot crammed into this place. Lots of mechanical things to press, touch and activate. It has lots intricately designed mechanical moving objects. You can design your own Marble Run on a wall in a play area, using magnetic wooden pieces, which was fun. Has a small gift shop which was surprisingly inexpensive, and toilets which were decorated by an artist using a marker pen, who had drawn cartoon drawings all over the walls!
Good place to take kids of ages 8 and over, I would say, and you could spend around an hour here.
Written 14 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Richard F
Royal Wootton Bassett, UK14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Family
Visited with my two boys aged 5 & 12. Although the museum has a relatively small footprint, there's loads of cool & mesmerising exhibits packed in to it. We all had a fantastic time wandering round, hypnotised by the wonders of the fantastically engineered & artistic pieces and marble runs. Great hands on area too where the kids can built there own marble rubs. We spent around 2 1/2 hours here and certainly felt like we had got value for money. Definitely worth a visit as part of your trip to Stratford-on-Avon if you have kids!
Written 11 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Richard Thank you for taking time to leave a review, as you say we are not a massive museum, but as you found out we have managed to squeeze so many exhibits in. We're glad you enjoyed your visit and thank you for visiting Mad.
Written 13 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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