SHAUN THE SHEEP at The MERL

Farmageddon film poster featuring Shaun the Sheep

Join us for an out of this world morning of family fun celebrating the release of A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Families will get the chance to create their very own SHAUN / LU-LA model and create a stop-motion scene with their new farmyard/intergalactic friend, just like the animators at Aardman! Check out some […]

WHERE’S WALLY? THE BIG MUSEUM HUNT

Wally holding up a sign saying Where's Wally? The Big Museum Hunt

Join the search for Wally with your family every weekend from Sunday 13 October to Sunday 3 November! We’re part of the national Where’s Wally? The Big Museum Hunt, organised by Kids in Museums and Walker Books, to celebrate the release of the new ‘Where’s Wally? book, Double Trouble at the Museum’. Can you find […]

THE MERL HALF TERM WORKSHOP – LINO PRINTING

Lino print block of a bird in profile

Drop your kids off with us at The MERL this October half term for a creative workshop for children aged 8+! Get hands on with objects from The MERL collections and then get stuck into the fantastic world of lino printing in this exciting 2-hour session. You’ll create your own prints inspired by animals in […]

THE MERL HALF TERM WORKSHOP – STRING ART

Board with string art of an orange arrow

Drop your kids off with us at The MERL this October half term for a creative workshop for children aged 8+! Get hands on with objects from The MERL collections and then creative with a hammer and nails in this exciting 2-hour session. You’ll create your own amazing piece of string art inspired by animals […]

CLOSED: LADYBIRD IN FOCUS: ONE GIANT LEAP

To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landing, One Giant Leap looks at how Ladybird Books has illustrated our fascination with space and the inventions that helped us reach it. Beginning with books about the night sky and constellations, Ladybird Books has covered humanity’s interest in the sky since the 1960s. Showcased in the Ladybird Gallery, this exhibition […]

NOW ONLINE: VIRTUAL REALITY & OBJECT HANDLING

Boy on the MERL quad bike wearing a virtual reality headset

Our holiday events are online! Join us on social media for a digital alternative to trying our VR and object handling activities at the museum. Pull up a chair, imagine it’s a quad bike, climb on and watch a 360 version of our Quad Bike VR film to be transported to Dartmoor with Shepherd, Russell […]

VIRTUAL Vs. REALITY

Children sitting on the quad bike at the MERL for the Virtual Reality experience

Join us for hands on virtual and real experiences at The MERL this Summer Get up close and personal with some of our museum artefacts as part of our ‘Please Touch Object Handling’ sessions and investigate what our objects tell us about Summer in the countryside. Then move up a gear, fasten your seat belt […]

VIRTUAL Vs. REALITY

Children sitting on the quad bike at the MERL for the Virtual Reality experience

Join us for hands on virtual and real experiences at The MERL this Summer Get up close and personal with some of our museum artefacts as part of our ‘Please Touch Object Handling’ sessions and investigate what our objects tell us about Summer in the countryside. Then move up a gear, fasten your seat belt […]

VIRTUAL vs. REALITY

Children sitting on the quad bike at the MERL for the Virtual Reality experience

Join us for hands on virtual and real experiences at The MERL this Summer Tuesdays, 11am to 1pm, throughout the summer holidays Drop-in Get up close and personal with some of our museum artefacts as part of our ‘Please Touch Object Handling’ sessions and investigate what our objects tell us about Summer in the countryside. […]

VIRTUAL Vs. REALITY

Children sitting on the quad bike at the MERL for the Virtual Reality experience

Join us for hands on virtual and real experiences at The MERL this Summer Tuesdays, 11am to 1pm, throughout the summer holidays Drop-in Get up close and personal with some of our museum artefacts as part of our ‘Please Touch Object Handling’ sessions and investigate what our objects tell us about Summer in the countryside. […]

  • Visit us

    Visit Us

    The Museum is now fully open, following a major redevelopment, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

    Free Admission

    The Museum of English Rural Life

    University of Reading

    Redlands Road

    Reading

    RG1 5EX

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