Spend a cold afternoon in a museum

A museum is a good place to spend a cold afternoon. It’s warm, quiet and full of things to look at, and it works as a date, a day with a friend or a solo outing. The trick is to do less: choose one museum, one or two rooms and leave before you’re tired.

Choose the museum and the day

Pick one museum near you. It can be an art museum, a natural history museum, a science museum or a small local one. A small museum is often easier to enjoy than a huge one.

• Check for free days. Many museums have a free or discounted day, evening or hour each month, and some libraries lend passes. Dates change, so check the museum’s website just before you go.
• Check the opening times. Many museums close on one weekday, and some close early in winter.
• Pick a quiet time. Weekday afternoons and late openings are usually less crowded than weekend mornings.
• Book ahead if needed. Special exhibitions sometimes need timed tickets.
• Look at the map online. Choose the one or two rooms you most want to see.

What to wear and bring

• Comfortable shoes you can walk in for a couple of hours.
• Layers. Galleries are often cooler than you expect, and you’ll want to take off your coat.
• A small bag. Large bags often have to go in the coat check, and some museums don’t allow them in the galleries.
• A notebook or your phone for notes, but check the photography rules first. Many museums allow photos without flash, and some ban them in certain rooms.
• A little cash or a card for a drink or a postcard.

How to do it

1. Arrive and check the map. Take a moment to decide where to start.
2. Go straight to your chosen room, before you’re tired.
3. Pick three things in the room that you like, and look at each for a few minutes. Read the label after you look, not before.
4. Talk about what you see. “Which one would you take home?” is an easy starter.
5. Sit down when you want to. Most galleries have benches.
6. Stop for a drink or a snack halfway through.
7. Go back for one more room if you still have energy, or leave while you still want more.

What to talk about

If it’s a date, the art does the work for you. Try asking which piece is your favourite and why, which one you’d change, which one you wouldn’t hang at home. There’s no right answer, and that’s the point.

What goes wrong

• It’s too crowded. Skip the busiest room and head for a quieter one, then come back later.
• You’re tired after an hour. Sit, have a drink and then decide whether to continue. Leaving early is fine.
• You don’t know anything about art. You don’t need to. Look at what catches your eye and read the label if you’re curious.
• You can’t find the free day. If a free day doesn’t suit you, ask whether there’s a student, local or late-night rate.
• You get overwhelmed by choice. Set a limit of two rooms before you go in.

After the museum

Walk somewhere warm afterwards: a café, a bookshop or a quiet corner for dinner. Talk about the thing you liked best, or write down one sentence about it that night. If you want to go back, put the next free day in your calendar.

Make the most of one room

If you only visit one room, you can really look at it. Try this: walk once around the room without stopping, then go back to the piece that caught your eye. Spend five minutes with it, and notice colours, details and anything that surprises you. Many museums also offer a short audio guide or a free map with highlights, so ask at the desk. Going slowly is the whole idea.

Make it a winter afternoon

The coldest days of the year are the best for a museum, since you’re warm, out of the weather and somewhere that never feels rushed. Go for a couple of hours, then stop somewhere for something warm. If you’d rather stay in with a book, try reading in a café.