IF you’re a fan of pottery, more specifically The Great Pottery Throwdown, you’ll want to pop into this museum.
On the outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent is a towering attraction dating back to the 1700s that makes for a family-fun day out.
Stoke-on-Trent is, bizarrely, the World Capital of Ceramics and one of the museums that focuses on the history of pottery is found on the outskirts in Longton.
It’s called Gladstone Pottery Museum and you’ll recognise it as for 10 years it has been the backdrop of Channel 4‘s popular TV show.
The show sees a series of amateur potters take to the wheel to compete in a series of challenges – the most recent series started on January 4, 2026.
You can step inside yourself to hear more on the history of pottery – and even get your hands dirty with creative workshops.
The Gladstone Pottery Museum is inside a former Victorian pottery factory which operated from 1787 up until 1970.
It’s easily recognisable thanks to its tall coal-fired bottle kilns and was well-known for its bone china production.
Potters still work at the museum, demonstrating their skills modelling clay and glazing.
You can get your hands-on some clay too as it offers workshops where potters can attempt to create tiles, pots, and even masks.
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On Tripadvisor, the museum has over 1,000 reviews with a rating of 4.8 and lots of visitors have praised it for being the ‘best day out’.
One dubbed it the “must-do in the potteries region” while another called it an “unexpected hidden gem”.
Another added: “The Great Pottery Throwdown is our favourite programme so was lovely to visit the place where it’s filmed.”
Alongside exhibits, and plenty of pottery, there’s also a café which serves cakes, snacks as well as hot and cold drinks.
If you pop in, make sure to try some Staffordshire oatcakes which are a local delicacy – essentially these are flat, savoury pancakes served with a choice of fillings.
There’s a gift shop too selling ceramics made and decorated at the museum, as well as other various china and pots.
During the winter season, the museum is open between Wednesday – Saturday 10am – 4pm and Sundays 11am – 4pm.
The summer opening hours start on April 1, 2026, when the museum will be open until 5pm and 4pm on Sundays.
Ticket prices for adults start at £8.75 and children (ages 4-16) are £6.10.
Students and over 65’s can get tickets for £7.10 or get a family ticket for £26 (for 2 adults and 2 children).
Here Are Some of Europe’s Weirdest Museums…
Last year easyJet found the quirkiest museums in Europe, from ones filled with taxidermy frogs to the history of sewers and another that’s fully underwater.
Ranked top weirdest is the Icelandic Phallological Museum in Reykjavik, Iceland.
It’s the world’s only scientific penis museum and contains over 300 penises and penile parts from more than 100 species of mammals.
The museum is the only one dedicated to collecting, studying and presenting actual phalluses.
The second strangest museum as voted for by the Brits is the Paris Sewer Museum (called Musée des Égouts) in France.
Inside, visitors will learn all about Paris‘ underground sewers where work began in the 19th century.
Another of the strangest museums is Froggyland in Croatia which has 507 taxidermy frogs.
Across 21 dioramas, frogs are posed to look like they’re participating in human activities like playing musical instruments, teaching a class or rowing a boat.
For more on attractions, here are the Sun Travel team’s 30 best experiences around the world that everyone should do this year.
And here are the 20 most-visited attractions in England that are completely free to enter.