The Radio Museum

You walk in expecting dusty glass cases and outdated equipment. Instead, you find yourself genuinely absorbed for a couple of hours. The Radio Museum, just outside Taunton, is a proper passion project - the kind of place where someone's actually bothered to make vintage wireless sets and broadcasting equipment feel relevant rather than just old.

The collection spans from the early days of radio right through to the 1980s, with working sets you can actually listen to and interactive displays that explain why any of this mattered. Kids get a kick out of tuning into old frequencies and hearing how people once gathered around wooden boxes for entertainment. If you've got relatives who remember radio's golden age, they'll spend hours here reminiscing. History buffs and electronics enthusiasts will find plenty to sink their teeth into.

It's free admission, which is brilliant, and open weekdays 09:00-17:00. Allow an hour minimum, maybe two if you're the type who reads every label. Weekday mornings tend to be quiet - you'll get proper attention from the volunteers who run the place.

Worth fitting into a Somerset coast trip? Absolutely, especially if you're based at one of the holiday parks nearby - Warren Bay is less than a mile away, or Haven Doniford Bay just over a mile. It breaks up a beach-heavy itinerary without eating an entire day. Taunton's close enough for a quick visit on your way to somewhere else, though don't expect glamour. It's straightforward, unpretentious, and oddly compelling.