Museums, Southampton

Our museum is a truly hands-on experience. We have many interactive exhibits with most of our aircraft cockpits available for you to actually sit inside. From the famous English Electric Lightning to the mighty Westland Wessex Helicopter – all are available for you to view up close. A visit to the museum is a memorable and educational time out. You will learn about the variety of exhibits and their various operational roles as well as getting an insight into the local aviation heritage. Located adjacent to the airport and open daily you are sure to catch a glimpse of the live-action right on our doorstep. Once your visit is complete why not visit our shop where we have some exciting ideas of gifts and heaven for anyone interested in aviation. You can even visit the shop without entering the museum, just in case you fancy browsing the aviation memorabilia. https://www.bournemouth.co.uk/things-to-do/bournemouth-aviation-museum-p1156323

Welcome to the Russell-Cotes: House Gallery Garden – One of the most fascinating historic houses in England. The Russell-Cotes was the home of two Victorian collectors and travel enthusiasts, Sir Merton and Lady Annie Russell-Cotes. https://www.bournemouth.co.uk/things-to-do/russell-cotes-art-gallery-and-museum-p137603

Come and visit the ‘Jewel’ in the crown of the Jurassic Coast, The Etches Collection Museum of Jurassic Marine Life situated in the village of Kimmeridge, Dorset Housing the finest single collection of Late Jurassic age fossils all found by just one man, Dr Steve Etches MBE - you will be mesmerised by sea monsters, prehistoric predators and the marine flora and fauna of 152-157 million years ago when Kimmeridge was but a shallow, tropical sea, during the great age of the Dinosaurs. All of the fossils in the collection were found by Steve in the Kimmeridge Bay locality, from the world-famous oil-rich Kimmeridge Clay, within 2 miles of where the Museum is located. Learn about their Stories from Deep Time interpreted with state of the art CGI imagery of Jurassic marine life swimming above the amazing fossils in the museum gallery. https://www.bournemouth.co.uk/things-to-do/the-etches-collection-museum-of-jurassic-marine-life-p2629493

Executed for arson. Transported for asking for fair pay. Given six months hard labour for stealing clothes. 200 years of justice, injustice, crime and punishment are brought to life at Dorchester’s Shire Hall Historic Courthouse Museum. The new immersive museum enables visitors of all ages to explore the history of law and order, as well as past and present efforts to achieve justice for all people. Walk in the footsteps of everyday people who were tried and sentenced in the court. Use the interactive multi-media guides to find out what happened to them. Discover the depths of the cold, dark cells, and stand in the dock of the historic courtroom, where famous novelist and poet Thomas Hardy was a magistrate. Dress up in wigs, gowns and hats to play the part and uncover the remarkable stories of those who passed through the building. Learn what it means when we say “crime,” what we want when we demand punishment for those crimes and how we can all make the present-day world https://www.bournemouth.co.uk/things-to-do/shire-hall-historic-courthouse-museum-p2468793

The striking chequerboard flint and Caen limestone facade is part of one of the oldest Norman buildings in Sussex. The museum tells the story of Shoreham’s maritime and local history from prehistoric to medieval times. https://sussexpast.co.uk/properties-to-discover/marlipins-museum

Learn all about the history of Maidenhead AND fly in a Spitfire simulator at this little gem of a museum! https://www.windsor.gov.uk/things-to-do/maidenhead-heritage-centre-p314711

Dorney Court is one of England’s finest stately homes. It is a Grade 1 listed building, renowned for its architectural importance and historical significance, and any visit is a fascinating and unique experience. Built in the 15th century, the Tudor Manor House has been lived in by the Palmer family for more than 450 years – this remarkable and characterful building has been passed from father to son over thirteen generations. “Dorney” is the ancient Saxon word for “island of bees” and the estate remains famous for its honey which is still produced to this day. The very first pineapple to be raised in England was grown at Dorney Court and presented to Charles II in 1661 and the spectre of a bald lady haunts the wood-panelled hallways. Dorney Court is very much a family home and visitors will find that the House and Grounds have an easy charm and a warmth of welcome that reflect continuing family use and the passion and love of everyone involved with the Estate. Dorney Court has been used as a film and TV location since the 1970s. The House and Grounds have featured in a wide range of productions including Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Other Boleyn Girl, Inspector Morse and Poirot. When you visit Dorney Court, you will find rooms full of history. Oak and beautiful lacquer furniture compete for space with family portraits and treasures collected over six centuries. https://www.windsor.gov.uk/things-to-do/dorney-court-p51843

Set amidst the extensive Home Park of Windsor Castle, Frogmore House is surrounded by fine and picturesque gardens. The house dates from the 1680s and was purchased for Queen Charlotte in 1792. Here the Queen was able to indulge her love of botany and laid out the garden with many rare and unusual plants. At one time the house was the home of Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent. After her death, her son-in-law, Prince Albert, commissioned the building of an elegant mausoleum to hold her remains. Queen Victoria was particularly fond of Frogmore's peaceful ambience and it became her favourite retreat. Victoria and Albert's love of Frogmore lead them to break with tradition and build themselves a much larger and grander mausoleum for themselves. Favoured also by King George V and Queen Mary, they used Frogmore for entertaining during Ascot Week. Today, with its handsome house and tranquil gardens, it is easy to imagine the love Frogmore inspired in its former residents. https://www.windsor.gov.uk/things-to-do/frogmore-house-p50923

Come and explore the 1,000-year history of Oxford Castle and Prison. Step back in time with our costumed guided tours and see fascinating stories come to life. Hear the great tales of Empress Matilda or the fate of Mary Blandy, one of the prisons’ most famous criminals. Step inside our padded jail cell and meet the notorious ‘Black Panther’, a vicious prisoner held here in the 1970s. Find gorgeous views atop of St. George’s Tower and then descend into the atmospheric crypt of St Georges Chapel. Here you can touch the stones were Oxford University was rumoured to begin and stand in the birthplace of King Arthur. Explore the austere confines of the prisons’ D-Wing and debtors tower, here you can wander the cells and learn about our youngest inmates. After your guided tour, you can climb the mound, the remains of a motte and bailey castle. Explore the attraction at your own leisure and dress up like a prisoner in our exhibition space. Sit down with a nice cup of coffee in our café, spread out your map and plan where to go next in Oxford. In the summer, we have Knight School, a medieval-inspired workshop which trains children into becoming little warriors. Our Shakespeare Festival is an Oxford summer staple whilst Ghost Fest is sure to give you a scare over Halloween. https://www.experienceoxfordshire.org/venue/oxford-castle-and-prison/

A Museum displaying the University's natural history specimens including some remarkable Paleontological Collections. The museum is also the home to the last seen Dodo bird in existence. Today, all that remains from rot are its beak and its feet. The Museum was also the sight of the 1860s evolution debate between Thomas Henry Huxley and Bishop Samuel Wilberforce, which famously critiqued the publication of Charles Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species'. http://www.oxfordcityguide.com/frmInfoDetail.aspx?aId=227

M Shed explores the city’s history from prehistoric times to the 21st century. Stories about the city and its people have been discovered through working with experts and communities across the city – a process that will continue for the life of the museum. Rich collections of objects, art and archives also play an important part in bringing those stories to life. https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/m-shed-p24311

Arnolfini is a centre for contemporary arts based on Bristol’s harbourside in the heart of the city. Founded in 1961, the organisation is dedicated to producing and presenting visual arts, performance, dance, film, music and events, underpinned by a commitment to a dynamic civic role in the city. https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/arnolfini-p23871

Step on board the most extraordinary time-machine. Brunel’s SS Great Britain, the world’s first great ocean liner, Bristol’s no.1 attraction and one of the UK’s top ten museums. The brainchild of our most famous honorary Bristolian, Isambard Kingdom Brunel; this iconic steam ship is the heart of a multi-award winning visitor attraction. Rescued from rust and wreckage in 1970, and since lovingly restored to her Victorian heyday, a visit to the SS Great Britain allows you to step back in time and explore true stories from the opulent First-Class to the cramped and quarrelsome Steerage. Each kitchen and cabin, dining room and doctor’s surgery emanates authentic sounds and smells which bring the ship and its history to life. So much more than a dusty old museum, this is a living and breathing, atmospheric experience. Step ‘underwater’ for a unique and magnificent view of the ship below the beautiful glass sea; investigate the Riggers’ Yard and the Great Western Dockyard, test your skills with interactive displays and choose from a selection of fascinating audio companions. With storytelling and games for children to in-depth historical research in Brunel’s Institute, there is something for everybody at Brunel’s ss Great Britain. https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/brunels-ss-great-britain-p25861

The Georgian House Museum is an 18th century, six storey townhouse just off Bristol's famous independent shopping area, Park Street. The house has been restored and decorated to its original glory, and is the perfect way to step back in time and imagine what life was like in this affluent area of the city hundreds of years ago. https://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/the-georgian-house-museum-p26101

Home to the 12th Duke of Marlborough and his family and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting a long and diverse history. A masterpiece of Baroque architecture landscaped Parkland and stunning Formal Gardens, Blenheim Palace provides an awe-inspiring experience for visitors. Explore over 2000 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown Parkland and 90 acres of award-winning Formal Gardens. Ride the miniature train to The Pleasure Gardens, a dedicated family area that offers a giant hedge maze, butterfly house and adventure playground. A year-round calendar of tours, exhibitions, experiences and events reveal the sheer splendour of Britain’s Greatest Palace. https://www.experienceoxfordshire.org/venue/blenheim-palace/

Kensington Palace, a palace of secret stories and public lives, has been influenced by generations of royal women. Experience life as an 18th-century royal courtier whilst making your way through the magnificent King's and Queen's State Apartments adorned with remarkable paintings from the Royal Collection. Victoria Revealed, set within the rooms Queen Victoria lived in as a child, is an exhibition that explores her life and reign as wife, mother, Queen and Empress. Diana: Her Fashion Story - Kensington Palace’s newest exhibition - traces the evolution of Diana’s style; from the demure, romantic outfits of her first public appearances to the glamour, elegance and confidence of her later life. Highlights include the pink blouse worn for Diana’s engagement portrait in 1981 and the ink blue velvet gown, worn when the princess danced with John Travolta. https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/428001-kensington-palace

The Science Museum is the most visited science and technology museum in Europe. There are over 15,000 objects on display, including world-famous objects such as the Apollo 10 command capsule and Stephenson’s Rocket. https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/52747-science-museum

Visit a Buckingham Palace for a glimpse inside one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today. During the summer, you can tour the 19 spectacular State Rooms. These magnificent rooms are decorated with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Van Dyck. Outside of the summer opening, you can still see the iconic exterior of the palace and watch the famous Changing the Guard. https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/427311-buckingham-palace

With 14 interactive areas, Madame Tussauds London combines glitz, glamour and incredible history with more than 300 stunning wax figures. Walk down the red carpet with Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Depp, before exploring our sports zone alongside Usain Bolt and David Beckham. Enjoy an audience with Her Majesty The Queen and Will and Kate before stepping on stage with music icons including Miley Cyrus. Then, after a behind-the-scenes look at how our sculptors work, ride in a taxi and relive the rich history of London. https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/284875-madame-tussauds-london

Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history. Enjoy a unique comparison of the treasures of world cultures under one roof, centred around the magnificent Great Court. World-famous objects such as the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon sculptures, and Egyptian mummies are visited by up to six million visitors per year. In addition to the vast permanent collection, the museum’s special exhibitions, displays and events are all designed to advance understanding of the collection and cultures they represent. https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/285709-british-museum

Despite the Tower of London's grim reputation as a place of torture and death, within these walls you will also discover the history of a royal palace, an armoury and a powerful fortress. Don't miss Royal Beasts and learn about the wild and wonderous animals that have inhabited the Tower, making it the first London Zoo. Discover the priceless Crown Jewels, join an iconic Beefeater on a tour and hear their bloody tales, stand where famous heads have rolled, learn the legend of the Tower's ravens, storm the battlements, get to grips with swords and armour, and much more! http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/22249-hm-tower-of-london

Opened on St David’s Day 2006 by Queen Elizabeth II and renowned architect Lord Richard Rogers, the Senedd is situated in a prime position on the waterfront alongside the Pierhead, also belonging to the Parliament estate. It houses the Welsh Parliament for Wales’ Siambr (debating chamber) and Committee Rooms, all of which have a public gallery to allow members of the public free access inside to take an interest in the discussions that help shape their lives as well as hosting world-class exhibitions and events throughout the year. It is one of the most environmentally friendly Parliament buildings in the world making use of local Welsh materials including Llan Ffestiniog slate, Pembrokeshire oak and Port Talbot steel as well as using geothermal heating to keep the building heated in the colder months. The Senedd is completely transparent at public levels with a café and a shop on the upper level when once through security, the public can enjoy a nice cup of tea and a Welsh cake while looking at the literature and craft gifts available from all over Wales. https://www.visitcardiff.com/highlights/senedd/

National Museum Cardiff is situated in the heart of Cardiff’s elegant civic centre and houses world-class art and natural history, including Wales’s national art, natural history and geology collections, as well as major touring and temporary exhibitions. If you want to stand and stare, there’s plenty to please your eye – from Impressionist paintings to gigantic dinosaurs. For exploring you can pick up a range of gallery trails to guide you around the Museum. With a busy programme of exhibitions and events, we have something to amaze everyone, whatever your interest – and admission is free! https://www.visitcardiff.com/highlights/national-museum/

City Hall stands in the heart of Cardiff. It is the centrepiece of one of the world’s finest civic centres, an area of impressive civic buildings, landscaped gardens and broad tree- lined avenues. Opened in 1906, after Cardiff was given its Royal Charter as a city in 1905, City Hall is predominately a venue for conferences, exhibitions and events but is also open to visitors to the city. The impressive exterior of City Hall built in the English Renaissance style from Portland stone prepares the visitor for the highly decorative Edwardian interiors, including the magnificent Marble Hall lined by columns of Sienna marble mounted in bronze and the Council Chamber which has witnessed many passionate debates over the years. City Hall houses an extensive art collection, including ‘Winter’ by Joseph Farquharson, and is on display for visitors to see and enjoy. A booklet is available free of charge from the City Hall reception desk which gives full details of the collection. There is no charge for entry, but some of the rooms may not be available for viewing if they have been hired for a private function. https://www.visitcardiff.com/highlights/city-hall/

A rare surviving 13th-century house belonging to the Knights Templar - an order of soldiers established in the crusading period to protect the holy lands and the pilgrims who travelled to them. Its original purpose was to provide lodgings and fresh horses for members of this order on their way to and from the crusades. The stone building that exists today once formed part of a larger range of buildings which included a hall, kitchens, barns and stables. Remains of 13th-century wall plaster can still be seen. https://www.visitmedway.org/attractions/temple-manor-2589/

Fabled city mansion, stayed in by Charles II on eve of his restoration and the Satis House of Great Expectations. Superbly poetic interiors with a wonderful collection of English furniture and paintings, including several Gainsboroughs and Reynolds and rare Constable portraits. A good collection of English pottery and treen. The deliciously maintained twin-walled gardens of an acre now complemented by the ongoing restoration of monumental renaissance garden. https://www.visitmedway.org/attractions/restoration-house-2421/

The Rochester Guildhall was built in 1687 and is one of the finest 17th-century civic buildings in Kent. Its staircase and main hall have magnificent plaster ceilings, given in 1695 by Admiral Sir Cloudsley Shovell, who was the Member of Parliament for the city of Rochester at the time. https://www.visitmedway.org/rochester-guildhall-museum/

Britain’s very first museum of Huguenot history has opened its doors to the public. Following a £1.5 million development project, Rochester’s museum tells the dramatic story of the Huguenots, their persecution in France, escape to Britain and the trades, crafts and skills they brought with them that has since contributed to the formation of modern Britain. Alongside beautiful new galleries displaying objects never seen by the public before, the museum also has a vibrant and engaging learning space. Here visitors will be able to further their learning either through a craft workshop, talk, lecture, film screening or cross-curricular schools session. https://www.visitmedway.org/attractions/huguenot-museum-2165/

A Tudor charity house founded by the Elizabethan MP Richard Watts to provide board and lodgings for six poor travellers and continued to do so right up to the Second World War. The house and charity are immortalised in Dickens' Christmas short story entitled The Seven Poor Travellers. A courtyard and herb garden attracts many visitors in the summer. https://www.visitmedway.org/attractions/six-poor-travellers-house-2507/

Once the family home of Sir Peter Buck, a senior officer at the Royal Tudor Dockyard, the house has also been a Victorian boarding school, a hostel, a museum and an inspiration to the great author Charles Dickens. As part of a £2.2million Heritage Lottery Funded project, Eastgate House has undergone major refurbishment works and is now open to the public. Many of the building's original features and decorative schemes have been carefully restored, and new heating and lighting have been installed. Access has been greatly improved with a new lift at the back of the building, and the second floor of the house is open to visitors for the first time in more than 40 years. Visitors to the house can explore the amazing rooms of the house while learning the remarkable story of those who lived, worked and played here throughout the centuries. https://www.visitmedway.org/attractions/eastgate-house-1805/

A family home and a great estate. Glorious landscape garden surrounded by parkland with fine 18th-century house Would you give away your family home for your political beliefs? Sir Richard Acland did just that with his Killerton Estate when he gave it to the National Trust in 1944. Today, you'll find a friendly Georgian house set in 2,600 hectares (6,400 acres) of working farmland, woods, parkland, cottages and orchards. There's plenty of calm space in the glorious garden, beautiful year-round with rhododendrons, magnolias, champion trees and formal lawns. You can explore winding paths, climb an extinct volcano, discover an Iron Age hill fort and take in distant views towards Dartmoor. Off the beaten track, you can discover three of Killerton's hidden gems. Nestled by the River Clyst sits Clyston Mill, a working watermill. In the heart of Broadclyst you'll find Marker's, a medieval house steeped in history, and just a stone's throw away from Killerton House is a 1950's post office with a charming cottage garden. https://www.visitexeter.com/things-to-do/national-trust-killerton-house-and-gardens-p131423

You will find something for all the family in Kent's only Designated museum. Exhibits of national and international importance are housed in the Museum's galleries, which tell the story of how the Royal Engineers have helped the British Army live, move and fight since the time of William the Conqueror. See the diverse collection with highlights including Wellington's map from Waterloo, Zulu War weapons, a Harrier Jump Jet, 25 Victoria Crosses and an enormous V2 Rocket. Discover why a large section of the Berlin Wall now lives in the Museum and how one soldier gained the respect of the Chinese emperor. There really is something for everyone at this unique museum. https://www.visitmedway.org/attractions/royal-engineers-museum-library-archive-2454/

The museum which is fully registered with the Museums and Galleries Commission features the history of the town and port of Topsham including shipbuilding and ship owning, and the wildlife of the Exe Estuary. It incorporates a late 17thC house furnished in period. https://www.visitexeter.com/things-to-do/topsham-museum-p137673