16 Museums to Explore in Hampshire

The Army Flying Museum is located beside the Army Air Corps Centre in Middle Wallop, close to Andover in Hampshire. The museum is about the history of flying in the British Army, from the Balloon sections of the Royal Engineers, through the establishment of the Royal Flying Corps in 1912 and Air Observation Post Squadrons. It contains flight simulators, an outdoor play park with interactive aviation-themed play pieces, and a control tower based on that at Middle Wallop.

Buckler’s Hard was once a hive of shipbuilding activity, providing ships for Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar. It now comprises a beautiful.l museum, where you can discover the fascinating story of the village and the ships it built. Listen in on conversations between villagers of the past in the 18th century New Inn and follow the stories of the 19th and 20th-century residents in an exhibition about village life.

Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower is an award-winning museum of naval warfare set in the 18th-century buildings at the Royal Navy's former armaments depot of Priddy's Hard, in Gosport, Hampshire. you can wander in the world of weaponry and firearms, which is fearsome, powerful and inventive. Learn of the damage that was done by the collection of guns, cannons, torpedoes, modern missiles – and even a nuclear bomb – at the former 18th-century armament depot which houses the museum.

The Farnborough Air Sciences Trust museum holds a collection of aircraft, satellites, simulators, wind tunnel,s and Royal Aircraft Establishment-related material. There are aircraft on display, some of which had significant design and/or development contributions from Farnborough. The collection of models in a wind tunnel, held in storage, along with the documentation and historical records of engineering development.

The Hovercraft Museum is the only one in the world dedicated to this unique concept. The collection consists of approximately 60 hovercraft, ranging in size from single-seat fun craft to giant SRN4 that used to operate across the English Channel. Here, visitors can see famous hovercraft from film and television, climb aboard historic specimens, and see the very first proof-of-concept machines that led the way to the hovercraft revolution.

Milestones Museum of Living History is a museum located on the Leisure Park in Basingstoke, Hampshire. It is made up of a network of streets that have been recreated according to those found in Victorian and 1930s Hampshire. The museum is home to over 20,000 objects that were either made or used in Hampshire and is a record of the county's social, industrial, and transport history.

The National Motor Museum (originally the Montagu Motor Museum) is a museum in the village of Beaulieu, set in the heart of the New Forest, in the English county of Hampshire. Today, in addition to around 250 vehicles manufactured since the late-19th century, the museum has a collection of motoring books, journals, photographs, films, and automobilia of the world and is affiliated to the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust.

The Royal Armouries is Britain's oldest national museum and was all originally in the Tower of London. It now occupies Fort Nelson, The Tower of London, Leeds Royal Armouries Museum and a permanent display at Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Over 700 items of artillery from many countries and spanning 600 years are brought to life whilst sensitively telling the unique stories behind them.

Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum houses one of the finest collections of fully restored motorcycles in the world, including factory racers and exotic prototypes, with the collection constantly evolving as new bikes are acquired. It houses some 300 machines including motorcycles and 3-wheeled vehicles and is affiliated to the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust.

Barbe is both a dynamic local museum and a highly regarded art gallery that appeals to both locals and New Forest visitors. It shows the history of Lymington and the New Forest Coast, inspired by local pride, and supported by the local community, its collections and colorful, hands-on displays offer a fascinating insight into the area for all ages.

The Brickworks Museum is a volunteer-run museum based in Swanwick, Hampshire, England. It is thought to be the last Victorian steam-driven brickworks left in the UK. It’s a really hands-on museum with lots of interactive things for kids to do. You can see bricks being made and even have a try yourselves.

The Gurkha Museum located in Peninsula Barracks in Winchester will takes you on a journey through Gurkha history, beginning with their origins in Nepal and the moment in 1815 when Gurkhas were first enlisted to fight for Britain. Besides tableaux, dioramas, showcases and panels, it has visual and voice descriptions of the history of Gurkha Regiments, recruiting of soldiers in Nepal as well as the culture of the Gurkha in his homeland.

The Royal Green Jackets Museum is located in Winchester, Hampshire showcasing an outstanding collection of uniforms, weapons, medals and much more. It tells the history of three famous Regiments, The Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps and The Rifle Brigade that came together in 1966 to form The Royal Green Jackets.

Westbury Manor Museum is the main town center museum located at 84 West Street, Fareham, Hampshire, England. It features a variety of exhibits on local histories, such as the use of Fareham red bricks in the construction of the Royal Albert Hall. explore Westbury Manor Museum to find out about the borough's origins as a Stone Age settlement, the infamous workhouse scandal of 1837, its long traditions of brickmaking and strawberry production, and much more.

Willis Museum has been housed in this impressive early Victorian building that was once Basingstoke's Town Hall. The building served as a corn exchange and market hall and dances were held in the room upstairs. It was also the headquarters of the Council of the Borough of Basingstoke until the borough was abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in 1974.

Winchester, City Museum tells the story of England’s ancient capital, the seat of Alfred the Great. From its origins as an Iron Age trading centre to Anglo Saxon glory, the last journey of Jane Austen to the hunt for King Alfred’s remains, explore the sights and sounds of Winchester past and present in the museum’s three galleries.