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We all love a day out and what makes it even better is when it’s free! Whether you are looking for some low cost days out for the family or just fancy getting a little more cultured, there are some great museums in Hampshire which are free to visit. These are our top picks:
Royal Armouries (Fort Nelson), near Portsmouth
Located in a key position above Portsmouth, Fort Nelson is home to the Royal Armouries national collection of artillery and historic cannons. Offering a great day out for all the family, explore a fully restored Victorian fort complete with underground tunnels. The national museum houses over 700 pieces of artillery from across the globe spanning over 600 years of history.
Look out for events taking place in the school holidays aimed at younger visitors.
Royal Logistics Corps (RLC) Museum, Winchester
Set on the outskirts of Winchester, in Worthy Down Barracks, Royal Logistics Corps Museum tells the story of over 200 years of Army transport and supply, from the Battle of Agincourt to the present day.
Exhibits include an extensive medal collection, bomb disposal vehicles and the Rolls-Royce Field Marshall Montgomery was driven in when he landed in France shortly after D-Day.
Andover Museum
Housed in a Georgian town house just a short stroll from the centre of the town, Andover Museum tells the story of Andover from prehistoric times to the modern day.
Take a look at archaeological finds including a Bronze Age hoard and Saxon grave goods and look out for a regular events programme including temporary exhibitions and children's events.
Within the same building is the Museum of the Iron Age for which admission charges apply.
Curtis Museum, Alton
Housing one of the finest local history collections in Hampshire. One of the museum’s key artifacts is the Alton Buckle, a fine example of Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship. You will also find out lots about Alton and the surrounding Hampshire landscape in the local studies area.
Children will love the dressing up costumes and other activities.
Westbury Manor Museum, Fareham
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Formerly home to no less than six admirals of the fleet, explore Westbury Manor to find out about Fareham’s origins as a Stone Age settlement, the infamous workhouse scandal of 1837, its long traditions of brickmaking and strawberry growing and much more.
Younger visitors will enjoy some of the hands-on displays including the opportunity to become an amateur archaeologist.
Cumberland House Natural History Museum, Portsmouth
Come along and learn about some of the special flora and fauna that can be found in and around Portsmouth on a visit to Cumberland House Natural History Museum.
One of the most popular areas of the museum is the Butterfly House, home to a whole host of brightly coloured neo-tropical species from Central and South America. It’s worth noting that the butterflies tend to only be flying from May-September.
New Forest Heritage Centre, Lyndhurst
The New Forest offers a unique way of life and where better to explore it than at the New Forest Heritage Centre. Learn more about some of the traditions and customs and the ways the landscape is managed. Look out for a range of events and temporary exhibitions too.
The Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum, Winchester
Another one of Winchester’s military museums, The Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum focusses on the soldiers of the Royal Hampshire Regiment from its founding in 1702 until its amalgamation with the Queen’s Regiment into the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment in 1992.
Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery
Get to grips with the history of Portsmouth on a trip to the Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery. The Story of Portsmouth exhibition showcases a dockyard worker’s kitchen, a Victorian parlour and a 1950s living room to name a few.
Football fans should explore the Football in the City permanent exhibition, with rare items such as both footballs from the 1939 and 2008 FA Cup Finals on display.
Willis Museum & Sainsbury Gallery, Basingstoke
Since the mid 80s, the Willis Museum has been housed in an impressive early Victorian building that was once Basingstoke’s Town Hall.
Named after George Willis, a local clockmaker, antiquarian and former Mayor of Basingstoke, the Willis Museum delves into Basingstoke’s past from medieval to modern times.
The Archaeology Gallery on the 2nd floor offers a fascinating display of items from Stone Age to Saxon times and includes a 2.8 metre mammoth tusk.
The Adjutant General's Corps Museum, Winchester
Located in Winchester’s Penninsula Barracks, The Adjutant General’s Corps Museum tells the story of the modern Adjutant General's Corps (AGC) and The Antecedent Corps through a range of artefacts and interpretative displays.
Some gems in the museum's collection include a matchstick church made by a prisoner in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, some fantastic uniforms, and the late Queen Elizabeth’s wartime driving permit.
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Fort Nelson is home to the Royal Armouries national collection of artillery and historic cannon – the big guns – and is a great day out for all the family. Step back in time and explore a fully restored Victorian fort with its high ramparts, original fortifications, massive parade ground and underground tunnels, plus a national museum housing over 700 pieces of artillery from across the world and spanning 600 years of history – each with their own story to tell.
The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) Museum tells the story of over 200 years of Army transport and supply, from the Battle of Agincourt to the present day.
Housed in a Georgian town house built in the 1750s, Andover Museum tells the story of the town and its surrounding area from prehistoric times to the present day.
Step inside the Curtis Museum to discover one of the finest local history collections in Hampshire, exploring 100 million years of the region’s past. Highlights of the museum displays include the Alton Buckle, the finest piece of Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship to have been found in Hampshire, the Selborne cup, a rare and high-quality enamelled Roman cup and the Gallery of Childhood, packed with toys and dolls dating back to the 18th century.
Step inside elegant Westbury Manor in the heart of Fareham to discover a wealth of stories about the town’s people, heritage and industrial past. Formerly home to no less than six admirals of the fleet, explore Westbury Manor 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 growing and much more.
Portsmouth is a very special place for wildlife in Britain. It has many different habitats in a very small area, and at Portsmouth Natural History Museum you can explore them all. Displays introduce the wildlife of the area - past and present.
Find out what makes the Forest so special at the New Forest Centre. The Museum is great for families and there's a Gallery, Library, Visitor Information Centre and Gift Shop too!
The Regimental Museum focusses on the soldiers of the Royal Hampshire Regiment from its founding in 1702 until its amalgamation with the Queen’s Regiment into the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment in 1992. The displays show how soldiers were dressed and equipped, and their actions through the many campaigns of the Victorian era to the great battles of the First and Second World Wars. Exhibits also cover service from 1946 onwards.
Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery is closed in line with the latest government lockdown measures. The museum is expected to re-open on 2 December.
At the Willis Museum you will discover Basingstoke and Deane’s past, from the rich archaeological heritage beneath our feet right up to the modern day. Throughout the year, a programme of touring exhibitions, as well as fun events, workshops and activities for all the family to enjoy.
The Adjutant General's Corps Museum, located in the former guardroom of Peninsula Barracks, tells the story of the mondern Adjutant General's Corps (AGC) and The Antecedent Corps through artefacts and interpretative displays.
