Top Things to do in South West England
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The 10 Best Military Museums in South West England, England
Discover the best top things to do in South West England, United Kingdom including The Tank Museum, Cornwall's Regimental Museum, Davidstow Airfield & Cornwall At War Museum, Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre, Castletown D-Day Centre, South West Airfields Heritage Trust, Cobbaton Combat Collection, South West Airfields Heritage Trust, Fleet Air Arm Museum.
Restaurants in South West England
1. The Tank Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4,570 reviews
The Tank Museum brings history to life, with the world’s best collection of tanks and explosive live displays. Our exhibitions tell the story of armoured warfare spanning over 100 years of history. Exploring ten powerful exhibitions, you will come face to face with almost 300 armoured vehicles. This unique collection includes the world’s first ever tank, the feared German Tiger and the modern Challenger 2. There are special events going on throughout the year at The Tank Museum including TANKFEST, Tiger Day and the Vintage Christmas Festival and Craft Fayre, as well as special activity programmes during the School Holiday.
Reviewed By RodneyAtwood - Shaftesbury, United Kingdom
My seven-year-old grandson and I visited together. He is an enthusiast for tanks of all sizes. I served in the RTR in the 1970s. This was our fourth visit together, but the pleasure of seeing the displays and the eagerness of getting to the museum have not lessened. We are a bit disappointed the Tiger display is being dispersed, but appreciate you have to introduce new ideas. We enjoy seeing the scale models and the semi-Lego, although grandpa whose pocket is not bottomless sees this as an advertisement for your shop. The layout of the museum, the great variety of tanks on display, the information boards, the background history, the helpful guides -- all make this an unsurpassed museum experience for both grandson and grandfather. Even our enthusiasm for toy soldiers can be indulged. We look forward further visits with our year entry, another good feature.
2. Cornwall's Regimental Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 152 reviews
Explore one of Bodmin’s most imposing historic buildings, Bodmin Keep. Discover a warm welcome at Cornwall’s Regimental Museum, a fun and friendly attraction, suitable for all the family. Open 7 days a week during school holidays. Situated close to Bodmin & Wenford Railway, we house one of the finest military collections in the South West. Our displays include uniforms through the ages, paintings and decorative arts, superb medals, an outstanding collection of weaponry and a few surprises! Join us for one of our many events, or just come along to browse our collection. While you're here why not have a go at our museum quiz, or give the bugle a go! ENTRANCE RATES 2018 All paid entry includes an annual pass, including adults, children, family passes and railway discounts. • Adults – £6 • Ages 6 – 16 years – £2 • Ages 5 and under – FREE • Family Pass (2 adults and up to 4 children): £15 • Dogs – FREE. We are proud to be a dog friendly attraction and dogs are welcome
Reviewed By Hunrosa2019 - Truro, United Kingdom
Following the loss of our dog yesterday, we decided (my partner & I) to keep busy. We wanted to stay local and this military Museum was on the to do list. The museum is dog friendly including all the internal rooms which i found welcoming. The museum itself is set across two floors and has a wonderful military war timeline the exhibitions and items on display were of great quality and such a vast array of memorabilia. There is an entire floor of historical military weapons and of medals Including the Victoria Cross of which all the present and on display. I was surprised to find for half term (I have no children so I was not aware!) That the museum was free of charge for entry!! I was a little disappointed at this especially as £6 per person (adult) was such a minimum entrance fee for such a fascinating and beautiful collection in a real Army Barracks. However we did make some donations and purchased a couple of items out of the shop. (However even if the museum only charged £1 per person as a promotion- it was incredibly busy yesterday and they could’ve made little bit of money, anyway I’m not the CEO or business manager!!) I must add, the lady who was working on the entrance/shop was incredibly friendly, heartwarming, informative and very helpful. Randomly, on leaving the museum my dog needed the toilet! I had her deposit in a little bag. I did search the entire external grounds for a bin and couldn’t find one. However on stopping a member of staff they didn’t hesitate to take this bag of doggy deposit from me to dispose of it on my behalf. I found the very grateful and such a nice gesture. They also have an antique shop of books which sells simple refreshments on a honesty box service, I really liked the fact that wonderful drinks and flavours were on offer and not just Pepsi et cetera. We spent several hours throughout the museum however my only tiny tiny criticism would be, ensure there is a notice/sign saying this way to 2nd floor as we completely missed this entrance/staircase and only on returning to the lovely lady she commented on both floors and we realised we had still another floor to visit! Overall, I will absolutely be visiting this museum again. We were due to also visit the town Museum yesterday however spent the entire day simply enjoying, learning and invoking memories of my service time within this museum. It’s a must visit place!!! 10/10.
3. Davidstow Airfield & Cornwall At War Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 948 reviews
Reviewed By Q3397AZamandaw - Luton, United Kingdom
2nd time visiting this little gem of a museum- this time with grandparents and children in tow ! It didn’t disappoint- something for all ages. The weather did us in though- despite the offer of coats from the guardroom ! All the staff were as welcoming as ever- never fear - we will be back !!
4. Boscombe Down Aviation Collection
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 582 reviews
Whether you're a serious aviation enthusiast or a kid who wants to sit in fast jet cockpits, this is for you! Please note - We are at Old Sarum Airfield - NOT at the Boscombe Down airfield.
Reviewed By thorpoticus - Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom
What a fantastic place to get up close to a large part of Britain’s military aviation history Most of the cockpits are open and you are allowed to climb inside and use the controls The staff are very friendly and informative with anything you may want to know Recommended for kids of all ages(I’m 59) If you’re near Salisbury this is a must!
5. Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 616 reviews
A great family tourist attraction. Informative - and interesting aviation heritage and activity museum. Ideal for young and old. Indoor and outdoor exhibits. Sit inside the cockpits of some fantastic aircraft...
Reviewed By glyn84 - Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom
Excellent place to spend a few hours looking at the aviation exhibition with very knowledgeable and friendly volunteers to explain the aircraft, even able to sit in the cockpits of quite a few even an amazing cold war Lightning to see .
6. Castletown D-Day Centre
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 354 reviews
The Castletown D-Day Centre is a family friendly, interactive WWII museum that tells the story of the thousands of US military personnel who in June 1944 sailed from Dorset to the beaches of Normandy.
Reviewed By FamilyManWessex
A great WW2 museum where you are invited to touch guns and sit in and on the vehicles including a jeep, motorbike and sidecar troop carriers anti-aircraft gun and Sherman tank. Really friendly and helpful staff. A great family experience for our children aged between 5 and 15.
7. South West Airfields Heritage Trust
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 13 reviews
RAF Coastal Command operating with USAAF and US Navy in the persuit of U Boats during the Battle of The Atlantic. A unique collection of photographs showing the daily lives and missions as well as many WW2 artefacts. Videos/interactive displays. Toilets and restaurant next door at the Aviator Restaurant. Open 11am - 4pm Thurs to Sunday Good Friday to end of October.
8. Cobbaton Combat Collection
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 173 reviews
Reviewed By UsOnOurTravels
This collection of wartime equipment, paraphernalia, vehicles, artillery, weapons, clothing etc is staggering. Well presented and so much to see you’ll need two trips around. We enjoyed it and our two 11yo boys did too. As with many venues, it’s the people that make it, The Cobbaton Combat Collection is well staffed with knowledgeable informative and friendly staff who are clearly all enthusiasts. There’s a HUGE selection of military based items and clothing for sale in the shop, which doesn’t feel like a shop. The Nafi Van was well stocked and the service was excellent - the pasties were delicious.
9. South West Airfields Heritage Trust
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 24 reviews
WW2 Heritage Centre. Narrative, video, photographs and artefacts tell the story of this airfield's role in D-Day. Also Band of Brothers. USN and RAF. The Centre is open from Good Friday until the end of October.
10. Fleet Air Arm Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,999 reviews
The Fleet Air Arm Museum will thrill the whole family. Get up close and personal with Europe's largest collection of Naval aircraft and see the first British Concorde.You'll 'Fly' by helicopter to the replica flight deck of the Ark Royal where two enormous projection screens show aircraft taking off and landing. Witness an air sea rescue when a Buccaneer is lost over the side into the sea. There's even a nuclear bomb.Situated alongside RNAS Yeovilton, you may also see aircraft flying in and out.Visit The Fleet Air Arm Museum. The thrill is being there. Opening hours are 10:00 am to 4.30pm Wednesdays to Sundays. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Reviewed By cjt63 - Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
I last visited here as a child with a love or aircraft and so a revisit with a friend has been planned for quite a while. Nicely laid out museum with all the aircraft and exhibits located in indoor hangers (not always the case when large aircraft are the subject!), so a great place for a rainy day. The only unfortunate point is that you need to go outside to a different building for a cafe/restaurant ‘pit stop’. However, I think the rest of the museum has been so well done I haven’t marked down for this. There’s a viewing area to the airstrip outside so you can view live Merlin/Puma helicopters taking off and landing. The highlight is the Ark Royal experience, make sure to leave enough time for this, I’d say 45 mins to an hour as it’s an escorted tour. Hard to explain but a mix of computer simulation and real equipment to give an impression of life inboard the Ark Royal as she was, excellent & v interesting!
