Top Things to do in Wiltshire
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Things to do in Wiltshire, England: The Best Museums
Discover the best top things to do in Wiltshire, United Kingdom including Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, Sevington Victorian School, The Young Gallery, Avrioart, Fox Talbot Museum at Lacock Abbey, Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum, The Salisbury Museum, Wiltshire Museum, STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway, Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum.
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1. 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!
2. Sevington Victorian School
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 6 reviews
Reviewed By KA632 - Chippenham, United Kingdom
A working Victorian school with a VERY strict head teacher! Lots of play acting makes the visit more memorable. Book for a fantastic educational visit. Open some Sundays in the summer. Well worth finding out if it is open when visiting the area. Original desks and other furniture. Fantastic atmosphere. Very educational for all ages.
3. The Young Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3 reviews
Young Gallery Salisbury is on the 1st floor of the central library in Salisbury Market Square. We have four galleries newly refurbished to international standards which now attract touring shows of international significance. We also house five art collections of our own, including the Edwin Young Collection, the John Creasey Museum, and the Edgar Barclay, Robin Tanner and Mick Maslen collections.
4. Avrioart
5. Fox Talbot Museum at Lacock Abbey
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 617 reviews
Reviewed By 504loisw - Neath Port Talbot, United Kingdom
Very interesting exhibition on the history of photography and although some of the actual processes went a little over my head I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Upstairs there is currently a gallery with an artists impressions of some of the themes in Alice Through the Looking Glass, quite eerie but very clever, well worth a look although I'm not sure how long it is on for. The Abbey was closed when we went but we had a look around the cloisters (some parts of Harry Potter were filmed there) really interesting reading some of the notices placed around about the history. The town of Lacock itself is something well worth exploring, lots of little shops tucked away here and there selling local crafts and food. The bakery had some amazing looking pasties and cakes. We'll be going back again to see the Abbey sometime, very interesting history to it all. There is also a large picnic area and playing field for children.
6. Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 109 reviews
A military museum for the infantry regiments of Berkshire and Wiltshire from 1743 to the present day. Please note we close annually during the months of December and January.
Reviewed By mickczl
Really interesting museum, very informative and huge number of artefacts from the eras of the various campaigns, together with supporting explanation. Also brilliant value for money. Those interested in military history could easily spend an agreeable afternoon here; even the casual visitor will find an hour too little.
7. The Salisbury Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 444 reviews
Salisbury Museum is based in the Grade 1 listed building, The King's House, just opposite the west front of Salisbury Cathedral. It houses a significant archaeological collection relating to nearby Stonehenge, as well as costume, fine art (including Turner watercolours) and ceramics.
Reviewed By T1m0te1 - Bath, United Kingdom
My daughter and I had visited Old Sarum and were on our way to the Cathedral, so popped in here for a quick visit beforehand. Half price entry thanks to our English Heritage membership meant that the entry price was very good value (other discounts are available- check the website) and we began in the Wessex gallery, which takes you from Old Sarum back in time to the mesolithic era by way of the Romans and Iron Age. There is a huge amount of archaeology on display, and we spent a long time here. It is a very hands-on gallery, with drawers and cupboards to open, pottery to sort, and prehistoric burials on display, including the Amesbury Archer. There is a lot of information about General Pitt-Rivers, who was a prominent figure in the science of archaeology, and about the work he did in and around Salisbury Plain. Further into the museum you'll find a bewildering array of treasures including lacework, coins and a giant, plus a gallery of costume and several of more modern art. There is a wonderful room crammed with china upstairs, and a bustling café downstairs. This is the sort of place one could easily while away a whole day- perfect for a rainy day, and there are are family trails for the little ones too. We will be back!
8. Wiltshire Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 367 reviews
COVID-19 Update: Please book in advance from website. The Museum tells 500,000 years of Wiltshire's story told in award-winning galleries featuring high quality graphics and leading-edge reconstructions.* Gold from the time of Stonehenge- On display for the first time are dozens of spectacular treasures dating to the time of Stonehenge and worn by people who worshiped inside the stone circle.* Lots for children too- Follow Archie and Ollie on a gallery trail, build Stonehenge, examine the evidence under a microscope and try on Bronze Age clothes. * Saxon Wiltshire - the Making of the Kingdom of Wessex. New gallery featuring spectacular finds from pagan Saxon burials and evidence of the beginnings of Christianity in Wiltshire. * The Devizes Story - telling the fascinating story of our town - Devizes Castle, the Civil War Battle of Roundway and the bustling Georgian market town.
Reviewed By Squire2014 - London, United Kingdom
I've passed this museum many times and finally got to visit it. It's a super place and the staff were most welcoming. It has a wide range of prehistoric artefacts, in particular from the Bronze Age. Finds from local sights include some exquisite gold pieces. The local history is interesting, while the Anglo-Saxon room contains some rare pieces. I rather rushed round but do allow more time.
9. STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,512 reviews
Reviewed By titanicjoyrider - Bracknell, United Kingdom
This museum is a must for any steam heads or fans of railways and locomotives! Situated in the old GWR works in Swindon, right next to the new outlet shopping centre it is perfectly located for ease of access! The museum is full of exhibits and hands on activities that charts the history of the GWR and the role of Swindon in the railways from inception up to the present day! Information is clearly displayed and presented in an easily digested format that gives you just enough to come away having learned something, but not too much that you loose interest. However, what most people will come for are the static exhibits and trains themselves, of which there are plenty to look at! From small practical tank engines to the more famous crack express trains the museum houses them all in context surrounded by authentic paraphernalia from the period in question! Of particular note are the King Class: George V and City Class: City of Truro (first train to do 100mph) our of which are on loan from the National Railway Museum! Highlights and plus points: Excellent attractions Loads to see and do Family friendly Accessible to all Trains galore Perfect for anyone Near to the shops Negative points: Not enough time in the day to see everything! Overall highly recommended, it’s a must see and do and you will not be disappointed!
10. Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 115 reviews
The museum has an impressive collection of classic cars, as well as Lorries, Motorcycles, Mopeds, Push bikes, a large selection of vehicle manuals and other archive material, and a large collection of motor memorabilia.
Reviewed By 855PhilD - Royal Wootton Bassett, United Kingdom
A nice little museum with interesting exhibits, I got the feeling that you could go back many times and see different details each visit. The museum is small with probably less than 100 cars but they are well presented and the whole museum is very well kept.
