Military history
Enthusiasts can enjoy the sights and sounds of battlegrounds and warfare from the safety of a warm and welcoming visitor centre and military museum. There are lessons in everything from the difference between a cutlass and a broadsword, the evolution of the suit of armour to the use of cannons in moorland battles. You can even learn about the development of the supersonic jet fighter. Military re-enactments offer a spectacular opportunity for the amateur historian who longs for the past to be brought to life complete with the whiff of gunpowder in the air.
Rainy Day Activities: Explore history at Winchester’s Military Museums
Broaden your knowledge of the British Army and the various battles fought throughout history at Winchester’s six Military Museums.
Location: Winchester, Hampshire
Meet Normandy veterans at The D-Day Story
Visit The D-Day Story in Portsmouth and you may be able to meet some of the men and women who took part in the Normandy Landings.
Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire
Experience the life of a Royal Marine
Train yourself to the peak of physical fitness at an outdoor assault course and see if you've got what it takes, at the Royal Marines Museum.
Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire
Rainy Day Activities: Treat the kids at Portsmouth's Action Stations
Let your kids loose on this indoor playground, packed with exciting activities including a ninja course and the UK's tallest indoor climbing tower.
Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire
Strap on your sea legs on a Harbour tour
Get closer than ever to the Royal Navy's ships on a 45 minute guided boat tour of Portsmouth Harbour.
Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire
Fly with The Red Arrows aerial team at the RAF Museum
Take a ride on The Red Arrow flight simulators or go on a low-flying mission through valleys in a Tornado Jet at London’s Royal Air Force Museum.
Location: Barnet, Greater London
Rainy Day Activities: Step into history in the Churchill War Rooms
Delve underground into Churchill’s War Cabinet Rooms and uncover the secret location which housed the Prime Minister during WWII.
Location: Westminster, London
Explore Brighton and Hove’s wartime heritage
Commemorate the First World War with a cultural holiday in Brighton and Hove, roaming around the city’s lively cultural quarter.
Location: Brighton & Hove, East Sussex
Step on board HMS M.33, a small ship with a big history
Visit Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard this summer and you'll find a new addition to its amazing maritime collection.
Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire