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
Rainy Day Activities: Discover military history at The Royal Armouries
Britain’s national museum of arms and armour is home to a fascinating and unique collection, including the only existing suit of armour built for an elephant.
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire
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
Imperial War Museum North
Get an insight into the wars and conflicts that have shaped both England and the world at the Imperial War Museum North.
Location: Manchester, Greater Manchester
Experience the Blitz spirit at Stockport Air Raid Shelters
See how Britain survived the Blitz as you negotiate this dark labyrinth of tunnels at Stockport Air Raid Shelters.
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester
Experience life in a WWI trench at the Lancashire Museum
Tens of thousands of proud Lancastrians perished in the Great War, whose experiences in the trenches are brought to life at the Museum of Lancashire in Preston.
Location: Preston, Lancashire
Relive Worcester's experiences during the English Civil War
Visit the historic city of Worcester and discover the underlying heritage that tells the tale of the most supreme war story fought on English soil.
Location: Worcester, Worcestershire
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
Discover the birthplace of the Tank
Learn the history behind the birth of the tank - the machine that broke the stalemate of World War 1 – at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life.
Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Follow in Roman footsteps with a free smartphone app
Looking for an immersive and cheap experience? Use mobile technology to delve into the past with Lincoln’s free digital Roman Trail app.
Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
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
Honour the war dead at the Cambridge American Cemetery
Visit the final resting place of 3812 men and women at the Cambridge American Cemetery, the only American WWII cemetery in the United Kingdom.
Location: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire