Museums, galleries and libraries
Immerse yourself in other worlds and cultures, become an expert for a day on the Egyptians or vintage aeroplanes, and stare amazed at art exhibitions the world comes to see. Museums and art galleries in England take you to faraway places. You get to peek into distant lives by travelling just a few footsteps. At the last count there were around 1,600 museums in England, catering to almost every interest you can imagine. Many of them are housed in buildings as impressive as the collections within.
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Visit the home of the WWII codebreakers at Bletchley Park
Once Britain’s best kept secret, this major visitor attraction was also the filming location for The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
Location: Bletchley, Milton Keynes
See living history at Bosworth battlefield
See a history lesson come to life at the Battle of Bosworth Field in Leicestershire, where King Richard III fought for his crown and lost his life.
Location: Near Market Bosworth, Leicestershire
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
Uncover the secrets of the last British WW2 submarine
Be prepared for the horrors of the deep, as you discover what life on board wartime submarines at the Submarine Museum.
Location: Gosport, 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
Get hands on with history at sites across Hadrian's Wall
Enjoy a deeper exploration into our Roman heritage through reconstructions and live excavations on a visit to Hadrian’s Wall.
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne / Carlisle / Hexham
Admire the picturesque views from Housesteads Roman Fort
Housesteads is the most iconic of all the Wall sites and the views and Roman remains are spectacular.
Location: Housesteads, Northumberland
Fly high at RAF Museum Cosford
Here you can experience aviation life in wartime including the chance to see the world's oldest Spitfire.
Location: Cosford, Shropshire
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
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
Visit the world’s best collection of tanks
Heroes big or small can find fun at The Tank Museum.
Location: Wareham, Dorset
See Europe's largest air museum at IWM Duxford
Imperial War Museum Duxford is Europe’s largest air museum with over 300 aircraft and objects on display.
Location: Duxford, Cambridgeshire
See aviation history come alive at RAF Manston
Manston, Kent is home to not one but two museums dedicated to aviation history and one of the few remaining wartime Spitfires
Location: Manston, near Ramsgate, Kent
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
See a host of military aircraft at Newark Air Museum
Located on a former Second World War airfield, Newark Air Museum is the ideal place to find out about the history of aviation.
Location: Newark, Nottinghamshire
Listen to a survivor at the National Holocaust Centre
Visit the Holocaust National Holocaust Centre near Newark for the rare opportunity to hear from those who survived Nazi atrocities during WWII.
Location: Nr. Newark, Nottinghamshire
Relive the sights and sounds of wartime Britain at Eden Camp
Be transported back through time from an ex-POW camp in Malton, North Yorkshire, to life in wartime Britain on both the home front and on the front line.
Location: Malton, North Yorkshire
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
