Aviation Museums to Visit

Whilst compiling the trails, I took in many interesting museums and aviation collections. They represent a fine tribute to the numerous men and women who served with the RAF or USAAF, and many have close links to a particular airfield, squadron or group. Most of these museums are run by volunteers and have little or no entrance fee, a real bonus to any day out!

As they are run by volunteers, some have very limited opening times or there are access restrictions due to the nature of the site. If you do decide to visit, please check the official website for opening times, directions, and other important information before setting off on your journey.

If you click on the museum name in the table it will take you to the official website (where it is available) and if you click on the trail number, it will take you to the trail where I visited it.

As I visit more museums on my ‘expeditions’, I will update the page adding their details here, so do please come back and see what other superb aviation collections there are around.

As a final note, some of these places may have unfortunately been closed on my particular day of visit, and so I cannot comment on the quality of exhibits. This page is not meant as any kind of official review or recommendation, but in my opinion, they are all great places to visit as part of any trail around Britain’s aviation heritage.

Please feel free to comment about your own experience or if there have been updates to the exhibits since my visit, I would love to hear from you.

Museum	Trail
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Lincolnshire	1
Bircham Newton Heritage Centre	20
Blickling Hall, RAF Oulton, Norfolk	35
Brenzett Aeronautical Museum, Kent	18
City of Norwich Aviation Museum, Norfolk	8
Cosford (RAF) Museum	Flickr
Cranwell (RAF) Aeroflight Museum, Lincolnshire	2
Crail Museum and Heritage Centre	53
Debach, 493rd BG(H) Museum, Suffolk	39
de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre, Hertfordshire	5
Hardwick, 93rd BG Museum, Norfolk	12
Hethel, 389th BG Museum, Norfolk	38
Imperial War Museum, Duxford	Flickr
Imperial War Museum, North, Manchester	N/A
Jet Age Museum, Gloucester	N/A
Kent Battle of Britain Museum, Hawkinge, Kent	18
Langham Dome (RAF Langham), Norfolk	23
Lashenden Air Warfare Museum, (Headcorn), Kent	18
Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, Lincolnshire	1
Martlesham Heath Control Tower Museum	48 (coming soon)
Manchester Museum Of Science and Industry (MOSI) – Air & Space	Flickr
Midland Air Museum, Baginton, Coventry.	26
National Museum of Flight (Scotland)	43
Newark Air Museum, Nottinghamshire	2
Norfolk and Suffolk Air Museum, Suffolk	14
Parham Airfield Museum, 390th BG, Suffolk	39
RAF Manston History Museum, Kent	Coming soon
RAF Museum (London) Hendon	Flickr
RAF Scampton Heritage Centre (did include the RAF Fire Fighting museum at the time of visiting)	30
Rougham Control Tower Museum (94th BG) Suffolk	16
Shoreham Aircraft Museum, Kent	4
Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum, Kent	4
Thorpe Abbotts, 100th BG Museum and Memorial, Norfolk	12
Thorpe Camp Visitors Centre, Lincolnshire	1
Watton (RAF) Museum, Norfolk	9
Witchford (RAF) Display, Cambridgeshire	11
Waterbeach (RAF) Museum, Cambridgeshire	11
Yorkshire Air Museum (Elvington)	Flickr

 

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