The Hovercraft Museum
Museums & Science Centres · Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire
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Closed — opens Saturday at 10am
🏠 Indoor & outdoorEducational
What’s there
- Café on site
- On-street parking only
- Baby changing
- Picnic area
- Dogs welcome
Access & inclusion
- SEN friendly
No on-site visitor or disabled parking. Free and paid parking on the seafront (Marine Parade West) and surrounding roads; the venue advises parking nearby.
Only facilities we’ve confirmed are listed — anything missing here we simply haven’t checked, rather than know to be absent.
The Hovercraft Museum sits on the seafront at Lee-on-the-Solent, in the old Daedalus naval base, and is the only museum in the world devoted to hovercraft. Its collection runs to dozens of craft, from early prototypes and military machines to racing boats and film props, and the star exhibit is the SR.N4 Princess Anne, a former cross-Channel passenger hovercraft that visitors can board. The museum is designed to be hands-on: children can play air hockey, have their photo taken with a hovercraft from a James Bond film, and explore displays that are more interactive than a typical museum visit. Volunteer guides bring the exhibits to life. The site is organised around a few hangars, so a visit suits a family morning or afternoon, and the seafront setting makes a natural stop for a walk along the Solent. Opening days are limited, so check before travelling.
Questions parents ask
- Is there somewhere to eat, or should we bring a picnic?
- The museum has a café on site. There's also a picnic area if you'd prefer to bring your own food.
- How long should we allow for a visit?
- Plan for around two hours to get the most out of your visit, though you can spend longer if you want to explore the exhibits in detail.
- Can I manage with a buggy, or is it accessible for toddlers and older children together?
- We haven't confirmed how buggy-friendly the museum is. We'd recommend contacting the museum directly to discuss accessibility before your visit, as there are both indoor and outdoor areas to navigate.
- Will it work if the weather is bad?
- The museum has both indoor and outdoor exhibits, so a rainy day won't ruin your visit—though you may want to plan your outdoor time around the forecast.
Stuff to take with you
The things people wish they’d packed for a day out like this one.
Refillable water bottleMost places will fill it for free.
Snacks that survive a rucksackCheaper than the café, and buys you twenty minutes.
Wet wipes
Small first aid kitPlasters solve more days out than anything else here.- Hand sanitiser
- Hair bobbles
Notebook
Gloves
Sketchbook
Sun cream
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Photos: 維基小霸王, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Renée Kools, CC BY 4.0 · dorsetbays, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Missvain, CC BY 4.0
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