🏠 Indoor & outdoor5–88–1212–16Educational🐐 Animals
What’s there
- Free parking
Free on-site parking; disabled parking next to the museum entrance. Bus 73 and 16 stop outside the entrance.
Only facilities we’ve confirmed are listed — anything missing here we simply haven’t checked, rather than know to be absent.
A museum on the former Battle of Britain airfield of RAF Hawkinge, presenting what the operator describes as the world's largest collection of Battle of Britain memorabilia, with artefacts from more than 700 crashed aircraft. The displays are housed in hangars and buildings from the 1940s and cover aircraft, vehicles, weapons, flying equipment and personal relics from the summer of 1940. The grounds hold the Spirit of the Few Monument and several gate guardian aircraft and memorials that visitors can walk around. Photography is restricted inside the galleries, but visitors can take photos in the grounds once they have finished the tour. It suits older children and adults with an interest in wartime history, and the outdoor space gives a family somewhere to stretch their legs between buildings.
Questions parents ask
- Can I bring a pushchair, and is the museum manageable with a toddler?
- The museum is wheelchair and mobility scooter friendly, though buggies are not confirmed as easy to use throughout. Large bags must be left at reception, but handbags are allowed; valuables including helmets, coats and bags can also be left there if you prefer not to lock them in your car.
- Is there anywhere to eat?
- We haven't confirmed a café at the museum. You may want to bring a picnic, though a picnic area has not been confirmed either.
- How long should we allow for a visit?
- The museum does not specify a typical visit length. The site includes indoor exhibition spaces in historic buildings and outdoor displays including several aircraft, so you should allow time for both areas depending on your family's interests.
- Will it work if the weather is poor?
- Much of the museum is indoors, including the Lord Dowding Memorial Hangar and the Armoury Operations Block, so a rainy day need not spoil your visit. However, some of the collection, including the Heinkel He 111H-6 and other aircraft, is displayed in the museum grounds outside.
- Do I need to book ahead, or can we just turn up?
- No pre-booking is required. You can arrive during opening hours without booking in advance.
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.- Car seat protectorWet swimming costumes, melted ice cream, the rest.
A penForms, competitions, name badges.- Hand sanitiser
Colouring book and pencils- Wet bagFor whatever comes home soaked.
Waterproof jacket
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Photos: 維基小霸王, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Renée Kools, CC BY 4.0 · MichaelMaggs, CC BY-SA 3.0
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