Willis Museum
Discover Basingstoke and Deane's past, from the rich archaeological heritage beneath our feet right up to the modern day.
Take a tour through the last 200 years and meet Pickaxe, a 19th century scavenger scraping a living from the streets and revisit the days of twin-tubs and teddy-boys in the 1960's sitting room. Dig deeper into the area's past in our Local studies area, with large reference collections. Handling collections and free teachers' pack form the core of a comprehensive museum-based education service.
There is always something new to see with a regularly changing programme of Special Exhibitions. The Sainsbury Gallery hosts exhibitions from the most important galleries and museums in the country as well as some of the finest artists in the region, while the Basingstoke Gallery hosts the work of local artists, groups and societies on the first floor. This gallery has restored to reveal many original features, creating a top quality space for community exhibitions.
Drop into the stunning new Café Willis complete with marble fireplace, crystal chandelier and hand printed wallpaper. The café serves a range of coffees, speciality teas, locally made cakes and pastries. Our new gift shop is the perfect place to find a special gift for a friend - or a treat for yourself! We stock a regularly changing selection of beautiful and tempting locally made crafts, ceramics and jewellery that you won't find on the High Street, plus a selection of beautiful greetings cards and products that reflect the theme of our special exhibitions. We also specialise in selling items about the history of the Basingstoke area, including books, maps, local guides and DVDs. Children's quizzes, family friendly and free activities.
Opening Times
| Open All Year |
|---|
| 2012 (01/01/2012 - 31/12/2012) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Day | Times | |
| Monday | Closed | |
| Tuesday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| Thursday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| Friday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| Saturday | 10:00 | 16:00 |
| Sunday | Closed | |
Facilities
Provider Preferences
- In town/city centre
- Indoor Attraction
- No Smoking Attraction
Accessibility
- All Areas Accessible to Disabled Visitors
- Guide Dogs Permitted
- Ramp/Level Access - To ground floor only
- Toilets for Disabled Visitors
- Wheelchair user accessible - To ground floor only
Children & Infants
- Baby changing
- Family Friendly, Children Welcome
Parking & Transport
- Parking (charge) - Pleas use town centre car parks
- Railway station within 5 miles
- Railway station within walking distance
Leisure Facilities
- Tennis court
Catering
- Cafe
- On-Site cafe/restaurant
Payment Methods
- Approx length of visit - 1 Hour
- Delta
- Delta accepted
- Maestro
- Maestro Accepted
- MasterCard
- MasterCard accepted
- Open by appointment outside normal opening times
- Solo
- Solo accepted
- Visa
- Visa accepted
Establishment Features
- All weather attraction
- Conference facilities
- Event Venue
- Gay/Lesbian Friendly
- Gift shop
- Groups by arrangement
- Groups welcome
- Guided tours by arrangement
- Lift
- Meeting rooms
- Open all year round
- Special Opening for Groups by Arrangement
- Toilets
Specialist Features
- Educational Groups
- Family Fun
- Marketed Towards Children
- Marketed Towards Families
- Marketed Towards Senior Citizens
Tours and Demonstrations
- Educational Visits Accepted
- Guided Tours Available for Groups
Prices
| Ticket Type | Tariff |
|---|---|
| Admission FREE | Free |
Note: Prices are a guide only and may change on a daily basis.
Road Directions
Best car parks to use, follow 'Top of Town'. Finger signs indicate Willis Museum.
Public Transport Directions
From Basingstoke bus & train station walk towards the top of town and the Willis Museum is opposite McDonalds.
