Visitors enjoying part of the 90 minute tour of Bodleian Libraries

Bodleian Libraries

Oxford

Museums

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You'll find some of the most engaging, fun and educational museums in the UK here in South East England.  Whether you're looking to discover more about the stars or cars, dinosaurs or boats, country or town life, there is a museum here for you.  You'll find many free museums, making them a great addition to a budget-busting day out that doesn't break the bank. So if you haven't been to a museum in years, you may be interested to hear that museums in England have been transported into the 21st century.

Prepare yourself for a surprise as the South East has some of the most fun museums in England, with hundreds across the region. In place of stuffy rooms and wardens shushing for quiet, you'll find inspirational and interactive spaces with engaging and accessible exhibits from retro cars to animatronics, the chance to journey to the stars and the worlds beyond, get hands-on with history and walk in the footsteps of famous characters in history. Whether you're into heritage, art, science, maritime, or wildlife, you're bound to find something right up your street.

Museums in England

Car enthusiasts won’t want to miss the world-famous National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in Hampshire’s New Forest. See one of the largest car collections held by any of the museums in England, with 250 cars of every age including land speed record-breakers Golden Arrow and Bluebird.

The South East is also home to world-famous Bodleian Libraries, Oxford. Not a museum in the traditional form, but the libraries are the oldest in Europe, and are the 2nd largest in the UK, only second to the British Library. Together, they hold over 13 million printed items and today offer the chance to visit and explore them, marvel at their exquisite architecture and dive into their fascinating history with a guided tour.

The D-Day Story and the LCT7074 landing craft, Portsmouth, is the only museum in the UK dedicated to the Allied Invasion in June 1944.  Whilst Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is home to not only the world famous Mary Rose but also HMS Victory, Admiral Lord Nelson's flagship. Discover Portsmouth's rich maritime history onboard some of the most famous war ships in British Naval history and find out what life was like for sailors in years gone by.

Dive into over 100 years of British transport history at Brooklands Museum, Surrey. Home to the first motor racing circuit in the world, the supersonic Concorde with tours available, simulators, bus rides and a host of other interactive experiences. The 32-acre site makes for a fascinating family day out for all ages.

Ultimate Explorer Ticket at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard with access for 12 months

The featured museums are located in the counties of South East England and demonstrate the sheer variety of interest on offer. A more detailed list can be located through the map at the bottom of this page.

Museums in London

Museums in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

Museums in Buckinghamshire

Museums in Oxfordshire

Museums in Surrey

Museums in Kent

Museums in Berkshire

Museums in Sussex

Museums Near Me

Use the 'Map View' button below to find museums near you in South East England including dozens of local museums showcasing their town's proud history. Check individual listings to see which museums are open today.

Number of results:

Number of results: 93

, currently showing 1 to 20.

  1. Dickens House Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Historic House / Palace

    Broadstairs

    The museum is housed in the cottage that was Charles Dickens’ inspiration for the home of Betsey Trotwood in David Copperfield.

  2. Sandwich Guildhall Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Sandwich

    Museum telling the story of Sandwich from early medieval times.  There are many illustrative panels relating to the town’s history with artefacts dating back to the early 13th century.

  3. Brooklands Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Weybridge

    Brooklands Museum is on the site of the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit and houses collections of cars, motorcycles and bicycles, particular from the heyday of the track until it closed in 1939.

  4. Bletchley Park

    Type

    Type:

    Historic House / Palace

    Milton Keynes

    Once Britain’s Best Kept Secret, today Bletchley Park is a heritage site and vibrant tourist attraction. Open daily, visitors can explore some of the iconic WW2 Codebreaking Huts and Blocks and marvel at the astonishing achievements of the…

  5. St Augustine's Abbey

    Type

    Type:

    Abbey / Priory

    Canterbury

    This great Abbey, marking the rebirth of Christianity in southern England, was founded in AD 597 by St Augustine.

  6. Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    GREAT MISSENDEN

    The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, in Great Missenden is where Roald Dahl (1916-1990) lived and wrote many of his well-loved books. This great little award-winning Museum, aimed at 6 to 12 year olds and their families, has fun galleries.

  7. Cowes Maritime Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    WEST COWES

    Cowes Maritime Museum displays a selection of objects and images which help to tell the story of Cowes and its important maritime heritage.

  8. Winchester's Military Museums

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Winchester

    Five splendid military museums on an historic site with Visitor Centre, café displays and activities to interest all the family.

  9. Rural Life Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Farnham

    The Rural Life Centre is a museum of past village life covering the years from 1750 to 1960. It is set in over ten acres of garden and woodland and housed in purpose-built and reconstructed buildings including a chapel, village hall, cricket…

  10. Oxford Castle & Prison

    Type

    Type:

    Heritage / Visitor Centre

    Oxford

    For the first time in 1000 years, the secrets of Oxford Castle have been ' unlocked', revealing episodes of violence, executions, great escapes, betrayal and even romance. Visit Oxford Castle and uncover the secrets for yourself.

  11. The Brickworks Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Industrial Archaeology

    Bursledon

    Come and be amazed at the authentic sights, sounds and smells of the last steam-driven Victorian brickworks in the UK.

  12. Guildhall Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Rochester

    Discover the history of Medway from pre-historic times to the present day at the Guildhall Museum in Rochester.

  13. St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery

    Type

    Type:

    Museums & Galleries

    Lymington

    St. Barbe Museum explores the unique history of Lymington and the New Forest Coast. Take a journey and discover the people, places and events that have made the New Forest coast unique with our up-to-date interactive museum displays. Experience some…

  14. Didcot Railway Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Railway

    Didcot

    Living museum recreating the golden age of the Great Western Railway. Steam locomotives and trains, Brunel's broad gauge railway, engine shed and small relics museum.

  15. Museum of English Rural Life

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Reading

    The Museum of English Rural Life (The MERL) is England’s most extensive museum dedicated to farming, food, craft, rural life and countryside issues.

  16. The Powell-Cotton Museum, Quex House and Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Birchington

    The Powell-Cotton Museum offers an exciting, fun and interactive day out for all. There are incredible natural history displays, featuring animals from the African and Asian continents in world-famous dioramas as well as fascinating displays of…

  17. Maidstone Carriage Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    MAIDSTONE

    Maidstone Carriage Musuem is home to a unique collection of horse-drawn vehicles & transport curiosities. More than 60 vehicles displayed, from grand carriages & ornate sleighs to antique sedan chairs & Victorian cabs, even an original ice

  18. Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Maidstone

    Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery is an exceptional regional museum housed in the gorgeous Chillington Manor, an Elizabethan manor house.

  19. Curtis Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Alton

    One of the finest local history collections in Hampshire, exploring 100 million years of history Displays include prehistoric tools, Roman pottery reconstruction, Saxon burials, the Battle of Alton 1643, the notorious tale of Sweet Fanny Adams and…