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London
If you haven't been to a museum in years for fear of drab venues and broken pots in glass cases, 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. Whether you're into heritage, art, science, maritime, or wildlife, you're bound to find something right up your street.
The featured museums in the counties of South East England demonstrate the sheer variety of interest on offer and a more detailed list of museums in South East England can be located through the map at the bottom of this page.
The South East is home to two brilliant Dockyards: Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in Hampshire and The Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent. Discover 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.
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.
Many of Britain’s best-loved authors lived in the South East and found the region inspirational for their work. Explore the Jane Austen's House in Hampshire, the house where Jane Austen wrote some of her famous novels, and visit the many locations in Kent that tell of the life and works of Charles Dickens.
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: 121
, currently showing 1 to 20.
Museum
Maidstone
Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery is an exceptional regional museum housed in the gorgeous Chillington Manor, an Elizabethan manor house.
Historic Site
Fareham
Fort Nelson is a superbly restored Victorian fort overlooking Portsmouth Harbour. It is home to the Royal Armouries national artillery collection with over 350 historic guns on display.
Museum
Alton
Historic house and garden, home of Gilbert White, author of 'The Natural History of Selborne'. Exhibition on Frank Oates, explorer and Capt Lawrence Oates of Antarctic fame.
Funfair
Liphook
Hollycombe Steam in the Country offers visitors a nostalgic look at how the Victorians and Edwardians used steam as an instrument of work and play, featuring a number of popular fairground rides and sideshows of the period.
Museum
Aldershot
The museum tells the story of military medicine, nursing, dental and veterinary science from 1660 until today.
Museum
High Wycombe
Kraft Village
High Wycombe Chair Making Museum exhibits tools used in making 4,700
chairs a day in 1875. Brief demo of shave horse and pole lathe,exhibit of Windsor chairs
Kraftinwood Woodturning Workshop. Large Contemporary Art Gallery
Artist…
Museum
Arundel
Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre is a 36 acre open-air site dedicated to preserving the industrial heritage of the south east.
Museum
Haslemere
An award winning Museum in the heart of Haslemere with remarkable collections of natural history, human history and geology.
Museum
Oxford
History of the city and university. Discover the cities earliest residents, medieval crafts, civil war stories, famous literary connections and the growth of a modern city.
Museum
Portsmouth
Pay a visit to the small terraced house of 1805, in which the famous novelist Charles Dickens was born and lived for a short time.
Museum
Alton
The novelist Jane Austen is known worldwide for her popular novels describing the society of pre-industrial England.
Museum
Canterbury
Step into medieval Canterbury and accompany Geoffrey Chaucer and his colourful characters on their magical pilgrimage from London to Canterbury.
Museum
Eastney, Southsea
Eastney Beam Engine House will be open free of charge on certain weekends. There will be some restrictions on access and the engines will not be in steam. Keep checking back for updated openings.
Museum
Gillingham
There is something for all the family. Zulu War items, Boer War, World Wars I and II, planes, trains, tanks, bridges, bombs, 25 galleries.
Historic House / Palace
Southampton
Sensitive restoration has returned this house to its mid 14th century appearence steeped in atmosphere. It is easy to imagine the life of John Fortin, a wine trader, and his family who lived here c1290.
Abbey / Priory
Canterbury
This great Abbey, marking the rebirth of Christianity in southern England, was founded in AD 597 by St Augustine.
Event Venue
HM Naval Base, Portsmouth
Action Stations is a high-tech, interactive indoor attraction housed in Boathouse 6. The boathouse itself was built between 1845 and 1848, and features a unique series of physical challenges, simulators and technological experiments.
Science Centre
Morn Hill, Winchester
Winchester Science Centre is more than a day out. It’s a chance to spark your children’s curiosity in science which could lead them on an exciting journey for life! Situated in the stunning South Downs National Park, this exciting family destination…
Museum
Basingstoke
Discover Basingstoke and Deane’s past, from the rich archaeological heritage beneath our feet right up to the modern day.
Museums & Galleries
Andover
Housed in a Georgian town house built in the 1750s, Andover Museum tells the story of the town and its surrounding area from prehistoric times to the present day.
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