Historic cars outside Palace House at National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.

Beaulieu

Home of the National Motor Museum, New Forest

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. 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…

  3. Weald & Downland Living Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Chichester

    Come and discover rescued traditional rural buildings set in a beautiful landscape, which tell the stories of the men, women and children who lived and worked in them over a 950-year period.

  4. Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Bournemouth

    Russell-Cotes Museum and Art Gallery was given to Annie Russell-Cotes by her husband, Merton, as a lavish birthday gift in 1901. In the following years, their assortment of beautiful objects from around the globe started to become a Victorian…

  5. Brighton Museum & Art Gallery

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Brighton

    Brighton Museum & Art Gallery is located in the Royal Pavilion garden, at the heart of the city’s cultural quarter.

  6. 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.

  7. Jane Austen’s House

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Alton

    Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire is the picturesque country cottage where Jane Austen lived. It is the most treasured Austen site in the world. It was here that Jane’s genius flourished and where she wrote, revised and had published all her…

  8. Rockbourne Roman Villa

    Type

    Type:

    Historic Site

    Fordingbridge

    Situated in picturesque and peaceful south west Hampshire, Rockbourne Roman Villa is the largest known Roman villa in the area. The villa once stood in the centre of a large farming estate, and its history spans the period from the Iron Age to the…

  9. Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium

    Type

    Type:

    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…

  10. Twyford Waterworks

    Type

    Type:

    Heritage / Visitor Centre

    Winchester

  11. Tangmere Military Aviation Museum

    Type

    Type:

    History and Heritage

    CHICHESTER

    A chance to see and hear the stories of heroes, in the air and on the ground, from World War 1 to the Cold War. Record breaking aircraft and others that have starred in films.

  12. Godalming Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    GODALMING

    Godalming Museum tells the story of Godalming and the surrounding area and includes a few surprising connections.

  13. Brighton Toy and Model Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Brighton

    Located in four Victorian cellars under Brighton Railway Station, the Brighton Toy and Model Museum will invoke many childhood memories and dreams.

  14. Red House Museum and Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Christchurch

    A former Georgian workhouse, the Red House is now a museum exploring the story of Christchurch from before the Ice Age to modern times.

  15. Leeds Castle

    Type

    Type:

    Castle / Fort

    Maidstone

    Set in 500 acres of beautiful parkland, Leeds Castle is the perfect backdrop to your day out. The historic castle, glorious gardens, attractions and programme of events awaits visitors.

  16. Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment and Queen's Regiment Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Dover


    The collection traces the history of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment through four and a quarter centuries of service to the Crown.

  17. 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.

  18. Eastney Engine Houses

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Eastney, Southsea

    Discover the marvels of Victorian engineering that both improved and lengthened the lives of city residents.

  19. Richborough Roman Fort

    Type

    Type:

    Castle / Fort

    Richborough

    The ruins of a Roman fort and the landing place of the invasion of AD43. Fortified in the 3rdC by triple defences around a triumphal arch and then improved by the Saxons.