Winchester City Museum

About

Located in the heart of the historic city of Winchester, City Museum tells the story of England's ancient capital, the seat of Alfred the Great. From its origins as an Iron Age trading centre to Anglo-Saxon glory, the last journey of Jane Austen to the hunt for King Alfred's remains, explore the sights and sounds of Winchester past and present in the museum's three galleries.

There are plenty of hands-on activities for all the family to enjoy. Become an amateur archaeologist and handle real artefacts, turn detective and solve the museum spotter trail, or take part in the family friendly events the museum runs throughout the year.

On the museum’s ground floor is the Winchester Model, a breath-taking scale model of the city in Victorian times. Be transported back in time to the city's Victorian streets with the accompanying film, then find out more about the model, the buildings it depicts and the people who worked and lived in them using the interactive tablets.

You can also retrace the last days of Jane Austen, who died in Winchester in 1817 aged just 41. There are only a handful of items that survive today that actually belonged to Austen. On display at City Museum - just a short walk from her Cathedral resting place - are two of her purses and her personalised ivory spool case.

On the upper floors, the galleries tell the story of Winchester’s place as a Roman regional capital, centre of the newly emerging England during Saxon times and pre-eminence in the Anglo-Norman Kingdom.

The gift shop stocks a range of history-themed gifts, books for both children and adults, Winchester souvenirs and a wide selection of produce from Hampshire Fare.

Admission charges apply, tickets can be pre-booked via the Hampshire Cultural Trust website. Free access to the gift shop.