Bournemouth Aviation Museum

Bournemouth Aviation Museum

Bournemouth Aviation Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Hands-on Aviation Museum near Bournemouth/Christchurch/New Forest run by volunteers. Many various aircraft that can be accessed including the Canberra, Hunter and Vulcan. Opposite Bournemouth Airport. Follow the signs for Adventure Wonderland. Outdoor seating available and picnics welcome. Adults £7, children £3. Under 3s go free. Plenty of free parking - register on arrival. Gift shop with toys, books, models and aircraft instruments for sale. Ice cream, drinks etc available. Last entry 1 hour before closing.
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  • Sarah A
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great for kids
    Took my 4year old who absolutely loved it, must've gone in and out each plane at least 3 times, loved the switch where he could actually fire up an engine and see it working. Friendly staff, clean toilets. We spent 3 hours here but he would've stayed longer of we were able too.
    Hi Sarah. Thanks for your review. We’re pleased your son loved it here and we hope to welcome you back in the future. Don’t forget, visitors are welcome to bring lunch with them so why not stay longer next time if you’re able to.
    Written 21 May 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2023
    Written 17 May 2023
  • Emma D
    208 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic family day out better than wonderland!
    Awesome day out! Kids aged 22 months and 5 loved it, as did grandad who wasn't sure if it was going to be any good - he was pleasantly surprised! We took a picnic and spent a few hours here. Virtually all the planes you can get inside which was amazing for the kids and you can watch planes taking off and landing at bmouth from the mobile tower and viewing platforms too! Bus helicopter and fire engine also there too! Couldn't believe the palmair plane there was only a one off so was the exact plane I'd been on years ago - talk about making me feel old looking at how the Aircon buttons and size of seats have changed etc! Lol highly recommend! My daughter thought the driving a plane simulator was soo cool!
    Thanks for visiting, we’re pleased you had a good time. It really is a museum for all ages and we’ve always got projects on the go so there’s something new to see. We hope to see you again.
    Written 4 June 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 28 May 2023
  • Martin
    Ramsgate, United Kingdom12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant Interactive museum
    Been to lots of air museums but this is by far the best. Lots of aircraft that you can actually sit in the cockpits and imagine the pilots of old and what they went through. There’s a range of aircraft from the Second World War onwards and this would be a great visit for kids of all ages( and adults) all for £7pp. Cheap as chips, loved it.
    Thanks for your review, we’re so glad you enjoyed your visit. We pride ourselves in being a ‘hands-on’ museum - people learn more and have a greater appreciation for the aviators that worked in these machines. We also pride ourselves on being affordable. There’s not many places where £20 will pay for 2 adults and 2 kids. We look forward to seeing you again in the future.
    Written 16 July 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 July 2023
  • judyw1232017
    United Kingdom13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Museum
    Great museum. Lots of planes and vehicles to see and actually sit in! Gave you a real feeling of what it must have been like to be a pilot in those very cramped conditions. So interesting to chat to the very knowledgeable volunteers who are returning the planes to their former glory. Great to be able to see the take offs and landings at Bournemouth Airport and to hear the control tower. Well worth the modest entry fee.
    Thanks for your review. We’re very pleased you enjoyed your visit. I think the cramped conditions these aviators were in is a surprise to many. We have many volunteers (but always need more) some of which flew or worked on the same type of aircraft as some of our exhibits. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future.
    Written 16 July 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 13 July 2023
  • eddie456
    15 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Thoroughly enjoyed by adults and children!
    Absolutely loved our visit today to the aviation museum. I was a little nervous spending £20 for 4 people but honestly it was worth every penny. Sooo many planes to sit in. The kids also enjoyed the fire engines and double decker bus! My 8 year old and 12 year old absolutely loved it. There were also a few younger visitors who seemed to be enjoying themselves too. Not too busy so plenty of time to enjoy the planes & helicopters. Very warm welcome on arrival. We were there for about 2 hours today and will be returning again in the future. Enjoyed by all the family.
    Thanks for your review. We’re very pleased that you and your family enjoyed the visit to our museum. We love welcoming people of all ages and especially families. We pride ourselves on having an interesting but fun museum and look forward to welcoming you back.
    Written 6 August 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 1 August 2023
  • julesbirdie
    Bexhill-on-Sea, United Kingdom213 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent day out with kids
    Surprising fun day out and reasonably priced. My kids loved being able to climb in and out of the planes and great viewing platforms to watch planes take off and land. Kids loved this place would visit again.
    Thanks for your review. We enjoy having hands on exhibits as we believe people learn more and have a better appreciation of the discomfort many of our historical aviators worked in! We’re pleased you enjoyed your visit and hope to see you again in the future.
    Written 6 August 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 1 August 2023
  • Ellesar E
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent family time
    Excellent place to spend a couple of hours if the weather holds. The volunteers are so kind and knowledgeable and the exhibits keep the kids happy the whole time. It’s so lovely to have a place where they can actually climb into, touch and play with the planes and vehicles there.
    Thanks for your review. We’re very pleased that you all enjoyed your visit. Many of our volunteers are ex- engineers, pilots and aviation engineers as well as enthusiasts and we love to pass on knowledge. We pride ourselves on being a ‘hands on’ museum and hope to welcome you back again in the future.
    Written 23 August 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 14 August 2023
  • Barrie S
    Poole, United Kingdom43 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Memories made!
    Took Jacob a plane mad lad here twice in a few days! Very very good! Really friendly staff.. we both had a top experience - highlight was the flight simulator and big thanks to Eric for his time , care , knowledge, enthusiasm and patience as he gave my lad a top class pilot experience, you Sir have made a lasting happy memory for him and me! Thankyou all at BAM !
    Thanks for your review. It sounds like Jacob had a fab time, we’re so pleased. I will make sure Eric sees your comment and hope to welcome you back in the future.
    Written 23 August 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 15 August 2023
  • Marc W
    Bracknell, United Kingdom135 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting mostly outdoor museum
    This is a mostly outdoor museums with a few exhibits in small buildings and lean to's. The aircraft are mostly all accessible meaning you can get inside the cabin and in some cases the cockpit. There's a large variety of aircraft and parts of aircraft such as cockpits and fuselages. There are even a few vehicles such as a fire engine and a former local bus. There are also various exhibitions around the site such as one about the Vulcan under the Vulcan cockpit section. Plus there are viewing areas for the neighbouring Bournemouth airport and an old mobile air traffic control tower playing the radio communications from the airport. It's very enjoyable to wander around and I certainly learnt things I didn't know before from some of the displays. I don't have children but it looks to be a very children friendly museum and it appears you can book children's parties there. The Museum is fully run by Volunteers who are all friendly, helpful and full of interesting stories and information. It's a must visit for anyone with any kind of interest in aviation.
    Thanks for your review. We’re pleased to hear you enjoyed the museum. We like being able to provide a hands-on experience. We look forward to welcoming you back again in the future.
    Written 15 October 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 8 October 2023
  • Jessie C
    Devon, United Kingdom13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic people - and planes!
    My family and I visited here this week. We were on holiday from Devon. It was a very rainy day and our son really wanted to see the airplanes. We were actually visiting the soft play across the road in Adventure Land. Anyway - it was fantastic! The staff were so friendly and accommodating. One man in particular (annoyingly didn’t get his name) took us on a tour basically! Walked around with us. In the pouring rain, talking to us and my son about the planes. Opening planes up for us. Going us around. He even had a pack of airplane Top Trump cards and gave us a game inside the double decker bus. My son loved it. He gave us umbrellas to walk around with. Offered us a cup of tea. Honestly - it was the loveliest time. Made our day! My son left with an airplane book and magazine gifted and a huge smile on his face. Such a great man and a credit to the team there. :) Great place to go. Even in the rain! Lol.
    Thank you for your review. I’m so glad you enjoyed it and that the weather didn’t dampen your enthusiasm! I think it was Clive that you met. We love to see people enjoying themselves, especially kids so I’ll pass the message on. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future.
    Written 5 November 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 20 October 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles396 reviews
Excellent
285
Very good
77
Average
23
Poor
6
Terrible
5

MrB8000
South West UK70 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Absolute gem of a place. Lots of history, love the fact you can get into the planes and sit in the cockpits
Lovely staff, very helpful and informative.

Plenty of time to roam around and enjoy at your leisure.
Written 24 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review. We love being an interactive museum. It gives you more of an idea of what the aviators were faced with and the (often small) space they were working in. We look forward to welcoming you back again in the future.
Written 3 March 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Brighton9
East Sussex, UK441 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Solo
Good little museum with interesting exbibits and helpful staff; shame the toilets are portaloos though
Written 13 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review, we’re glad you enjoyed your visit. The portaloos are temporary whilst ours get refurbished so they won’t be here for long. We hope to welcome you again in the future.
Written 19 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jessie C
Devon, UK13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
My family and I visited here this week. We were on holiday from Devon.
It was a very rainy day and our son really wanted to see the airplanes.
We were actually visiting the soft play across the road in Adventure Land.
Anyway - it was fantastic!
The staff were so friendly and accommodating.
One man in particular (annoyingly didn’t get his name) took us on a tour basically!
Walked around with us. In the pouring rain, talking to us and my son about the planes.
Opening planes up for us.
Going us around.
He even had a pack of airplane Top Trump cards and gave us a game inside the double decker bus. My son loved it.
He gave us umbrellas to walk around with. Offered us a cup of tea.
Honestly - it was the loveliest time.
Made our day!
My son left with an airplane book and magazine gifted and a huge smile on his face.
Such a great man and a credit to the team there. :)
Great place to go.
Even in the rain! Lol.
Written 20 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. I’m so glad you enjoyed it and that the weather didn’t dampen your enthusiasm! I think it was Clive that you met. We love to see people enjoying themselves, especially kids so I’ll pass the message on. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future.
Written 5 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

wingate
London, UK2 561 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Solo
I stopped off here onu way back to London.All the main exhibits are in the open so a bit challenging on a cold morning
This is probably best for aviation enthusiasts.
Written 16 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review. Most of our large exhibits are in the open (we’re not allowed to build permanent structures) but we try to cover those that need it most plus we have extended the covered seating area over the last year. However, we are open all year and hope to welcome you back on a day with better weather.
Written 5 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Marc W
Bracknell, UK135 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Solo
This is a mostly outdoor museums with a few exhibits in small buildings and lean to's. The aircraft are mostly all accessible meaning you can get inside the cabin and in some cases the cockpit. There's a large variety of aircraft and parts of aircraft such as cockpits and fuselages. There are even a few vehicles such as a fire engine and a former local bus.

There are also various exhibitions around the site such as one about the Vulcan under the Vulcan cockpit section. Plus there are viewing areas for the neighbouring Bournemouth airport and an old mobile air traffic control tower playing the radio communications from the airport.

It's very enjoyable to wander around and I certainly learnt things I didn't know before from some of the displays.

I don't have children but it looks to be a very children friendly museum and it appears you can book children's parties there.

The Museum is fully run by Volunteers who are all friendly, helpful and full of interesting stories and information.

It's a must visit for anyone with any kind of interest in aviation.
Written 8 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review. We’re pleased to hear you enjoyed the museum. We like being able to provide a hands-on experience. We look forward to welcoming you back again in the future.
Written 15 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Gordon C
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Solo
Watch out for the parking arrangements. If you go for a recce, or, like me, waited in the car parking area hoping the torrential rain would stop and, when it didn't, decided to visit another day and drove off, Parking Eye will hand you a £100 fine.

The arrangement seems to be, but do check, if you go into the museum your registration number is noted and the registration recorded by Parking Eye is deleted.

This is yet another example of a greedy landowner making money out of honest people. I suppose it's easier than working for a living.
Written 17 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. However, there are some points I’d like to clarify. The land is owned by Adventure Wonderland. In an effort to combat people leaving their cars to park for free when using the airport to go on holiday, they installed the parking cameras and payment advice and provide a minibus to take people to the airport. This is not only utilising their land but providing a parking service at a fair cost. There are signs as you enter the site and many more around the parking area. When visiting the museum or Adventure Wonderland, you enter your registration as you arrive to buy your entry which entitles you to free parking for the duration of your visit. You have a 20 minute grace period so if you drive into the car park and leave within 20 minutes then there is no charge. Lastly, the museum is run by volunteers as it is a registered charity. The museum does not see any money from the parking charges.
Written 23 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Barrie S
Poole, UK43 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
Took Jacob a plane mad lad here twice in a few days! Very very good! Really friendly staff.. we both had a top experience - highlight was the flight simulator and big thanks to Eric for his time , care , knowledge, enthusiasm and patience as he gave my lad a top class pilot experience, you Sir have made a lasting happy memory for him and me!

Thankyou all at BAM !
Written 15 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review. It sounds like Jacob had a fab time, we’re so pleased. I will make sure Eric sees your comment and hope to welcome you back in the future.
Written 23 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ellesar E
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
Excellent place to spend a couple of hours if the weather holds. The volunteers are so kind and knowledgeable and the exhibits keep the kids happy the whole time. It’s so lovely to have a place where they can actually climb into, touch and play with the planes and vehicles there.
Written 14 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review. We’re very pleased that you all enjoyed your visit. Many of our volunteers are ex- engineers, pilots and aviation engineers as well as enthusiasts and we love to pass on knowledge. We pride ourselves on being a ‘hands on’ museum and hope to welcome you back again in the future.
Written 23 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

julesbirdie
Bexhill-on-Sea, UK213 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
Surprising fun day out and reasonably priced. My kids loved being able to climb in and out of the planes and great viewing platforms to watch planes take off and land. Kids loved this place would visit again.
Written 1 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review. We enjoy having hands on exhibits as we believe people learn more and have a better appreciation of the discomfort many of our historical aviators worked in! We’re pleased you enjoyed your visit and hope to see you again in the future.
Written 6 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

eddie456
birmingham15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
Absolutely loved our visit today to the aviation museum. I was a little nervous spending £20 for 4 people but honestly it was worth every penny. Sooo many planes to sit in. The kids also enjoyed the fire engines and double decker bus!
My 8 year old and 12 year old absolutely loved it. There were also a few younger visitors who seemed to be enjoying themselves too.
Not too busy so plenty of time to enjoy the planes & helicopters.
Very warm welcome on arrival.
We were there for about 2 hours today and will be returning again in the future.
Enjoyed by all the family.
Written 1 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review. We’re very pleased that you and your family enjoyed the visit to our museum. We love welcoming people of all ages and especially families. We pride ourselves on having an interesting but fun museum and look forward to welcoming you back.
Written 6 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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