08-09-2022
Haynes Motor Museum - Sparkford, Somerset
Admission price: £70.50 adult, £11 children.
Haynes Motor Museum is a delightful day out for all the family. Tucked away near the A303 in Somerset, this motoring museum is home to more than 400 cars and motorbikes, each of which is either untouched and original or accurately restored. The museum has been open since 1985 and it has welcomed car enthusiasts from all over the world who want to peer onto rare American muscle cars, supercars, and British sports cars.
Like all of the best motoring museums, the Haynes Motor Museum smells of oil, petrol, and leather. For a genuine experience, little beats this place. Be sure to visit The Red Room which has cars on show that were driven by Sir Stirling Moss.
Address: Sparkford, Yeovil, BA22 7LH
Beaulieu National Motor Museum – Brockenhurst, Hampshire
Admission price: £23 adults, £12 children.
If you live in Hampshire and have never visited the Beaulieu National Motor Museum, then you should get off your couch and do it. This delightful museum is home to hundreds of classic cars, bikes, and scooters, and it's open from 10am until 6pm, making it ideal for families. Although this isn't the biggest museum, it has made good use of its space and there's more than enough here to kill a couple of hours.
Address: John Montagu Building, Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, SO42 7ZN
British Motor Museum – Gaydon, Warwickshire
Admission price: £14.50 adults, £9 children.
The Heritage Motor Museum is perhaps the most visually pleasing museum on our list today, with a grand building and plenty of grounds. The entrance to the museum is lined with classic cars and inside there are some real gems, including a permanent Aston Martin display that has some of the best condition super-rare Aston Martins in the world. There are 300 cars in total and there's lots to do here.
Address: Banbury Road Gaydon, Lighthorne Heath, Warwick, CV35 0BJ
On Your Marques Model Car Collection – Alford, Lincolnshire
Admission price: £5 adults, £1 children.
If full-scale cars aren't your thing, then perhaps the On Your Marques Model Car Collection museum will be more up your street. This museum is dedicated to preserving model cars, many of which the older generation will have grown up with. There are slot cars, mint condition Corgi's and Matchbox cars from years ago, and there's an awesome Scalextric track running.
Address: Thrumber Marsh Lane, Mumby, Alford, LN13 9TL
Brooklands Museum – Weybridge, Surrey
Admission: £19.95 adult, £11 children.
The Brooklands Museum in Surrey is home to some of the most stunning supercars and sports cars. This is where British motorsport began, and the museum is host to the world's first purpose-built racing circuit. The museum focuses on cars first and foremost (there's lots of Ferrari's), but there is also a section dedicated to aviation for any of you pilots out there. A great day out for all of the family.
Address: Brooklands Road, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0SL
Coventry Transport Museum – Coventry, West Midlands
Admission price: £15.50 adults, £8 children.
If you want to see a car that's truly unique, then the Coventry Transport Museum is the place to be. This museum is home to the Thrust SCC, the home to land speed record holder. Visitors can get a taste for what it's like to travel faster than the speed of sound on land and Coventry is also home to the world's biggest collection of British road transport. There is a huge display of cars here so head on down.
Address: Millennium Place, Hales Street, Coventry, CV1 1JD
Lakeland Motor Museum – Windermere, Cumbria
Admission price: £10 adults, £6 children.
The Lakeland Motor Museum is set into the edges of the Lake District which means visiting this museum also means a very pleasant drive. There are tens of cars on show at this museum including the DeLorean DMC-12, the car from the Back to the Future films. There are also lots of Aston Martin's and classic Jaguar's to feast your eyes on. This museum is on the smaller side, but there's lots other things to do in the Lake District when you're finished.
Address: Old Blue Mill, Backbarrow, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 8TA
South Yorkshire Transport Museum – Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Admission price: £5 adults, children free.
The South Yorkshire Transport Museum has over 50 vehicles, from cars to trams that are on show and ready for you to view. There's also a range of displays that are designed to preserve some of the older artefacts from the motoring industry.
Address: Unit 9, Waddington Way, Rotherham, S65 3SH
British Commercial Vehicle Museum – Leyland, Lancashire
Admission price: £10 adults, £5 children.
The British Commercial Vehicle Museum is Britain's largest commercial vehicle museum. For anybody interested in the vehicles that provided transport for generations, this is the place to be. There are countless numbers of old busses, trucks, and tractors, and the museum has regular events and exhibitions on which showcase the most stunning vehicles within.
Address: King Street, Leyland, Lancashire, PR25 2LE
British Bubblecar Museum - Boston, Lincolnshire
Admission price: £4 adults, £1 children.
The British Bubblecar Museum is something of a rarity - this is the only museum in England that's dedicated only to microcars (that means any car with an engine under 700cc). Because of this, the British Bubblecar Museum is filled with cars you will have likely never seen before and cars that were, for all intents and purposes, a commercial failure. This makes them super rare.
Address: Clover Farm, Main Rd, Langrick, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE22 7AW
National Motocycle Museum – Solihull, West Midlands
Admission price: £15 adults, £8 children.
If you love motorbikes, then the National Motorbike Museum is the best place to be. This museum is internationally recognised as having the finest collection of motorcycles in the world and there are machines here that will blow you away. This museum is extremely educational and studies the development of motorcycles over the 30s to the 60s.
Address: Coventry Road, Bickenhill, Solihull, West Midlands, B92 0EJ