Skip to Content

21 Free Museums in Hampshire For Families

Sharing is caring!

Including family days out in Winchester, Andover, Aldershot, Gosport and Portsmouth.

Looking to take the kids out but feeling the pinch? Then these free museums in Hampshire are the perfect choice, all family friendly and soft on the purse. Don’t let the idea of a museum put you off. It may seen overwhelming at first (the idea of trying to stop my 3-year-old touching anything brings me out in hives) and a trip to your local playground may feel like a extreme sport at times, museums really are a great place for kids.

Museums are not only a great place for a free family outing but also offer other perks like the chance to explore together, have fun learning about something new and interacting with our past.

If you are looking for more free things to do in Hampshire then have a look at:

51 Free Days Out in Hampshire For Families – This is our full list of free things to do in Hampshire. It includes everything from beaches to fun family walks.

The Best List Of Free Things To Do In Southampton – There are so many great and free things to do in Southampton. Explore this amazing city for free!

The Top 11 Free Things to do in Basingstoke – There is so much to do in Basingstoke for free. From playgrounds to trails, explore everything there is to do in Basingstoke here.

Things to do guide

Wondering what to do today? Then our guide for ALL things Hampshire is for you!

If you are looking for things to do in Hampshire with kids then this guide is for you. We have over 200+ ideas that you can use to keep your whole family amused while exploring everything Hampshire has to offer!

This is an up to date spreadsheet, in activity order, that you can use when you have no clue what to do. We’ve included everything from country parks, to splash pools, lakes, castles, days out, playgrounds and walks.

Have a look at our things to do guide here.

Free museums in Hampshire

Come rain or shine, a museum can help keep you all amused and all these are in Hampshire!

Make sure you have a look at our full guide to museums in Hampshire here.

How many have you been to?

North Hampshire

These are the best free museums in North Hampshire. Take the kids and enjoy a day out and learn about your local area.

Allen Gallery

This free museum is full of the most amazing ceramics. Their collection dates back to 1250 right through to the present day.

For kids, they offer activity backs, dressing up and loads of interactive ways that they can learn about the ceramics of the time.

This is really close to Curtis Museum, so they pair very well together for a free day out.

You can find Allen Gallery at 10-12, Church St, Alton GU34 2BW.

Curtis Museum

Open all year, Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am to 5pm, the Curtis Museum houses a collection by Dr William Curtis and his associates in the local Mechanics Institute.

The museum covers 100 million years of history and displays include prehistoric tools, Roman pottery reconstruction, Saxon burials, the Battle of Alton 1643 and the notorious tale of Sweet Fanny Adams.

You can find Curtis Museum at High St, Alton GU34 1BA.

Alton Abbey

While this is more of a church than a museum, this abbey is howe to some amazing pieces from Altons past.

It does have very limited opening times though so please do check before you travel.

You can find Alton Abbey at Abbey of Our Lady & St. John/Abbey Rd, Alton GU34 4AP.

Museum of the Iron Age

Based over two floors, Museum of the Iron Age is great for the whole family. Make sure you have a look at their Fullerton Mosaic and learn more about what life was like as a Roman. They also have great activity sheets that help the kids learn about the local Andover history.

You can find Museum of the Iron Age at 6 Church Cl, Andover SP10 1DP.

Andover Museum

Andover Museum is a great place for the kids to learn about the prehistoric times all the way through to present day. Discover the history of Andover starting from the Neolithic era.

Interactive, Andover Museum offers temporary exhibitions and has a coffee shop on site.

You can find Andover Museum at 6 Church Close, Andover SP10 1DP.

The Willis Museum

Open all year round, this is a local working museum with galleries on local archaeology and natural science. Learn more about Basingstoke and the history around you through the ages.

Winchester City Museum

Explore the rich history of Winchester in the three galleries that take you through time. Family friendly, there are loads of hands on activities to keep all ages amused from becoming a detective and solving the museum spotter trail to dressing up as a Roman and finding out what life was really like as a solider back then.

Open times are Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and 11am to 5pm on Sundays.

Adjutant General’s Corps Museum

This museum is in the Guard House of Peninsula Barracks in Winchester and is great if your kids are learning about The Second World War. It holds personal accounts of the time plus the Queens own driving permit which is on loan to the museum.

The Adjutant General’s Corps Museum is open all year, Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm in May to September.

You can find The Adjutant General’s Corps Museum at Peninsula Barracks, Romsey Road, Winchester SO23 8TS.

The Museum of Military Medicine

Open most of the year, the museum hosts the carriage used by Florence Nightingale during her time in the Crimea and details the story of the military and medicine.

Think military ambulances, an Ambulance Train Ward Coach and a WWI Horse Drawn Ambulance.

This museum is free but some of the others do charge an admission cost.

You can find The Museum of Military Medicine at Keogh Barracks, Ash Vale, Aldershot GU12 5RQ.

Find Fun Things To Do Throughout Hampshire

If you are looking for ideas on what to do to entertain the whole family then why not join our free Resource Vault. We have over 20+ printables that you can download as many times as you like.

This includes themed ideas like treasure maps to going out ideas.

Join our free Resource Vault here

(By joining giving us your email address you are consenting to us emailing you about our other fun Hampshire ideas that keep the whole family amused. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of every email.)

Free museums in South Hampshire

These are the best free museums in South Hampshire that are great for the whole family.

Eastleigh Museum

A local museum made for families, Eastleigh Museum takes you back into the past and lets you meet Mr and Mrs Brown, a local locomotive engine driver and his wife.

The displays and exhibitions change regularly with workshops and events always going on. Open all year round, Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm and Saturday 10am to 430pm.

Southampton City Art Gallery

Family friendly, the gallery is home to over 3,500 works, ranging from Renaissance masterpieces to contemporary video art.

Exhibitions change regularly so there’s always something to do and see. Opening times are Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm and 10am to 5pm on Saturdays.

West End Local History Museum and Heritage Centre

The Old Fire Station Museum contains an extensive and ever growing archive of local material which includes maps, directories, photographs and the history of the local area. Child friendly; let them ask questions and enjoy learning about the area they are growing up in.

Open Saturdays only 10am to 4pm.

Free Museums in East Hampshire

These are the best free museums in East Hampshire that include Gosport, Portsmouth and Havant.

Gosport Museum

A former part of Gosport Grammar School, this museum offer temporary exhibits to families that tie in with the national curriculum.

The museum hosts a range of events and shows from local artists and hosts exhibitions from collections held by museums throughout Hampshire.

Gosport Museum is open from 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday.

Havant Museum

Part of The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre, Havant Museum celebrates the history of Havant. Let the kids find out how life was lived in Havant and how the coastline has changed. You can also research your family history, local area or your own specialist subject in their free to use Research Room.

The museum is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm and 10am to 4pm Saturdays.

Portsmouth City Museum and Record Office

Reminiscent of a fairy tale castle, with turrets and pointed roofs, Portsmouth City museum may look like something out of a story but it’s actually a former barracks.

It’s a great place to visit to get an idea of what it was like to live in the city and how things have changed over the years.

It’s open daily from 10am to 530pm.

Royal Armouries Fort Nelson

Open all year round, let your kids run free in this amazing 19 acres of grass ramparts, underground tunnels and views.

Home to the over 350 guns that tell our history through the ages. Live firing takes place every day and professional actors recreate history and are happy to answer any questions you may have! Free guided tours are also available.

Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum and Memorial Garden

An interactive museum, learn about the history of the Royal Hampshire Regimen and its regulars, volunteers, militia and territorials. Opening hours are 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Friday and 11am to 3pm on weekends.

Free museums in West Hampshire

While a lot of West Hampshire is covered by the New Forest, they still have loads of free museums that you can enjoy.

Red House Museum and Gardens

This amazing free museum explore what life was like living in the New Forest from the Iron age right up to now. They have photos and interactive exhibits that give you a real feel for the changing landscape.

You can find Red House Museum and Gardens at Quay Rd, Christchurch BH23 1BU.

Fordingbridge Museum

This free museum is a great place to learn all about the local history of Fordingbridge.

It’s opening hours are limited though so please do check before you travel.

You can find Fordingbridge Museum at Kings Yard, Salisbury St, Fordingbridge SP6 1AB.

Countryside Museum

Part of Breamore House, the museum itself showcases what working life would have been like in the 18th century. They have a lot of old farm machinery, some of which can still be used today.

You can find Breamore House at Breamore, Fordingbridge SP6 2DF.

Laura x

If you enjoyed this post and would like some more ideas on things to do in Hampshire then head over to the Things To Do section here on Things To Do In Hampshire With Kids where you’ll find over 50 day out ideas in Hampshire that the whole family will enjoy. You could also pop over and follow our Facebook page here or our Hampshire days out Pinterest boards for lots more ideas on what you can do as a family in Hampshire; Days Out For The Kids in Hampshire and Cheap and Free Days Out in Hampshire.

What the * means

If a link has an * by it, then this means it is an affiliate link and helps S4SM stay free for all. If you use the link, it may mean that we receive a very small payment. It will not cost you anymore that it would normally.

You shouldn’t notice any difference and the link will never negatively impact the product. The items we write about are NEVER dictated by these links. We aim to look at all products on the market. If it isn’t possible to get an affiliate link, then the link, or product is still included in the same way, just with a non-paying link.