Fans of the film "The Imitation Game" will recall Bletchley Park as the home of code-breaking, where Alan Turing (alongside nearly 9,000 colleagues) worked to decipher the encrypted messages of the Germans and Japanese in World War II; this included breaking the infamous "Enigma" German coding system. This is one of the best museum experiences I've ever had. It does a brilliant job of making a highly technical subject accessible and of bringing it to life, with plenty of human interest. All based in the original buildings, it tells the story of how Bletchley Park was established, and then expanded, as its operations grew during World War II. Rooms are recreated as they would have been in the 1940s, and are beautifully curated to explain how every aspect of the code-breaking operation worked. This covers not just the code-breakers themselves, but everyone from the linguists, canteen staff and administrators, to the motorcycle messengers who rode to and from the radio stations with intercepted messages, and then on to the Intelligence HQs with the deciphered messages (in all weathers, with all the road signs removed, and with blackouts at night!). I particularly liked the wall of original memos from the administrative office, which shows the vagaries of the British class system (wanting more typists of the "Roedean school sort"), alongside very modern concerns about staff shortages, and complaining about the food, heating and just about everything else! Finally, the later exhibits show the development of computers and radio interception, and the implications of the development of AI. There's a huge amount of personal detail about the people who worked here, including oral histories, letters, and diary entries. A highlight has to be Alan Turing's office, set up as he had it in 1944. Then there are the exhibits explaining how code-breaking works in general, and how the Enigma Code itself was broken, with a replica of one of the famous "Bombe" machines that helped speed the code-breaking. (If you can work out how it works, you're better than me!) But equally important was the work of turning the messages into useful military intelligence, and in turn, using that knowledge to develop counter-intelligence, which played a vital role in an early example of disinformation. On our visit, there were lots of guides, some of whom had worked there (one lovely lady was 96), but all were delightfully helpful, very enthusiastic and incredibly knowledgeable. We spent 5 hours there, and still didn't see everything, but the good news is that tickets are valid for return visits for a year. As I said, this is one of the best curated museums I've ever visited. We had a wonderful day out. On a practical level, the museum is less than 10 minutes' walk from Bletchley railway station, but there is a decent-sized car park too. The huge site has been made fully accessible for wheelchair users, and there are plenty of toilets. There are two cafes (pricey but okay) and a tea hut; and a shop, selling souvenirs and generous selection of books about WWII and code-breaking more generally. read more

See all

I suspect that the museum here is quite new, though I suspect interest in it arose after the film based around Alan Turing. Mind you, a lot of what went on here was top secret for years after the war finished, so in many cases we simply had no idea that this place existed. It's pretty big mind you, and you can pretty much explore the entire complex, as well as seeing Turing's office, as well as replicas of the Bombe. read more

See all

Best to have a guide to provide a lot of background. One doesn't get full measure how important codebreaking was to winning WW2 without a guide. Exhibits are very useful along video self-tour tablet. See photo . Best toilet are end of entrance next to where you pick up audio self-tour headset. One next to food service too crowded. Lots of huts to visit and volunteers to help you. On nice sunny day hard to imagine how cold wet miserable it would be to work here for years 8 hrs daily 6-7 days a week and miserable living conditions some miles away. Few stayed there but billets long away. read more

See all

Bletchley Park offers an incredibly detailed and immersive experience, with exhibits packed full of technical information covering everything from the living conditions to the intricate electrical engineering behind the codebreaking operations. The interview recordings from people who actually worked there were a highlight, providing a powerful, first-hand perspective on the monumental work done at Bletchley. The reconstructed quarters and workspaces were very well done, with small touches like period clothing hanging on the walls that really helped bring the history to life. The museum truly captures the enormity of the operation and its profound impact on the outcome of the war. We spent two hours there, but it wasn't nearly enough to fully absorb everything. If you want to explore the exhibits in depth, plan to stay much longer. Your $26 ticket is good for a year, if you remember to bring back with your ID, so come back again if you're nearby. Highly recommended! (We also had a great time watching The Imitation Game afterwards). read more

See all

A massive homage to Alan Turing and the code breakers of the UK in World War II. Four stars if you're not a computer science nerd and an easy 5 if you are. First, there is _so_ much stuff to see here, like it's easily a whole day if you have it. I only had a morning and, while I really enjoyed myself, I wish I'd had more time. The good news is that a ticket is good for a year, so you can come back to check it out later. Great for many people, less good for me who came here near the end of my stay in London. We came as part of a work trip and got to have a bit of a private tour to start with and then explore some afterward. The main mansion with the context-setting and history were really cool to see, but then highlights for me were going to see the bombe machines and other actual code breaking machines as well as wandering the halls and reading about what the various cryptographers said about how they broke the codes. To have all of this an easy train ride and short walk from London set in a beautiful space is sort of a win all around. read more

Great to walk around and get a real feel for what occurred there. A well kept after historical site with more than meets the eye. Recommend spending a good few hours here. read more

This place is amazing. Like most of the rest of the world I had no idea what Bletchley Park was or what the Brits achieved here in WWII until I saw "The Imitation Game" with Benedict Cumberbatch. Just incredible. "The Imitation Game" should be required viewing for every person regardless of nationality. Movies may be more accessible than a visit but the additional effort is 1000% worth it. My best friend and I were in London for the week. We took a train from London Euston to Bletchley Park and the trust was an easy walk (less than a quarter mile) from the train station. The train ride took less than an hour one way. After several hours visiting the house and marveling over Britains extraordinary hidden history we took the train back to London thrilled with our visit. The tour guides are knowledgeable and wonderful, the musum is amazing and seeing the buildings set up with period pieces showing how things were really gives you perspective. In the age of incessant social media bragging it's remarkable to look back at these extraordinary people helped save the world as we know it and did it with no acknowledgement and with zero fanfare. Indeed many took their secret to their graves. While the theme is serious this is also set up perfectly for children. There are lots of things they can touch and explore and free audio guide itouches for them to play with. We had two children with us (8 and 12) and though their interest was not as intense as ours they still learned plenty, had a great time and (most importantly) didn't complain incessantly about being bored. I'd recommend it to anyone regardless of age. This place is truly a gem of Britain and I highly recommended it. Additional info: see if you can get two for one tickets to Bletchley Park by showing your train ticket. Not sure how long that promotional is running but we happily took them up on it. The cafe is a nice little spot. They have soups and sandwiches, etc. and though it was infinitely better than the cafeteria food described by BP employees it was fun eating in a similar spot to where the code breakers would have sat over 50 years ago. There is also a nice park on the grounds where you can bring food and sit and enjoy the sunshine on a nice day. If our weather hadn't been so crisp we likely would have had a picnic. Since you're already in the area check out the National Computing Museum behind Bletchley Park. Also gave that 5 stars! read more

See all

Great museum about the WWII code breakers (notably those features in the movie Imitation Game). It is well set-up, with very clear signs, scattered videos, actual equipment to view, photos, and even the occasional interactive exhibits for kids. It can appeal to all ages and all types, allowing you as much or as little detail as desired. You walk to different buildings ("huts") that show different aspects of code breakers, such as radio transmitting, the life at Bletchley and in England during WWII, the basics of code breaking, the history and evolution of the machines used during the war (both for German and Japanese), and notable people (including Alan Turing, double agents, and more)z Though a little pricey, you can oftentimes get 2-for-1 tickets through online rail travel offers, and the tickets are then good for 12 months It includes: - History and evolution of the code breaking machines, including Colossus, and effect in modern computing - Displayed Enigma, Typex, and Lorenz Schlosselzusatz SZ40 Cipher machines. - Rebuilt Bombe machine (Turing's machine) - Recreated schoolroom and home rooms read more

See all

There are so many things to do in this tremendously significant and historical place. The Bletchley Park grounds is comprised of a beautiful lake (with its only residents being the swans and ducks), jade colored green grass, the iconic Mansion where many of the important intelligence work was done during WWII, and spread out on the rest of the grounds were individual huts where thousands occupied and contributed to the code breaking efforts of WWII. Bletchley Park is loosely organized into sections which recounted the lives of the code breakers and the supporting staff, the important people and process of code breaking (everything from the Enigma to the Lorenzo), as well as other significant accounts about general intelligence and their efforts on winning the war. Here is where you learn about the thousands of brilliant minds brought together: mathematicians, statisticians, linguists, master chess players. A place of tranquility now ideally located between Oxford and Cambridge university, it is almost hard to imagine the monumental work that contributed greatly to ally's victory during the war. Having watched the Imitation Game film, visiting the actual Bletchley Park made the story even more real. The amount of incredible creativity and innovation happened here was tremendous. The National Museum of Computing next door hosts a rebuild of the first of the 'modern' computers - Colossus. read more

Bletchley Park - Museums Near Me - Milton Keynes, MIK

See all

What a great day trip out of London! So worth it! I took the train from Euston, which at off-peak hours was 15.90. Since we took National Rail, we got our tickets at BP as two for one! That was awesome. We started in the intro exhibit which gave a nice overview of the park, headed to the mansion, took a look at some huts, and then took the guided tour. Our last stop was looking at the recreated Bombe machine. My favorite parts of Blechley: 1. Great and friendly staff/volunteers. 2. Really gorgeous site. It is honestly so pretty and scenic. It has a lake and some of the buildings, like the mansion and garage, are just striking. 3. The cafeteria was delicious! I got a veggie fritatta with peas and baked beans for 7.95 and it was a huge portion of food. They also had fish and chips, soup, lots of snacks. 4. The huts had fun interactive games to learn about code breaking. 5. The guided walking tour was really helpful to pull all the history together. 6. There's an Imitation Game exhibit about the film that has info from filmmakers, actors, staff at BP. 7. Seeing the real working Bombe with a demo from a cool volunteer. 8. Learning more about Alan Turing's life. 9. So easy (about a 5 min walk) from the Blechley train station to BP. 10. Hilarious historical reenactment videos in some of the huts. One other cool thing: your ticket is good for a whole year so you can return for free. Some of the code breaking comprehension was a little challenging so I think I'm going to have to do some further reading, but it was honestly just so engaging, the whole place. VISIT NOW! read more

Bletchley Park - Museums Near Me - Milton Keynes, MIK

Went to Bletchley Park in May 2019. It was well set out. We had a great day, Alan Turing was a marvellous man ahead of his time. read more

See all

Having watched The Imitation Game a trip to Bletchley Park was a definite day out for the future and yesterday was that day. Entrance is a reasonable price taking into account there is no Government backing for this important part of our modern history. I mean, had this place not existed we could have been speaking German now. Also, the ticket lasts a year so you can go back at a later date. Set out following the guide in the map and nothing will be missed. Learning that Bletchley was working through the First World War as well as the second was a surprise to me. I had read about the airship being shot down in the area I lived, Cuffley. It's whereabouts learned through Bletchley allowing it to be shot down using incendiary bullets. The whole of the park uses the simple dioramas of original table, chairs etc etc laid out as used during the war. Lighting was low wattage and one wonders how they worked in such terrible conditions as well as the heat, and cold, in those huts. Modern technology in the form of IT and 'hands on' technology made the reading easier and interesting. The manor house is something to behold. The architecture is breath taking. Look up to the ceilings. The library and its woodwork, magnificent. We will definitely be going back and will obviously learn more. A great day out. read more

I was blown away by the quality of this museum. They received several big grants in the last few years, including one from the lottery, and it really shows! After you get through ticketing, start by making a free reservation for a volunteer-led tour. (They do run out of spots.) The guides are computer / radio enthusiasts, and their interest in the history of the place makes the tour fun and informative. Now you can pick up an audio guide and explore the place on your own. Seeing everything takes maybe 3-4 hours. Placards are clear and easy to understand. Don't miss Alan Turing's office in hut 6(?) and the replica Bombe machine in hut 11! read more

Take the train. The country side views were so enjoyable. It's about a five min walk from station to main museum. You need about 4 solid hours to see all of the grounds. All of the out building were amazing and so thoughtful done. The audio guide is very helpful and easy to adapt to out of sequence viewing. ((There were tons of school groups, so I tactically avoided them around the park)). The main house was incredible and the details in each room really intrigued this history buff. I truly enjoyed all the highlights of women contributions to all of WW2 but especially the STEM focused pieces (right in my area of interest) Cafeteria needs a little work -- as you are pretty isolated from the main path. Something more than day old cake and teas. Admittedly they had not received their goods for the day -- so maybe it was bad timing. The bookstore is lovely and I picked up three books for my professional library. All related to women contributing to cryptology. This is very family friendly and 90 percent is wheelchair and cane friendly. The staff has a little more historical development to do but most of the older docents were fabulous!! I had a 20 min conversation with one gent about maritime cryptology--he was amazing. If you take am train down -- do the whole park -- and take the 1400 train back -- you should have plenty of time for something else in London or near an airport. Including a break for lunch. I took a hot breakfast onto the train in the morning and got coffee at the terminal--it was more than enough. Recommend good walking shoes or trail boots/sneakers--as there are some gravel walkways. read more

I am a fan of history and Bletchley Park (BP) played an important role in World War II. Birtish Intelligence took over a large estate in a rural area and used it to house the organization that was successful in breaking the encrypted German communications. German military communications were encrypted using Enigma machines. The Germans thought their code was unbreakable. Early on the codebreaking was done by hand but by the end of the war they developed a machine that sped up and automated the code breaking process. The messages that they decoded were provided to the allied military forces so they knew in advance where the German military organizations were and what their plans were. The BP activity was very secret and the people who served there received little personal recognition. However, US and UK leaders clearly recognized their contribution and believed they saved many lives and shortened the war. I recommend those interested in history visit this site. BP is about an hour train ride from Central London. BP is a short walk from the Bletchley train station. read more

Bletchley Park - Museums Near Me - Milton Keynes, MIK

Very nice museum..awesome for history and egghead types (like me)...lots of codebreaker info...the huts are presented in war time fashions..very dark. ...lots of Enigma..lots of bombe.the mansion beautiful... .of you are a HAM radio buff..make sure you visit..the hut of the national radio museum..the husband , wife and friend who guide the place are wonderful hosts...I was pressing for time otherwise I would have stayed and called some CQs...there is upgrading coming soon to much of the museum...surprised that was no exhibit on Alan Turing... ..if traveling from London.. Pay attention to which rail line you use..I used the line that goes from Euston station London to Milton Keynes central station...you will need a taxi..and arrange a pick up..no taxi stand there...way too far to walk...about £13 taxi..... Use a different line that goes into the little station near the museum a 5min walk away... ..- read more

Visited this historical landmark during the Summer of 2011. There is so much to learn and see here and I thoroughly enjoyed touring through this code-breaking mecca of a tiny town. Lunch is available at one of the trailers/buildings so you don't have to worry about going hungry while touring this place. Additionally, I had the opportunity to tour Bletchley with my intelligence professor, Dr. Martland of Pembroke Cambridge, as a tour guide -- how awesome is that?! read more

See all

Bletchley Park is a national historical gem. You can't understand how the allies won the Second World War without knowing these stories. You are told how early breakthroughs by Polish cryptanalysts together with other experts and nationalities supplied information to an elite group of British intelligence personnel who eventually broke numerous German, Japanese, and Russian codes. These people created the first programmable logic computer, and accomplished a number of other electrical design and engineering feats. If you read the exhibit materials and examine the displayed artifacts and code-breaking hardware, you will comprehend how computers were developed beginning in the 1940s and 1950s (thus, you will see that modern computers are NOT based on alien technology recovered by the US military from a bogus crash site in Roswell, New Mexico). The mansion at Bletchley Park is phenomenal; the grounds are quite beautiful, and the various museum exhibits are very engaging and informative. A good deal of repair work and reconstruction is still being completed, and there are some exhibit spaces that clearly require additional development. But this incredibly important historic site has been open only about 6 years--and the historic trust has already accomplished a great deal in this short period of time. The "Bombe" machine exhibits are wonderful, the several enigma machines are iconic representations of the defeated Nazi regime, and the oral-historical accounts add personal, realistic content to nearly every exhibit component. As you read the various first-person accounts, you should note how important the hundreds and thousands of women intelligence analysts were to this effort. And yet, what happened to all those women when the war ended? Our society required them to return to their homes, to cook and clean, and raise children. We had no room for them in the workplace. read more

Bletchley Park - One of several three-rotor Enigma cipher machines on exhibit at the Bletchley Park Museum. - Museums Near Me - Milton Keynes, MIK

This review is for all the girlfriends of WWII and/or computing fanatics who are skeptical about spending a day out at Bletchley. Don't fret! Bletchley Park will be more interesting than you expected, I promise. My fella had been for a tour around Bletchley Park about five years ago and enjoyed it enough to request a return visit with me in tow. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that the location looks much different than it did the last time he visited...so if you've been here before and think you know it all already, it might be worth a second visit. The volunteers and other enthusiasts have been hard at work restoring buildings and improving the grounds. There is plenty to do here to spend an entire day...from visiting the mansion to learning about cracking the engima machines, to a walk around a lovely pond, the National Museum of Computing, the Churchhill Collection, toys and memorabilia collection, amateur radio association, and lots more. This is not a polished museum with lots of money. However, it is charming, informative, and very clearly a labor of love for the people who work there and volunteer their time. Important work was done in Bletchley Park and it's worthwhile to go and appreciate it. I especially recommend a free tour if you have the time. it can be a bit long and a bit dry at times, but it really does leave you with the spirit of what went on there. For our tickets, we got a season pass for the year, and we do plan on going back in a few months to visit the areas we missed the first time around. read more

In recent years, Bletchley Park has been getting more attention, which it richly deserves. I visited a number of years ago--I think in 2005--when I was visiting a friend in Milton Keynes who actually lived in Bletchley. "Is that Bletchley as in Bletchley Park?" I inquired. As a programmer and someone with an interest in cryptography I was familiar with the name, but had no idea where it was located. It turned out to be just a 10 minute walk away, and so I went to visit. At the time, Bletchley Park tours were given by a handful of dedicated elderly people. I believe they were volunteers. Their passion for the site was evident and contagious. It was a warm day and that made an extended walk around the grounds a delight. I must confess that I did enjoy the fact that there were hardly any other visitors, but it's probably good for Bletchley Park if this is no longer the case. I believe that they have also renovated the Victorian mansion on the site and made it available for conferences. The visit culminated with an opportunity to see some of the machines which were used during the war. I had already seen an Enigma machine, but this was the first opportunity to view the codebreaking side. At that time there was just Colossus, but I believe they have since reconstructed Bombe. Bletchley Park is a wonderful way to become acquainted with cryptography and its role in WWII. There are games which you can play (aimed at children, but adults can try them too!) which allow you to really understand how it was accomplished. Combine with Simon Singh's 'Code Book' for optimum results (there's a children's edition of this book as well). The people at Bletchley Park are very interested in preserving the site and reaching out to visitors. You can find them on Twitter as @bletchleypark. read more

Bletchley Park is a short day trip outside of London (75 minutes). Plan on spending at least a half day there. I felt a bit rushed on my 3 hour visit. Bletchley is a fascinating place. As a museum, it is one of the top one or two I have visited in the world. It is full of interactive exhibits, historic films and interviews, and remarkable artifacts. This makes it great for young and old alike. The setting is quintessentially English with a manor house, lake, beautiful green ways, all set in the English countryside. (A small word of warning here. Bletchley Park is now inside an industrial park. Don't let this disappoint you! It's beautiful!) Yet it is equally Spartan too. The various intelligence "huts" are carefully recreated and give you a first hand sense of how cramped and uncomfortable daily life at Bletchley would have been for the men and women who worked there. Get out of London for the day and take the train or a car to this amazing gem! read more

Went here on 30th March with my 8 year old grandson. Thoroughly good day. Exhibits were very good. Need more than a day to get round but entrance ticket lasts for a year which is good. Parking free but need to get there mud morning. Disappointed that the memorabilia coin machine to flatten and I'm press 1p and £1 coins with wasn't working The or two days later when my daughter and family went which was a shame as the children wanted a memory of their day. It needs to be fixed and a noticed put on it to say out of order until fixed. read more