Small lovely museum, funded mainly by donations with lovely staff. Educational and mind opening…read moreexperience. I hope the museum gets the opportunity to expand and have more exhibits. When we came they had an exhibit about menopause. I think more people need to learn about the vagina in general and as a whole and understand what it is like to have one and all the burdens that come along with it and without it in the end.

A soon as I saw the name on the sign outside I HAD to go in. They have a wide variety of products…read moredisplayed from information pamphlets, books and jewellery that looks like ummm well I'm not sure what word Yelp will consider PC or risqué so just read the name of the business and you'll know exactly what I'm messing. You can wear them on your ears with a knitted sweet or on a chain around your neck made of an plastic type material, they had bold showing every size, shape and colour. You can also get t-shirts. The staff stayed behind the desk but they were friendly and greeted everyone that entered. I realised like myself most people seemed to be coming in out of curiosity and don't make any purchases but b they staff took that in stride and continued greeting everyone with the same courteous smile. Kudos to this company for celebrating woman so boldly

I was in Basingstoke, UK on a business trip / family vacation, so once business was over, thought…read morewe would spend some time out of the hotel and walk around the Basingstoke city a bit. First of all Basingstoke is a great town and relaxing. We wanted to see something cultural, so we went to the Willis Museum. Here is a history of Basingstoke. 1. Quality - This is a modern museum in a renovated very old building right in the center of Market Place. Great Ambiance and style. High quality. 2. Stuff - The displays inside are very educational on how the city was important in UK and even today. Lots of reading to do, and while not impactful, extremely educational. 3. Access - This place was built with access to EVERYONE in mind, so if there are any disabilities, you can easily get around. 4. Go Back Factor - For me, this was a one time trip. It is nice yet once is enough. 5. Price - Best thing is that it is free. So, if you are in the area, from an educational perspective, it is important for sure to stop by. The people at the museum are very nice as well.

Well it's a nice peaceful place to vist. I've enjoyed the different artist that get a space to show…read morecase your talents. Lets hope it's there for many more years to come.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is a must visit for history nerds and boat lovers...not so much for…read moreeveryone else. You'll get to see amazing historic ships, going back over 500 years of of Royal Navy history. HMS Victory: The Royal Navy's flagship that led the important Battle of Trafalgar, which the French Navy was put to shame during Napoleon's destructive wars. Arguably the most famous warship in British history. It's barely holding together as much maintenance and restoration ongoing work continues, but you still can decks and learn about life onboard during the Georgian era. The Mary Rose: King Henry VIII's flagship, which sank in 1545 and was famously salvaged in 1982. The museum showcases the preserved half hull and thousands of artifacts recovered from the wreck, offering a unique glimpse into 16th-century sailor life. Be sure to watch the 4D video! HMS Warrior: was the world's first iron-hulled, armored warship, built in 1860. Its still incredibly well preserved and structurally sound...as it never saw a single battle! Still very cool seeing how modern it felt compared to the older ships. £46/$62 3 Attraction Ticket: as fun this all was, it is really expensive for what you get, so minus one for that.

Saw Spanish galleon not original but has been made as a replica but still good not quite the victoryread more

This is a wonderful quirky space. Like the attic of your eccentric uncle who travelled widely,…read morebrought back whatever he could carry, then carefully catalogued everything (idiosyncratically) and then left it for you to go through--that is, if your uncle was the entirety of the British empire. Can't say enough. You can spend days here and still be saying "did you see THAT?"

We had a great time exploring the Pitt Rivers Museum! There is SO much on display it's almost hard…read moreto take it all in. If you're an anthropology buff, this is your place. So many neat things to see and everything you can imagine, too many to list. From clothing to masks to weapons to toys all from different cultures and different times. We even saw a Totem Pole! Overall a fascinating place to visit, just wish we'd had more time to explore!

I'm perhaps a bit biased about this museum since it features the house I grew up in. However, I've…read morevisited it recently in order to entertain the kids, and my parents house didn't really feature in their opinion as the most enjoyable bit! I think the museum offers enough interactive exhibits to keep younger kids who will tolerate a museum. They show what life was like for soldiers over the years, there's a tank simulator (definite hit), a lorry driving simulator (not as good as it sounds) and a tunnel that the kids can crawl through. For the adults, there are easy-to-read panels enabling you to digest information about the hisotry home of the British army without going into so much detail that you get lost. Outside, and in the outbuildings, there are approximately 20 military vehicles including the impressive Chieftain tank, an old army ambulance and a couple of troop carriers (one of which they allow you to climb inside). If you're lucky, you'll see some of the maintenance crew working on a vehicle. They we're happy to answer questions and reveal the history of the vehicle. All in, an interesting place for the kids and adults who want to learn more about the history of the relationship between the army and Aldershot.

It was very intresting originally I wanted to see the airbourne museum but is now closed as is most…read moreof the garrision. Worth a visit.

Visited the museum while in Oxford for the day. Lots of history and neat exhibits to visit. We…read moresaw insects, fossils and tons of other things, almost too many to list. The day of our visit, there were a few schools visiting but everyone we encountered from the staff to the young preschool students were friendly and considerate. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Oxford.

A museum of natural history would generally be on my list of "museums I don't wish to visit" but…read morethe Oxford Museum of Natural History proved that I barely know myself. First, it's free of charge which automatically makes it attractive. But though free may get me in the door it won't guarantee I'll enjoy it. This museum isn't just free but it is also gorgeous and interesting, a real home run. And, in the event that Natural History isn't your jam even here, this place contains the portal to the almost indescribable Pitt Rivers Museum (also free). One of these is bound to be your happy place.

Once a rival to Hampton Court, in the 16th Century Basing House was one of the grandest houses in…read moreEngland, and hosted all of the Tudor monarchs from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I. Besieged three times in the Civil War, it was stormed by Cromwell and destroyed. The ruins are extensive but fragmentary, and a good imagination is needed to understand the site. Basing started life as a Norman motte-and-bailey castle in the 11th Century, when it was chief of the 55 manors granted to Hugh de Port by William the Conquerer. Unusually the motte was low but over 300ft wide. The estate was passed through inheritance to the Paulet family, and it was Sir William Paulet (1483-1572), 1st Marquess of Winchester, who developed the famous great house. He held a range of high offices during his long career, and amassed a considerable fortune, which he spent on the remodelling and extending the house. He first developed the original castle into a more comfortable residence in the classic Tudor style, using locally made bricks. He built a great gatehouse as the main accommodation, leading to a separate great hall, with other buildings arranged around the inside of the walls. However, this was insufficient to host the monarchs and their large retinues on their Royal progresses, so he built an enormous new palace of some 360 rooms, adjacent to the original castle, to provide additional accommodation. This took the form of a large square stately house, with a central range and two oblong courtyards, again in red brick with classical decoration. The two houses were linked by a short bridge and gateway through the original defences. The Royal visits, however, exhausted the family fortunes. Elizabeth I visited several times; most notably, on one visit she hosted the new French ambassador. She brought a retinue of 1,500 people in her court - and he brought 400. They stayed for two weeks, enjoying banquets, hunts and spectacles. In modern terms, the visit cost millions of pounds. As a result, the 5th Marquess mothballed the new house when he inherited the estate in 1629. His plan was to save enough funds to restore part of the house, but the intervention of the Civil War saw him refortify both houses. A Royalist supporter, the house - on the main road to the south west - was a key strategic location, and it was besieged three times. The final siege began in August 1645; the defenders withstood the Parliamentary forced until October, but the arrival of Cromwell with substantial reinforcements made defeat inevitable: first the new house was overcome, and then the defences of the Old were breached. As well as substantial damage from canon fire, fires were set which destroyed much of both buildings. Cromwell asked parliament to agree that locals be given the right to remove building materials - which led to the dismantling of most of the ruins. The red bricks now form many of the lovely 17th Century cottages in the village. The site today comprises Grange Farm (now the Visitor Centre), where the magnificent Great Barn is the most substantial reminder of Paulet's achievements. A short walk away along a lane, you enter through one of the original gates to the estate, over a bridge over the disused Basingstoke canal, and up towards the motte and bailey. Here you can walk around the scant remains of the old house - primarily basements and cellars, with elements of the main walls. Virtually nothing survives of the new house, but there are interpretation boards at key points, and a viewing platform provides s good perspective over the site. Of interest are the partially restored walled garden, and the 17th Century earthwork defences thrown up during the Civil War: these are rare survivors. There's a small but disappointing museum on the site and an entrance building containing, bizarrely, a model of both houses - in lego. Tickets are bought at the visitor centre at Grange Farm, but car parking is a further five minute walk along the River Loddon near the Barton Mills pub. Walking around the site, and to and from the car park, is around a two miles. Access for those of limited mobility is a challenge. The main site is fairly hilly, mostly grass, and the viewing platform is reached by an outdoor staircase. There are toilets at the Visitor Centre and at the entrance to the main site.

This was so interesting and I think very well done!! The staff were all very welcoming and the…read moremuseum was not crowded (we went during the week).

SeaCity Museum is an interesting stopover if you have some extra time in Southampton, but it is far…read morefrom a "must-see" attraction. As far as museums go, it is your typical mid-sized town museum, and certainly not to the scope of the Met or Museum of Natural History or anything of the sort. You're looking at perhaps an hour and a half to two hours tops, so do keep this in mind before forking over your hard earned £12.69 for entrance. The headliner is undoubtedly the Titanic exhibit, which if you are a fan of the history and/or the movie, might lure you in. Southampton is the port where the ship took its inaugural voyage from, so there is an obvious vested interest. However, if you are in town as the starting point for your own cruise, viewing this beforehand might be a bit unsettling. I suppose you could always come after you have returned though. The Titanic display is shown in a storybook format, introducing a smattering of crew members (some important, some random), and there is no mention or connection to the movie. Over the course of the exhibit, we are drawn to the characters, learning their lifestories and trials and tribulations, as if reading a book or watching a film. This is purposely done to invoke a rooting interest in how things ultimately pan out for them. One thing I do find odd is that only this handful of characters is emphasized, with nary a mention of the countless other crew members, nor the passengers. In any event, the storytelling is compelling, and the photographs, artifacts, detailed mock-ups, interactive booths, etc. are just enough to keep visitors entertained and educated, even those who were not huge fans to begin with, such as yours truly. The rest of the museum is much smaller, and mostly about Southampton itself. It is still definitely worth your time though, especially if this is your first time in town. One of the displays showcases the history of the city and its inhabitants over time, and the other focuses more on the transportation aspect in and out of the city, since Southampton has always been a traditional transit hub, be it for commerce or leisure. The detailed model ships are definitely a highlight. The only downer is the head curator being quite rude to guests. Before our time was up, she was barking at visitors to GTFO, and even gave us a countdown to how much time we had remaining. When I made it to the gift shop, she told everyone we had less than a minute, and to hurry up and buy, as if we were in Menace II Society. We understand that she wants to go home, and get back to doing whatever she's got going on, but there is absolutely no need for such a condescending tone to customers who paid good money to be there. It's not as if everyone was just milling about and loitering or anything. Any chance of a sale in their gift shop was completely nullified. The rest of the employees are great, however. They actually gave me that apologetic look, as if they already knew their boss was like this, so I am thankful to them. Fortunately, this didn't completely ruin the wonderful SeaCity Museum experience for me, but it certainly did leave a slight black mark. Cliff's Notes: Check it out of you are a fan of the Titanic (maybe not before your own cruise though) and/or Southampton history. Everyone else should just spend the time exploring Southampton itself instead.

For only £3.50 admission to this large former aircraft hangar that is on the site of the former…read moreWoodley Aerodrome, you have the opportunity to see aviation history going back to WWI and up to quite recent technologies. Chock full of aircraft, both full size restorations and many model dioramas and walls covered in articles, stories and various implements of flying history. There are also two full-size planes parked outside which may or may not be visitable depending on weather and mood. There is also a small jet "trainer" suitable for children to ride and play with, supervised carefully by staff. A nice visit for kids, if they are interested in planes and flying, and especially if it is part of a school project. This one has been in my bookmarks list for a few months and only now with my bicycle have I been able to make the trip. It was well worth the wait.

The Brits plundered many fascinating archeological artifacts from around the world, and the…read moreBritish Museum displays some of the most famous, such as the Rosetta Stone. Admission: free Time budget: minimum 4 hours Free WiFi is available Plenty of clean bathrooms Caution: The museum has no air conditioning. I visited during a rare heat wave, and the museum was a sweat box. Also, if you don't like crowds, you won't like this museum. It gets packed early. Pre-opening tour: The museum offers for UK $35 various pre-opening tours. I took the Greece pre-opening tour. Pros: Small group of 20 before the unwashed masses crowd into the museum. Tour guides are knowledgable. Guides may offer extra time at no charge (e.g. 15-20 minutes extra). Cons: My tour guide did not enunciate or project his voice, so much of the tour was unintelligible.

Late Saturday afternoon in the summer:…read more The Good: *Admission is free! *No cattle crowd lines for security check, I basically walked up. *The new (compared to the original) Grand Courtyard is stunning and a fantastic photo op. *Enlightenment Room 1 is literally the coolest place in the summer. *The Rosetta Stone, Room 4 is a don't miss. *ditto the Tang dynasty figures and China history which was eye-opening in Room 33. Jade story was interesting too in Room 33a. The Bad: *Probably because it's free, the place is super crowded with students, elderly, tourists and large tour groups of all stripes. *The security line was empty because everyone was already inside. *Most of the rooms are hot in summer. I was sweating and clammy. I was surprised people weren't fainting due to the stuffy air. *You have about 10 seconds to see the Rosetta Stone due to the crowd who also don't want to miss it. *Enlightenment Room 1 was filled with people sitting and resting and cooling off in the library-like space. *Special exhibition-Declaring Independence, USA 250 was super small but I guess appropriate given the British lost the war. Room 3. I forgot I had already been to the British Museum 12 years ago. I think I've seen enough but maybe return in the midweek and when it isn't so hot. Sometimes the museum closes early due to the heat.