The Best Military Museums in the UK

Exploring a nation's military history 

Britain’s military museums offer vivid insights into the nation’s past, showcasing historic battles, personal stories, and technological innovation. 

From regimental collections to major national institutions, these museums preserve the legacy of service and sacrifice, helping visitors understand the evolution of warfare and its enduring impact on society and history. Here is our selection of military museums that cover England's military history, from Roman occupation to today's hi-tech conflicts. All of them are quality assessed by VisitEngland to assure you of a great visitor experience.

Roman Army Museum

England was part of the Roman Empire for around 350 years, and the continuing influence of this prolonged armed occupation cannot be underestimated. For those who want to explore the reality of life for Roman troops, this museum situated alongside the Walltown Grags Section of Hadrian's Wall, is ideal. Find out about Roman weapons, training, pay, off-duty activities and much more. See if you can be persuaded to join up by watching the recruitment film, or view the Eagle's Eye film and soar over Hadrian's Wall in stunning 3D.

Combined Military Services Museum

Not just a collection of guns and uniforms, the Combined Military Services Museum has lots of other, more unusual items. On display are genuine items used in espionage, a collection of artillery and munitions, fragments of WW1 German Zeppelins and arms and armour dating back to 1800BCE. The museum is the outcome of a childhood fascination of the founder, Dr Richard Joseph Wooldridge, who started collecting military items in 1968 at the age of 7.

Royal Engineers Museum

The Royal Engineers Museum covers the diverse and sometimes surprising work of the Royal Engineers. Here you can find out about the first military divers, photographers, aviators and surveyors. There is memorabilia relating to General Gordon and Field Marshal Lord Kitchener, Wellington's battle map from Waterloo and even a Harrier jump-jet. The superb medal displays include 25 Victoria Crosses, among more than 6,000 medals in the collection. Exhibits include locomotives, tanks, the first wire-guided torpedo, bridges, and models.

International Bomber Command Centre

International Bomber Command Centre is a thought-provoking tribute to those who served or supported Bomber Command during WW2. There are interactive, immersive displays, exhibits and trails, all surrounded by 9 acres of Peace Gardens, hosting the Spire Memorial, and Walls of Names. This is the only place in the world where all these losses are commemorated.

Royal Air Force Museum Midlands 

The Royal Air Force Museum in Cosford has one of the largest aviation collections in the UK, with 70 historic aircraft on display. Visitors will be able to see Britain's V bombers - Vulcan, Victor and Valiant - and other aircraft suspended in flying attitudes, housed in a landmark building covering 8,000sqm. Those in the south can visit the Royal Air Force Museum London in Hendon.

Stockport Air Raid Shelters

Many military history attractions are full of weapons and machinery, and concentrate on the armed forces, but this fascinating museum deals with the reality of ordinary people under attack. Cut into the natural sandstone under the town, Stockport Air Raid Shelters were the largest purpose-built civilian air raid shelters in the country. At one point they held over 6,000 people. Visitors can learn about how the town coped with Nazi bombing from displays and audio guides, then pick up a 1940s memento in the gift shop.

National Memorial Arboretum

The National Memorial Arboretum is a beautiful year-round centre of Remembrance. Free to enter, the 150-acre site is located in Staffordshire on the edge of the National Forest. It features over 350 thought-provoking memorials, including the Armed Forces Memorial, nestled amongst lush woodland. Rich in design and symbolism, and sympathetic to the landscape, there are guided walks, buggy tours, exhibitions, a land train and a children’s sensory play garden.

The Commandery

Military museums naturally concentrate on the role of the UK in two 20th-century World Wars, but it's worth remembering that the nation also suffered a vicious civil war back in the 17th-century. The Commandery brings the English Civil War to life in a beautiful Grade I-listed building with an 800-year history. Set in the heart of historic Worcester, it is most famous for being the Royalist Headquarters during the decisive Battle of Worcester in 1651, when Cromwell's forces defeated Royalists led by Charles II.

IWM London

Probably the best known military museum in the UK, the Imperial War Museum (IWM) London is one of the UK’s leading cultural institutions, and is dedicated to exploring the impact of conflict on the lives of all people, both military and civilian. Located in a striking former hospital building in South London, it presents powerful, thought-provoking exhibitions spanning from the First World War to the present day. Always informative and often moving, this really is an amazing museum. There is also an IWM in Duxford.
 

Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park is the home of British codebreaking and a birthplace of modern information technology. It played a major role in Allied strategy during WW2, producing secret intelligence which had a direct and profound influence on the outcome of the conflict. Now an internationally renowned site and accredited museum with immersive exhibitions, activities and events, visitors can discover the stories of the incredible men and women whose vital work here stayed secret for so long.

Royal Armouries Museum Leeds

The waterfront Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds City centre explores how arms and armour have shaped our history, society, art and culture. Explore thousands of fascinating objects, from Japanese samurai swords to iconic movie props, from Henry VIII’s armour to an Indian war elephant. Watch history come to life with free, daily live shows and combat demonstrations. And it's all free. If you're down in Portsmouth, you can check out the Royal Armories Museum at Fort Nelson.

The Green Howards Museum

Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment; the 19th Regiment of Foot, better known as the Green Howards Museum existed from 1688 to 2006. This excellent museum displays 300 years of friendship and adventure, service and sacrifice. It is in the centre of Richmond’s large cobbled market place, and tells the story of this illustrious regiment, and the world events it witnessed, through the eyes of the soldiers who served.