IWM Duxford
IWM Duxford
4.5
Military MuseumsSpeciality Museums
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Visit Imperial War Museum Duxford for a huge day out. See Spitfires take to the skies from the airfield where they first flew, get up close to gigantic aircraft and walk in the footsteps of the men and women who served here. From the early days of flight, through to the dramatic days of the Second World War and the technological advances of the Cold War, IWM Duxford has played a central role in some of the most significant periods of 20th century history. We recommend allowing at least half a day for your visit. IWM members go free.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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  • Claire B
    39 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant! Well worth a trip
    Fantastic couple of days!! Attended for the 50th Flying finale, did museum Friday and flying Saturday. Fantastic museums, set out brilliantly in different areas and periods. Took approx 4 hours to look round, and that was at a quick pace, could easily have taken 8 if we’d stopped for all the talks etc. A lot of walking, if you have a toddler, def bring a pram! Staff were wonderful and knowledgeable and went out of their way to help me find an aircraft I’d been looking for but couldn’t find. Saturdays flying was wonderful. Parking was easy (get there before opening!!) and plenty of space, food and toilet facilities for everyone. They sold out of tickets which was great to see for a) them, financially, and b) they didn’t cram 1000000 people in regardless. Don’t expect to see all the museum AND flying, you’ll never do it all in one day! Fantastic to see the First World War planes right up to current day Typhoons.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 14 October 2023
  • Michael H
    Huntingdon, United Kingdom2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hard to beat, day out.
    Had a marvellous 80th birthday walking around the hangars. Triggered a few memories of my naval service. All the staff we met were knowledgeable and friendly, I would recommend a visit.Had an extremely good meal in the cafe/canteen.Again I highly recommend.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 15 October 2023
  • Maria D
    Tipperary, Ireland3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Duxford Battle of Britain airshow September’23
    We traveled from Ireland, flew Ryanair Shannon to stansted and used a hire car for the weekend. We used the Ryanair car hire I forget the name of the company. Everything went great with the hire. The people were all nice to deal with. Took my 78 year old dad to this. We had an amazing time. The day itself was beautiful and sunny. Booked grandstand tickets which were great. We managed a few of the hangers, saw the Concorde nose dip. You’d need a couple of days to see everything and younger legs! We stayed nearby in the holiday inn express Cambridge, it was fine, nothing to write home about, breakfast was only so so. You could have walked to the airshow from here if you were able for it about a 30/35 min walk. We drove and it took us over an hour to go quite a short distance. Leaving the airshow in the evening was much speedier then arriving had been. We were back at hotel in about 15mins. The pub across from the hotel was lovely and did food. Seemed very popular although we only had drinks there. Highly recommend this airshow.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 19 October 2023
  • Luciano242
    Edinburgh, United Kingdom1,109 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing day at IWM Duxford
    First time visiting the museums and we were very impressed. We thought there are 2 big exhibits of British and American planes but when we arrived we find out there are 9 plus other exhibitions like British airborne and the Royal Anglian Regiment. Amazing collection of aircrafts, the biggest one I've seen so far. Even the Land Warfare exhibition was amazing with a great collection of weapons and tanks. Everything looks organised and tidy and displays with good information. We were there for over 5 hours and felt like I need another day so I don't have to rush as so much to see. The ticket entrance isn't cheap but well worth it, well worth to drive from all the way from Edinburgh 👍
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 19 October 2023
  • Jenna K
    Boksburg, South Africa5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great day Out
    Fantastic day out with the Hubby who was absolutely in his element. Thanks to Michael who gave us an amazing tour of the Spitfire Mk1 in Hangar 4. It was a special treat to hear about the pilot and how it came to be in IWM's possession. Definitely worth a visit!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 24 October 2023
  • Robert F
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Back in time at Duxford Airfield
    We had a superb day at IWM Duxford. Loads to see from tanks to USAF F15's. The battle of britain hanger is especially enjoyable. Many thanks to Michael, who talked me through the history of Duxfords only museum owned Mk1 Spifire. It was restored from a crashed aircraft at Dunkirk. I've never been so close to an actual mk1 Spitfire and I manged to get some great close up photos, all courtesy of Michaels hospitality. Many thanks Michael, i'll have to get a membership ticket and come back soon.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 26 October 2023
  • sonyvaio78
    London, United Kingdom39 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great day out. Excellent volunteers .
    Easy to book Reasonably priced . Plenty of free parking . Quite a large size , with multiple hangers to visit . Multiple aircraft from pre WWI to last 10-15 years . Easy to navigate the site . We managed to see some spitfires take off and fly. This was a delight. The stars of the show are definatley the volunteers. These guys are incredible . Very freindly and knowledgeable. Everyone was approachable and had passion about the aircraft. The reason for 4 stars was that the Amercian hanger ( museum) had incredible aircraft , but it felt cramped and slightly claustrophobic . It’s a shame as you couldn’t really appreciate the size of the B52 bomber in the hanger. Overall definitely worth a day out
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 30 October 2023
  • Pam L
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A superb place to visit
    What a superb place to visit. We had a wonderful day & will need to go back at least 1 more time to see everything. The visit was made even better with a private viewing of the spitfire; thank you Mick for sharing your knowledge. We’re so lucky to have such a special place to visit. Highly recommended
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 5 November 2023
  • Mick F
    Lydney, United Kingdom101 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent day out
    Went here specifically to visit the British Aircraft Collection and was not disappointed. Our tour of the collection was fantastic followed by a great tour of some of the other aircraft at the museum. A day is not really long enough to do justice to this museum. This was not a museum "flying day" but some aircraft were in the circuit and it was good to see them.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 5 November 2023
  • Culture234625
    1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Rip off reduced sugar soft drink
    Whilst the museum was really good and we enjoyed it it was let down by being charged £3.50 for a 500ml bottle of reduced sugar ribena. The full sugar coca cola was only £2.95 and the premium fentimans drinks the same price as the ribena . The price was also not displayed on the board as the other drinks were. Total ripoff spoilt what was a good day out.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 6 November 2023
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles4,557 reviews
Excellent
3,477
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Average
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estebonbon
peterborough136 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Couples
One word shocking!! I am deeply saddened by this company. Zero customer service. You need to rethink how you handle covid situations. We booked tickets in July, literally the night before just to be safe, baring in mind tickets cost £50 for two of us. The following morning my husband felt awful, following a covid test, yep he was confirmed as having covid. Our slot was for 11am so I rung the museum as soon as they opened at 9am. I was told they couldn't do anything on the phone and had to email on for a refund. So we did just that, again before our slot. When booking the night before the museum was not fully booked as it wasn't peak season etc so it wasn't like we was taking slots that could have been booked. We emailed again a week later as we hadn't had a response and still nothing. So we sent a chasing email, again nothing. You don't need added stress when someone is ill and I don't have £50 to throw away! On their own website it states if you have covid do not come, I didn't know at that point if I had it so we couldn't and wouldn't put people at risk by going. Originally we was really fair and asked to reschedule or a refund, we didn't mind either. We would have waited until school holidays was over, we said we was really flexible but after they didn't reply to the first message we then asked then for a refund. A week after the second email still nothing so we had no choice but to make a visa claim through our bank to get a refund. We did that and visa takes a while to investigate but they then make contact with the company on your behalf. Over five weeks after our initial email to the museum they then respond, no apology for the five weeks its taken them except thanking us for our patience, I mean really? An apology would have been nice. They then continue to say as follows
We are sorry to hear that you tested positive for COVID and were therefore unable to visit. Our tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable in line with our terms and conditions. However, we understand your situation and as a gesture of goodwill we are able to assist you on this occasion.
I am therefore pleased to confirm that we have now requested a refund on your behalf for your original booking which will be processed in due course by our finance team.

I'm not sure if it's because visa has made contact with them and they felt they had no choice to refund us or if they are that poor at responding. Five weeks is just awful customer service. The fact they have no provisions for when someone gets covid and ends up not being able to go through no fault of their own is just wrong! Treating people like this will end up making people go with having covid and cause it to spread further. To say it's a gesture of good will when we was complying with your own website request not to go is quite frankly rude! And we provided proof of having it. You should be refunding people or at the very least allowing people to reschedule. So folks if you end up having tickets and get covid, good luck because you'll need it. I recommend everyone who has this happen to them to do a visa charge back through your bank for goods not received and hopefully they will assist in getting you a refund. Awful treatment and service, avoid pre booking that's for sure!
Written 22 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lynn S
Tattershall, UK3,512 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021
A lady in customer service, when I rang, advised booking for 10.30 am as everyone books for 10am which we did and I am glad as there was a long queue from about 9.30am We went to the American hanger first and worked our way back so as not to bunch up with the crowds in hangar 1.

The volunteers really do bring this museum alive and some of the exhibits are really rare and very interesting. Lots of planes taking off and landing and I wish the the vintage aircraft trips had been advertised more before we planned our visit.
We could not understand why so many people had bags of food with them until we decided to stop for refreshments. Woeful is the word that springs to mind and expensive, long queue outside the only area that was open for refreshments and due to covid regulations all standing in the hot direct sun even though there was a large area covered but as we had to check in again at the entrance that took up time, also note only contactless and you don't know that till you get to the payment point.
Wish there had been an option for us to buy and annual ticket as there was no way to see everything in one visit.
Written 8 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mcmonScotland
Girvan, UK798 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2019
An incredible museum with great collections and interesting displays. From start to finish this museum just keeps on impressing. I spent a full day wandering through the exhibits and could not believe the condition and presentation of the aircraft and other memorabilia. Adding the fact that it is an active airfield where historic aircraft operate (you can even get a flight on some) and I don’t see how it could get better. I got something to eat at the Armoury Cafe and the Workshop Restaurant. In both cases the food was excellent and the service was great. The entrance fee can seem a bit steep but, once inside, you can see where the money is going. It definitely takes a full day to get around all the displays and exhibits.
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jackie B
Southend-on-Sea, UK102 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
Pre-booked tickets for 10.30 slot and arrived on time, plenty of parking and went straight in. Had to collect child's guide purchased online in shop rather than Reception.
Heard prior to going that tickets had to be obtained for walking on concord. Went immediately there to be advised all tickets gone (presumably most of 10am slot), didn't seem a very fair set up for people on later slots but told to return that afternoon for a potential gap.
We went to the further point and started there. So much to see, both my 15 and 5 year old sons loved it and they both enjoyed making competitive paper planes. we stopped at the picnic benches (lots of them) for our packed lunch. We returned to concord early and managed to get on which 5 year old was in awe of and the one thing he found amazing over the summer holidays.
We continued the other buildings, quite a few such as battle of Britain and control rooms were not open. Very windy day so didn't see any other light aircraft flying whilst there.
Did stop for a drink at a van parked outside the closed restaurant, extortionate prices for cans of drink - remember to take them next time!!
Lots of toilets and baby change and very clean, very impressed.
Shop pleasant, not much social distancing taking place. Lots for adults not so much for children and quite overpriced.
We spent a whole day here and will definitely return next year, hopefully when everything is open.
Written 6 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Curly Girl
Hampshire, UK66 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2022
My husband had seen on TV that Duxford have a display of spitfires and thought it would be a great opportunity to see them all. I booked him a 'experience' to sit in the cockpit and learn all about one.

It was a bit of a trek and I wasn't expecting to really enjoy the day as I can't say planes are really my thing, but went along for him. I was so wrong. They have so many interesting planes in the hangers and you can get quite close up. The spitfires were really great to see close up and the cockpit experience was absolutely brilliant. The guide was so interesting and told us the story of that particular Mk1 plane from production to it ending up in IWM Duxford.
All the exhibits are in hangers so the cold weather was only a problem walking between them - it was really windy and cold, but there is an electric shuttle bus if you really need it.
We had an excellent sausage roll and cream tea in the cafe - and I mean excellent!
Such lovely helpful staff.
We went back to look a the spitfires again as we had rushed it a bit and were going to give hanger 5 a miss as there wasn't much time left (closes at 4.00) so we asked what was in there. The volunteer staff said it was the American war museum display which we hadn't expected but really wanted to see. They said the shuttle bus was just outside and so got the driver to wait for me (I'm a bit limited due to long covid and was getting tired). The driver whisked us up to the other end of the airfield and said he would return for us at 4.00, which he did. I was starting to really struggle at that point so thankfully he was true to his word. So kind.
Well, thank goodness we didn't miss that hanger, it's just spectacular. To be honest you could spend half a day in there, there is so much to see and read. The most amazing thing is that some planes are all suspended from the roof structure and so you are can walk underneath them. You start upstairs and see everything from above then walk down a slope to the ground floor where all the information is displayed. We hardly got a chance to read much but were really in awe of the B52 and Blackbird. We've seen these things fly but you really cannot imagine the size of them unless you are standing right beside them......just amazing!
We arrived later than our time slot due to a hold up on route, but it wasn't a problem apart from probably needed an extra couple of hours.
The American hanger was modern and in stark contrast to the old hangers and building on the rest of the airfileld. We just didn't have time to look at the war rooms in the original buildings or go into the commercial planes beside the runway.

I can really recommend this as a day out and think the price for the spitfire experience was well worth it considering part of it is a donation to keep it flying. Just need to start saving up for hubbie to have a flight and he will be a truly happy man!
Written 11 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

P29MCH
Eastleach, UK63 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Friends
So much to see..arrived 10.30am and left at 6PM, that tells you how much there is to see and take in.
My son (47), and I were blown away with the aircraft on display and how close you are to them. Its every boys dream to hang your model aircraft from the bedroom ceiling and this is not on the grandest scale.
Although the Battle of Britain exhibit was closed along with another hanger, we saw most of the Spitfires and Hurricanes in another hanger so didn't have the same sense of disappointment that others suggest. There are Covid 19 restrictions to some of the walk through exhibs such as Concorde and the Lancaster, but that is to be expected.

Plenty of places to eat a packed lunch or picnic which I would recommend as the cafes are small and a bit pricey (£3 for a cup of hot chocolate).

Great shop selling Duxford unique products.

Highly recommend trip.
Written 15 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andykeithharris
Reading, UK268 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
An excellent and informative visit, ideal if you are interested in (primarily military) aircraft with a superb collection of exhibits, which are informatively laid out. The Site is large and umbrella will be needed if it is wet. The museums café was adequate but not outstanding and we would recommend eating at one of the burger type vans scattered around the site. Not cheap to visit though given it's a national museum, although I do realise the overheads here may be higher than most other museums
Written 9 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jason Turvey
Braintree, UK42 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021 • Couples
For the not insubstantial price (£25 per person, including a ‘voluntary’ donation) I expected so much more than I got from my two and a bit hours at Duxford.

Unfortunately, of the six passenger planes which were sat outside, including the Hawker-Siddely Trident, none of them were open to view on the inside.

The DeHavilland Comet was also closed to visitors who wanted to have a look around inside. I have no idea why these were not available, as the signs only stated that they were closed today and no more. Frankly, for the ludicrously high entry fee, the IWM could afford to pay people to keep these exhibits open.

The cafes had either restricted indoor seating or no seating at all and it’s precious little wonder, with hindsight, that Concorde is in the first hangar you get to, because it’s about the best thing this place has and the whole experience steeply tails off from there.

A deeply disappointing experience, especially for the exorbitant price. I won’t be back.
Written 27 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

tja229
United Kingdom40 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020
The Museum comprises a number of buildings and hangers that run the length of the runway. Some walking is needed, or visitors can use the microbus that goes between buildings. The majority of aircraft on display are WW2 era, but there are also a large number of WW1, and post WW2 aircraft, including airliners and jet fighters, plus static and interactive displays. There is also a hall covering land warfare that has artillery, tanks and equipment from WW1 to the 1980s.

Seeing and hearing the two seater Spitfires take off, run by companies who stage pre booked "experience flights," was a real bonus!!

I spent c.4+hours taking a leisurely tour around the hangers and displays. The day was excellent value for money, especially if combined with the informative presentation about the Lancaster Bomber and the chance to climb inside the fuselage. This was a reasonable additional charge of £10. ( Best to book the Lancaster experience in advance with your entrance ticket. It runs at set times morning and afternoon and places are limited).

Overall, Duxford provides an excellent day out. I am pleased that I ticked it off my personal "bucket list".
Written 1 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TrevorB08
Cambridge, UK67 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
The IWM Duxford is a wonderful museum, the mecca of Europe with many new attractions, especially the American Hanger. We visited today with our family and grandchildren. The huge disappointment is the lack of places to obtain food or drinks. You were not allowed to take food or dink in, which is perfectly understandable. There are just two places which were open the Restaurant near the entrance, and a mobile van selling coffee and doughnuts near the tank museum at the other end of the site. Being half term, there were hundreds of visitors, and long queues for both of the food venues, and during our stay it was pouring with rain for most of the day. We left after 4 hours without a drink. There are so many areas where they could have set up a stall to sell some drinks. It just lacks so much imagination, since they knew how many visitors had booked today. Just so disappointing.
Written 28 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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