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Milestones Museum

Milestones Museum

Milestones Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:45 PM
About
Immerse yourself in the past at Milestones, Hampshire’s museum of living history. Explore the museum’s streets, shops and buildings to discover how people used to live, buy a ration of sweets from our 1940s sweet shop, view our unique collection of vintage vehicles and have a go in our penny arcade! Your trip to Hampshire past will take you as far back as the age of the Victorians, with cobbled streets, a replica Victorian school room – complete with chalkboard and teacher’s desk – and even a working printing press. Throughout the year, we run a programme of fun, family-friendly events and exhibitions – keep an eye on our Events for more details. From a working pub to a play space for under fives, costumed characters, interactive displays and more, there is so much for everyone to enjoy at Milestones!
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • Mike S
    Witham, United Kingdom1,918 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth a visit
    The shops, vehicles, and old articles, are all in exceptionally good shape. There are notices everywhere explaining what everything is. There is a nice cafe, and a well-stocked shop. It all adds up to a jolly good day out, well worth a visit.
    Hi there, it's really great to hear that you enjoyed visiting our museum! Thank you for a lovely review.
    Written 28 November 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 18 October 2023
  • Mr&MrsD
    1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good
    We enjoyed the set up, and wondering around the reconstructed streets. The sweet shop was the highlight due to the lady volunteering there explaining things to us. It could be even better if there were more interactive elements like this around the museum.
    Hi there, it's lovely to hear that you enjoyed the sweet shop! Thank you for the feedback about the exhibits, we'll take that into account for the future.
    Written 28 November 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 12 November 2023
  • mrsflight
    East Grinstead, United Kingdom238 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great for kids who love history
    Came back as in the area and still had the free passes from our last visit. It's a great museum for all ages. Staff were friendly and lots of interesting artifacts. Both my kids enjoyed it, especially the sweet shop of course! It's not very interactive, so kids need to use thier imagination and parents need to make it an engaging experience, but if your kids are like mine and love history they will love it!
    Thank you so much for your kind words, we are glad you enjoyed your visit. The sweetshop is a crowd pleaser! We hope to see you again soon.
    Written 14 July 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 16 January 2024
  • Chris
    Hinckley, United Kingdom1,053 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good
    We were in the area and wanted something to do so we visited this place. We got our ticket which you can get a ration book for the sweet shop at the same time. The entry ticket can be used again within 12 months which is good if you want to visit again. From the entrance area you can see the whole museum. You go down from the entrance to the ground floor. There are lots of buildings which you can go in and see different things such as old fire engines, old vehicles and machinery, washing machines from different years etc. There is the sweet shop which you can use your ration book in. There is I think a small cafe which there was a live singer there singing some old songs which was good. There is a small old style pub which is open only during a certain time during the day, which we were lucky it just opened as we were walking around. We went in and I had a pint of a local ale which was on tap which was good and was a reasonable price. The bar is small with only a couple of tables but the person behind the bar was friendly and welcoming, the decor was good. There is a small gift shop next to the entrance tills and also a small cafe just past this. The shop had some nice things in. Overall this is a good place to visit if you are in the area. This is all under a roof so good if it is raining outside. The parking can be an issue even though it is a good size it fills up very quickly. The staff are friendly.
    Thank you for your kind words, we are glad you enjoyed visiting Milestones Museum. We hope to see you again soon!
    Written 14 July 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 20 January 2024
  • Delaney
    Bognor Regis, United Kingdom2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A gem
    We loved this place. The houses and shops from different time periods interested everyone. The games at the museum theme was brilliant and the children from 5-12 all got involved. We did their trail which kept them moving and interested and everyone wants to go back. The youngest fell asleep on the way home which is the sign of a great day out. Well done Milestones, you set the bar high.
    Extremely lovely feedback, thank you. We are so glad you and your children had a great time. Our interactive trails are a brilliant way to keep little ones engaged in the museum. We really hope to see you again soon! Thank you.
    Written 14 July 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 16 February 2024
  • The Grosvenor’s
    London, United Kingdom49 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful interactive experience
    This was an interesting experience. The audio guides helped to understand everything on display, and also listen to conversations of the exhibits. the arcade was a wonderful memory of things back in time we used to do. It was wonderful couple of hours.
    We are so glad you enjoyed your visit and made use of our audio guides, they just enhance the experience. We hope you can visit again soon, thank you.
    Written 14 July 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 5 March 2024
  • horwood_20
    251 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great experience
    The cafe is a hidden treasure. Easy parking, easy access. Has seperate entrance to the cafe. Open for coffee etc and cake from 10.00 to 12.00, a limited menu of hot food starts at 12.00 noon. There are lots of tables to choose from. The staff are lovely. A bonus is that it is warm, not noisy and the nearby toilets are immaculately clean. It is lovely to hear the murmur of children excitedly exploring the museum downstairs.
    Hello, we are very glad you love our Rooftops Café, thank you for your kind words. We hope to see you again soon and maybe even for a visit to the museum too. Thanks again.
    Written 14 July 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 17 March 2024
  • Kandace B
    2 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Review by Thea age 7 and Florrie age 4
    I visited the museum on a rainy day with my brother and sister. They are 2 and 4 and I am 7. We went to meet my Aunty and cousin for a day out. I enjoyed going in the old fashioned shops and buying things, especially the sweet shop. I liked the toy shop and the penny machines. The audio guide was fun to listen to. Unfortunately, there was nowhere inside to have our packed lunch and some of the arcade machines were broken. It would have been better if it was more interactive and if there was a playground. In conclusion, I would like to visit again, especially if there was a Home Ed discount rate (we are home educated).
    Hello Thea and Florrie, thank you so much for taking the time to write a review, it helps us improve! We are very glad to hear you enjoyed some of our activities, sorry about the arcade machines, they are old and only a few people know how to fix them so sometimes they are not all 100%. A playground is a great idea. Thank you and we hope to see you again soon.
    Written 14 July 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 2 April 2024
  • Beccy C
    Reading, United Kingdom18 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great day out for small kids
    This is a great place to visit with young kids. We've now been many times and our daughter loves the vintage arcade and the old washing machines best. There is lots to see and do. It's a good rainy day activity, the staff have been lovely. The ticket is good value as it covers the whole year and under 5s are free. It's odd the things you appreciate, my daughter hates handdryers and refuses to use them, so appreciate the paper towels in the loos 😆 Only 2 very minor criticism. Looking at previous visitors photos of the Rooftops menu, there wasn't much in the way of veggie options so we decided to eat elsewhere. Secondly, the arcade prizes are definitely 'plastic tat' might take a bit of thought to source something more sustainable. We'll definitely be back and would recomend to anyone with young kids
    Thank you for your constructive feedback and kind words, we are so glad you and your children enjoyed the day out. I shall certainly take on board the feedback about the café menu and arcade prizes, after all we want to be a friend to the environment. We hope to see you again soon.
    Written 14 July 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 April 2024
  • lauram186299
    Southampton, United Kingdom16 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A great 3 hour visit
    Took my parents for a visit. We were welcomed by really friendly staff as you show your tickets (we booked online). We had a lovely 3 hours wandering round. The coffee shop staff were friendly and patient and coffee and cake was really nice. We enjoyed the penny machines, the ration book and sweets and a drink in the pub. Would recommend to all and was nice to see children and adults of all ages enjoying the day.
    We are so glad you and your parents enjoyed the day out. Thank you for recommending us and we hope to see you again soon, your tickets are valid for one year after purchase.
    Written 14 July 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 22 May 2024
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,499 reviews
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GerryOB
1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
I am late middle age scooter user, and have to say that following my visit today, there were a number of things that could be addressed to make the museum more disabled friendly. There is no concession price for disabled. I phoned on Monday to try and ask if there was, and although they did return my call, they didn't leave a message on my answerphone, so that was a waste of time. When we got there, there was a queue to get in, and I needed the toilet, which the lady on the door directed me to. That was ok, but needed the floor dried (slip hazard) and the toilet cleaned. The cobbles, whilst authentic, are a nightmare for people in wheelchairs or on scooters, especially if you have a bad back. There are drop pavements, but today I found that these were frequently cluttered up with people stopping to check their phones, or leaving their pushchairs blocking the way. Some of the displays were quite difficult to get into as not much room inside. Some of the 'shops' and 'houses' etc were just not accessible. The lifts are also quite small, and my medium size scooter only just fit inside it. You need to use the lift to get down to the main floor, but we found that people who were quite capable of using the stairs were taking the lift. Disabled priority over the lifts would be helpful. We booked online as it was cheaper, but the person who checked us in didn't tell us anything about where to go for any of the things like ration books to get sweets at the sweet shop, or where the audio guides were, or where to go for the extra event that we had booked. In the Penny Arcade, several of the machines were not working properly, and my Autistic granddaughter got quite upset at loosing money when machines didn't work.
Because of this, I felt that there should have been a concession price for disabled people, as there were a lot of things we just couldn't get into.
Written 18 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.

Gav Green
UK85 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
The museum itself is pretty good with plenty of interesting exhibits and lots of places and space for children and adults to explore but the restaurant has gone downhill from previous visits. Very expensive, bland food and portions so meagre I thought we had gone back to wartime rationing. A small tin cup of soup and a tiny roll for £5.50 sounds ok but it was miniscule and wouldn't satisfy a peckish mouse. Similarly a baked potato was one of the smallest I had ever seen with a tiny serving of tuna and mayo and a poor excuse for a side salad for £7.50. I went with my own family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children) and another family of 4 (again 2 x 2) and we were all hungry afterwards meaning we had to go back for extras - which is probably the intention.

As I said, the museum is good with lots to see and do and the price of the ticket is fair given that you can return multiple times during the year but the restaurant is not good at all and terrible value and my rating of 'poor' is based upon this experience. The management need to look into this and do something about it, the dwindling numbers in the restaurant must tell them something as on previous visits it has been much better and sometimes difficult to get a big enough table. In addition, the coffee didn't taste great and there was a flickering light above our heads, wobbly tables and cutlery with bits of food attached. Not good at all and although I may visit the museum again next year, this has put me off and I definitely won't be visiting the restaurant unless it starts offering decent value for money and stops short-changing its customers.
Written 7 January 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.

Basingstone
Hampshire, UK483 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Have lived in Basingstoke area for many years but never got round to visiting Milestones. This is a great educational asset for the area. The majority of exhibits are very good and I found the local information and history very interesting. In some areas the site is a little scruffy ( dumping grounds/ store not properly screened) or worn. The Penny arcade I think needs some work.The cafe is currently being refurbished and temporary one is available on the exhibit floor. Your ticket will give you entry for a year but unless I was doing some research it is unlikely I will return inside a year.
Written 24 January 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.

Keith H
5 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Interesting museum but.....Quite expensive,booking staff disinterested ,cafe small and crowded, exhibits ok but the idea of putting a secondary exhibit theme(space and planets !!!!) in amongst heritage items was bizarre.Concept should mean a great museum but feel it is a bit of a soulless mishmash.Airraid shelter could have been a great place to show kids what life in a shelter would have been like but it was virtually empty.Better museums of this type around.Museum of rural life in Reading is better and free!
Written 28 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.

RD200
Salisbury, UK6 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
We visited today as a family group of mixed ages. Milestones is a nice way to while away a few hours on a wet day no doubt. But I was extremely disappointed at the disgusting overuse of single use plastic items. In this day an age there is simply no excuse for plastic cups, binned after one use, plastic straws, takeaway coffee cups (that your not actually allowed to take away around the museum so what's the point), and paper towels in the toilets (which need some major ventilation or airfreshener). Recycling is not the answer, reduce your consumption, with the admission fee I'm sure you could buy a dishwasher and wash up some cups. Not ok!!
Written 15 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.

367glo
Salisbury, UK58 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Family
Arrived at 12.30 for a 1pm tour, so popped into the cafe for a quick cuppa. The first of many hand sanitiser dispensers by the main entrance was empty, not a great start. I notified a member of staff who said she would deal with it. Tour started, and we were given audio guides to help us around the venue. I’m glad the lady who issued them assured us they’d been disinfected as they were very sticky to the touch. The exhibition itself was pretty good although there were areas shut off and the numbering system to guide you through in order was not very clear at all. The one way system to minimise contact is fine, apart from people who insist the directional Instructions dont apply to them or their kids. All in all it was a nice trip back in time, but rather overpriced based on the amount of restrictions, lack of interaction and activities for kids. We arrived back to cafe at 2.10 to grab some rather yummy looking fish and chips for a late lunch, only to be told that they stop serving hot food at 2pm. On our departure, I went to use the hand sanitizer at the main door and it was still empty.
Written 26 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.
Hello there! Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review. We were sorry to hear about your disappointing visit to Milestones. We top up all of our hand sanitiser stations at the start of every day. Unfortunately the automatic dispenser on the station in question had developed a fault and this has now been removed. Hopefully you were still able to make use of the many other santiser points within the museum during your visit. Our audio guide hand sets are disinfected before and after every use. This can leave them a little sticky when there is a buildup of disinfectant on the units. Due to our one-way system currently in place around the museum, the numbers on the guide are slightly out of order. Apologies if this was not made clear when collecting your hand sets. As your tickets are valid for a whole year, we encourage you to visit again over the next 12 months. We aim to open up those parts of the museum that are currently closed as soon as it is safe to do so. There are also some exciting developments on the horizon, so watch this space!
Written 27 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Litch16
Netley, UK9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020 • Family
We had a brilliant morning at the museum. We went with a 4 and 5 year old who both loved it. Interesting and engaging for all ages. Great Halloween themes all around. Clean and well organised. Just make sure you book both a time and an entry ticket as we nearly made the mistake of thinking it was free and the website isn’t very clear. We loved the pub and stopped for a beverage. Lovely helpful barman.🍺
Written 30 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.

Jonathan H
Brussels, Belgium47 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
I visited with my family and friends. We had high expectations based on the previous reviews. Having visited other sites that take you into the "past" I was expecting something along the same lines. The first shock was the entry price. It was not cheap, but I was consoled by the fact that the tickets will allow 12 month access. My first mistake. There are lots on fake shops, most of which you cannot access and the few that you can have little interaction for children. My group who were 6, 7 and 10 were soon bored and just waiting for the sweet shop to open. This was their highlight as they could purchase a bag of sweets each. For many of the other attractions, trolley buses, fire engine, trams, cars etc. it was "look only" and after a wander around an hour was about enough. There was a penny arcade that the children found interesting - who would not - but you needed £1.00 to get 10 old pennies. This was extortion and the pennies quickly disappeared. In my opinion the attraction is far to expensive for what it offers and for the price there are many other better local and similar national attractions – Milestones simply needs to up its game. Yes, for old people who want to “venture back into bygone days” in a safe metal shed this may have some appeal, but it really cannot be recommended for younger people and families certainly not at this price. Hampshire Cultural Trust should be ashamed. Had we paid £15.00 for our group I could just about lived with it, but I almost certainly will not be going back. We paid almost £60.00.
Written 20 January 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.

Denise J
Basingstoke, UK298 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Friends
We really enjoyed our day out I am
In my 40’s and I took a 13 year old both of us was amazed with the displays and items that are on show, absolutely loved the old time shops especially the sweet shop and pub that you can actually have a drink in that was fantastic.
Each display is very well thought of and just loved the school that you can sit at the old desks and chairs just like we had at school, all kind of vehicles that you can sit on to.
Gift shop was well stocked and have really interesting items very good priced too.
Good selection of drinks and food in the coffee shop, very good one way system and hand sanitizer stations everywhere, face masks must be worn and we felt very safe. I really would highly recommend a visit you will not be disappointed
You would need at least 3/4 hours to really enjoy it
Written 25 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.

caroline h
Wakefield, UK19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Family
We took our grandchildren as we stayed on the leisure park getting a year ticket so they can return as they live nearby. It was easter so they had the pier display and loads of old games. They loved it coconut shy, hoopla, hook a duck, chess, snakes and ladders to hoop and stick although they did ask great gran if she had one when she was young 😂. We loved the pub games too. Brilliant place and as we visit 3-4 times a year cant wait to return.
The food in the cafe is also good quality and not too badly priced £30 for sandwich/pasty and drinks for 6 of us.
Written 16 April 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.

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MILESTONES MUSEUM (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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