About Milestones Museum

Street scene with family talking to costumed character outside the Ironmongery
Street scene with family talking to costumed character outside the Ironmongery

WHERE IT ALL STARTED

Milestones Living History Museum was officially opened on 1 December 2000 by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. It was a joint project between Hampshire County Council and Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council, supported by funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to create an immersive “living history” museum showing everyday life in Hampshire. 

An arial view of the milestones museum

In addition, the museum preserves many historic vehicles, trades and buildings connected to the county’s industrial past as well as provides a hands-on educational resource for schools and families.  

Milestones is now a flagship attraction for North Hampshire and one of only a few large-scale, fully indoor living history museums in the UK.

Over the years we’ve added many new areas for visitors to enjoy: 

[2003] MR SIMPSON'S TEDDY BEAR MUSEUM

Thanks to a generous donation of over 260 teddy bears from collector Mr W Simpson, our museum takes visitors through the history of the teddy bear from their earliest beginnings, to the present day.

[2006] MILESTONES PIER AND VINTAGE ARCADE

From original mechanical penny machines to arcade classics like Pac-Man and Asteroids, the pier offers an opportunity to play restored mechanical arcade machines and experience a traditional British seaside atmosphere indoors.

[2022] 1960S MEMORY LOUNGE

We added a new domestic interior reflecting those early post-war decades through to the swinging 60s. Developed in support of reminiscence, wellbeing and dementia-friendly engagement. 

MILESTONES TODAY

The core recreated streets remain the same, but our offer has gradually evolved from a static historic reconstruction into a dynamic events-led visitor experience. You can now expect: 

  • Immersive indoor historic streets and exhibits  
  • Nostalgic experiences 
  • Changing exhibitions and seasonal events 
  • An inclusive learning and wellbeing space with accessible facilities. 
Book your next visit
Museum floor with visitors

Now listed as TripAdvisor’s Top Choice for things to do in Basingstoke, we welcome over 100,000 visitors a year. Although we pride ourselves in having something for everyone, we’ve found Milestones is particularly popular with: 

  • Families with children 
  • Grandparents visiting with kids 
  • History lovers, nostalgia / vintage enthusiasts 
  • Couples looking for a relaxed cultural day out 
  • Anyone interested in British social history 
  • Rainy-day visitors in Hampshire 
  • School trips and educational visits. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Immerse yourself in the past – here’s a taste of what’s on at Milestones Museum. 

See what's on