"Donation" means entry is free but a donation is asked for. Parking, special events and rides can still cost money: the museum pages say where.
Free aviation museums in Midlands & Lincolnshire
| Museum | Adult entry | Airframes | Opening | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Air Force Museum MidlandsShifnal, Shropshire | Free | 78 | See museum page | TSR-2 XR220, one of two survivors of the most gifted aircraft Britain ever cancelled, sharing floor space with the stainless-steel… |
| Sywell Aviation MuseumNorthampton, Northamptonshire | Free | 5 | Weekends in season; the Aviator Hotel next door completes the 1930s fantasy. | Sywell Aviation Museum: a POW-hut-sized, free museum on Britain's loveliest Art Deco aerodrome, where resident Spitfires and a Mustang… |
| Cranwell Aviation Heritage MuseumSleaford, Lincolnshire | Free | 2 | Daily-ish in season, last entry 2:30pm. | Cranwell Aviation Heritage Museum: the RAF College story (and Whittle's jet experiments here) told free, small and interactively — a… |
| The Potteries Spitfire Gallery (RW388)Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire | Free | 1 | Normal museum hours; see the Staffordshire Hoard while you're in the building, orders of one reviewer. | The Potteries Museum's Spitfire Gallery gives RW388 a purpose-built glass hall in Hanley — Stoke's tribute to local boy Reginald Mitchell… |
| King's Cliffe Airfield MuseumPeterborough, Northamptonshire | Free | — | Second Sunday of each month, 10–4. | King's Cliffe (20th FG) opened its purpose-built museum near the hangar base where Glenn Miller played his final airfield concert — new,… |
| North Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage CentreBrigg, Lincolnshire | Free | — | Thursdays & Sundays 10–2 in season. | North Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at Hibaldstow: a young, fast-improving volunteer site with an underground battle HQ bunker… |
Worth knowing
The other five are small. Cranwell’s heritage museum tells the story of RAF Cranwell, from where Britain’s first jet flew on 15 May 1941. It has Jet Provost T.4 XP556. Stoke-on-Trent’s Potteries Museum shows Spitfire LF.XVIe RW388. Sywell has Hunter F.2 WN904. The North Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre and King’s Cliffe tell airfield stories without aircraft.
- North Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre opens Thursdays and Sundays, 10–2, in season.
- King’s Cliffe opens on the second Sunday of each month, 10–4.
- Cranwell’s last entry is 2:30pm.
- The Potteries Spitfire is in the city museum, which also holds the Staffordshire Hoard.
Frequently asked
Is the RAF Museum at Cosford free?
Yes. The RAF Museum Midlands is free to enter and holds 78 airframes in the gazetteer inventory.
Where can I see a Spitfire for free in the Midlands?
Spitfire I K9942 is at the RAF Museum Midlands, and Spitfire LF.XVIe RW388 is at the Potteries Museum in Stoke-on-Trent.
Are there free aviation museums in Lincolnshire?
Yes, two: Cranwell Aviation Heritage Museum and the North Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre near Brigg.