"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.
No ticket needed
Free aviation museums in South West England
| Museum | Adult entry | Airframes | Opening | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jet Age MuseumGloucester, Gloucestershire | Donation | 15 | Weekends and some holidays; donation-funded and worth funding. | Gloucestershire's jet-age shrine (free!) beside Staverton airport: Gloster heritage from the E.28/39 replica to Javelins, with… |
| Dunkeswell Airfield Heritage CentreHoniton, Devon | Donation | — | Thu–Sun, Easter–Oct, free entry by donation; the Liberator Bar'n'Grill is 100m away. | The only US Navy air base in wartime Britain: Dunkeswell's heritage centre tells the B-24 anti-submarine war over Biscay (Joseph Kennedy… |
| The Upottery Airfield Nissen Hut Heritage CentreHoniton, Devon | Donation | — | Thu–Sun, Easter–end Oct, donations. Same team as Dunkeswell — do both. | Band of Brothers ground zero: the 101st Airborne lifted off from Upottery for Normandy, and this Nissen-hut museum in the old ablutions… |
Before you go
Worth knowing
The Jet Age Museum near Gloucester tells the story of Gloster, which built Britain’s first jet. Its 15 airframes include Meteor F.8 WH364, Javelin FAW.9 XH903 and a Gladiator frame. The two Devon centres hold no aircraft.
- Upottery and Dunkeswell are 4 miles apart and open Thursday to Sunday, Easter to October.
- The Jet Age Museum opens at weekends and some holidays.
- The Liberator Bar’n’Grill is about 100m from the Dunkeswell centre.
Questions
Frequently asked
Are there free aviation museums in the South West?
Yes, three, all by donation: the Jet Age Museum near Gloucester, and the Upottery and Dunkeswell heritage centres in Devon.
Which free museum in the South West has aircraft?
The Jet Age Museum, with 15 airframes, mostly Gloster types such as the Meteor and Javelin.
Can you visit Upottery and Dunkeswell on the same day?
Yes. They are 4 miles apart, run by the same team and keep the same Thursday-to-Sunday season.