About this museum
Also known as / searched as: Upper Heyford Museum · RAF Upper Heyford tours
Upper Heyford Heritage Centre — the Cold War preserved by accident: a vast ex-USAF F-111 base with hardened shelters, toured by volunteers who remember the alert pads live. Pre-book.
Pre-book the airfield tours (~3 hours); the heritage centre anchors it.
“Great place to get a sense of the cold war era!”— Darron, visitor report
Cold War airfield tours at Upper Heyford
Upper Heyford is the Cold War preserved almost by accident: a vast former USAF base that housed F-111s, with hardened aircraft shelters, the alert pads, avionics buildings and squadron facilities still standing because nobody got round to demolishing them. Much of the site is now a conservation area and business park, which is why access is by guided tour rather than open gate.
Tours run around three hours, led by volunteers and former base personnel who remember the shelters occupied and the alert crews live. The heritage centre anchors the visit with displays; the airfield itself is the exhibit.
Booking, tickets and location
The site is at Upper Heyford, Bicester OX25 5BX. Tours must be pre-booked and cost around £25 per adult; they do not run daily. Check dates and book on the official site — you cannot simply drive onto the airfield.
Frequently asked
Can you visit RAF Upper Heyford?
Yes, on pre-booked guided tours of about three hours. Casual access to the airfield is not possible — it is now a conservation area and business park.
Where is the Upper Heyford Heritage Centre?
At Upper Heyford, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX25 5BX.
How much are the tours?
Around £25 per adult, booked in advance for published dates.
Airframe checklist
No preserved airframes are on public display here.
This is an aviation-history, memorial or archive collection rather than an aircraft collection.
Inventory last verified 2026-07-18: source 1 · source 2 · source 3. Aircraft move between sites; report corrections to the compiler.
Location & contact
- Address
- Bicester OX25 5BX
- Phone
- 01869 221446
- Website
- www.upperheyfordheritage.co.uk/
- Gazetteer
- SE-15 on the situation map