Bournemouth Aviation Museum

This is a museum with a difference – it’s hands-on!

Bournemouth Aviation Museum sets out to provide an enjoyable, educational and informative experience to all visitors, especially young people.

They are actually encouraged to climb into cockpits and pretend to be the pilot!



There is a wide range of aircraft to view and enter, as well as aviation exhibits and displays of model aircraft.

The exhibits include the Vulcan Bomber, a Piston Provost, a Canberra, a Lightning, a Viscount, a Meteor, a Jaguar and a Hunter, to name but a few!

A popular exhibit is a Boeing 737-200, which first flew way back in May 1975. After her last owners European Aviation went into administration at the end of November 2008, the aircraft was stored at Bournemouth in the hope of achieving a new buyer. Sadly this did not happen and after slowly deteriorating, it was broken up at the end of March 2013 with the main fuselage section saved and moved to the Museum in December 2013.

In addition to the aircraft the museum also has a sit-in flight simulator allows visitors to “fly” around the area and “land” at Bournemouth Airport. Plus there are other exhibits including the Daimler Fleetline, Hose Drum Unit, Zeppelin Propeller and a range of engines.

Finally a well-stocked shop selling aviation merchandise, drinks and snacks completes the picture.