3. Fun Things to Do with Children: Milestones Museum

Things to do with Children near Southampton: Milestones Museum, Basingstoke

If you are staying in Southampton for your family holiday or trip, especially if you have children along for the ride with you, I would really recommend a trip to Milestones Living History Museum. It is a short 35-40 minute drive from your accommodation with us at Green Room Stays in Southampton, and there is ample parking when you get there.

We visited not too long ago with my 3 children, all primary school and nursery age (although there is definitely something for children of all ages, and adults too here), and a friend and her 3 children. Time to get them out of the house and burn off some steam on a drizzly Autumn day.

We booked tickets in advance, and the place wasn’t too busy or crowded despite being around October half-term, which was fantastic. What’s more, once you purchase a ticket, you can visit as many times as you want over the course of 12 months, for the one entry, making it really good value, especially if you are in the area again in the future.

The museum wonderfully recreates life from Victorian times, back in the 1930s and 1940s and as soon as you step past the entry barriers you are transported back in time. The whole museum really is ‘living’- you move through cobbled streets and past historic cars to buy sweets from an old-fashioned confectioner, and adults can pop into the operating pub to get a drink. There are staff in character throughout your visit, really adding to the wonderful magic of being transported back in time.

One of the main highlights for the children (and adults) was the excellently recreated ‘penny arcade’ with an antique pac-man, claw-grabbers, penny shoves and a football table. The arcade also had information on the wonderfully rich history of seaside piers in the UK, and little seaside scenes to view, and wobbly mirrors to peer in and watch your body contort like a jelly. This caused much hilarity for the children to watch themselves and their parents mess about in front of the wacky mirrors.

We had to tear ourselves away just so we could get time to enjoy the rest of the museum. The children were absolutely loving it. Next came real-life insights into how the people of Basingstoke used to work and live in yesteryear, as we visited the ironmonger, the milliner, and the saddler, and investigated the arrary of vintage vehicles- something my son particularly loved!

The children got to have a go at some dress-up, donning various Victorian costumes and prancing about in the mirrors, taking photos of one another. There was a particular joy for the children trying on all the ‘funny hats!’. They were fully immersed in the history of the area and this continued as they picked up their ration of sweeties from the 1940s sweet shop, Abrahams.

We had time for some more exploring, including the superbly curated Teddy Bear Museum, before needing to call it a day and get some much needed refreshments and food, in Milestones’ Rooftop Café. The day was concluded by a visit to the gift shop to peruse the vintage toys on offer, from toy cars to ceramic toy tea-sets and dolls to dominoes, which felt so refreshing in a world of increasing digitilisation, to see the children’s eyes light up with the old-fashioned toy offerings too!

If you are staying in Southampton with children, and are looking for a lovely day out, check Milestones Museum out! The museum is run by the Hampshire Cultural Trust and its website provides further information on events, how to get there, book tickets and learn more prior to your visit. Check it out at: https://www.milestonesmuseum.org.uk/