Milestones Museum

02/09/2026

We had a wonderful time at our ‘Come to the seaside’ event on Monday! It was fantastic to welcome so many of you for a day full of seaside nostalgia and fun 🎠🎺

With fantastic performances from Acoustic Jass & play along with Basingstoke Silver Band and lots of brilliant fun with Punch & Judy, Maypole dancing, the toy set carousel, rare vintage organ and crafting with Oakley Stitchers!

Counting down the days until we launch our next event 👀

Did you join us?! Tell us in the comments your highlight of the day! ⬇️⬇️

30/08/2026

Wondering how to spend your Bank Holiday Monday? 🌧☔

We have got the BEST day planned.... (and it's inside!!)

Tomorrow, on Monday 31 August, we are hosting a nostalgic day at the seaside at our Basingstoke Museum!

You will be able to enjoy:
🎀 Maypole Dancing Demonstrations & Have-a-go Sessions (30 mins performances at 10:00am, 12:15pm & 3:00pm)

🎪 Punch and Judy Shows (11:45am, 2:15pm, 3:45pm)

🎺 Live performances from the band - Acoustic Jass (10:30am - 11:30am & 1:00pm - 2:00pm)

🥁 Come & play with the Cavalier Drummers

🐚 Seaside crafting with Oakley Stitchers

🎠Take a spin on Toy Set Carousel (additional charge)

🎹 Listen to a rare vintage organ

🍍Traditional fairground favourites, including Pineapple Shy and Corn Hole

🫧 Giant marble run (additional charge)

We can't wait to see you for a day of fun at the seaside, with live performances, great entertainment and hands of activities, this is set to be a great day for all ages.

All included with your annual admission ticket or our standard admission ticket. 🎟️

https://www.milestonesmuseum.org.uk/come-seaside-summer-fayre-milestones-museum

27/08/2026

We are SO excited to have the Basingstoke Silver Band Cavaliers with us on Monday 31 August at our Come to the Seaside event!

Ever wanted to have a go on the drums? Now is your chance!

Buy tickets to our nostalgic seaside event here: https://www.milestonesmuseum.org.uk/come-seaside-summer-fayre-milestones-museum

🥁 Looking to make some noise this Bank Holiday weekend? Come and join the BSB Cavaliers at the Milestones Museum Summer Fayre on Monday 31st August!

The Cavaliers will have their Come & Play stall set up and ready for anyone who fancies having a go. Whether you've always wanted to try the drums, you're looking for something new, or you just want to see how much noise you can make, come over and pick up a pair of sticks! Our Cavaliers will be there to show you the basics, help you learn a few beats and give you a taste of what it's like to be part of the drum corps.

So if you're heading to Milestones this Bank Holiday weekend, keep an ear out for us… we shouldn't be too difficult to find! 👀🥁

27/08/2026

Wondering how to spend a wet bank holiday Monday? 🌧☔

We have got the BEST day planned.... (and it's inside!!)

On Monday 31 August, we are hosting a nostalgic day at the seaside at our Basingstoke Museum!

You will be able to enjoy:

🎀 Maypole Dancing Demonstrations & Have-a-go Sessions (30 mins performances at 10:00am, 12:15pm & 3:00pm)

🎪 Punch and Judy Shows (11:45am, 2:15pm, 3:45pm)

🎺 Live performances from the band - Acoustic Jass (10:30am - 11:30am & 1:00pm - 2:00pm)

🥁 Come & play with the Cavalier Drummers

🐚 Seaside crafting with Oakley Stitchers

🎠Take a spin on Toy Set Carousel (additional charge)

🎹 Listen to a rare vintage organ

🍍Traditional fairground favourites, including Pineapple Shy and Corn Hole

🫧 Giant marble run (additional charge)

We can't wait to see you for a day of fun at the seaside, with live performances, great entertainment and hands of activities, this is set to be a great day for all ages.

All included with your annual admission ticket or our standard admission ticket. 🎟️

Book now: https://www.milestonesmuseum.org.uk/come-seaside-summer-fayre-milestones-museum

26/08/2026

📢 We're looking for visitors aged 18+ to try our new museum audio description!
(Don't worry, we are using modern day technology, not gramophones!)

This audio description has been created with a group of blind, partially blind and sighted visitors and funded by Royal Holloway and in partnership with Vocal Eyes and Hampshire Cultural Trust.

Please note that this is not a full audio tour of the museum. This is a work in progress and is a trial of audio description we hope to develop in the future.

We would love to hear your thoughts!

If you have already listened to the audio description during your visit to Milestones, we would really appreciate if you can complete our feedback form here: https://hants.co/4gkDEXq to share your thoughts.

Can't get to the museum but want to try this at home?
You can listen here: https://hants.co/4zE1vZA
And then please do also complete the feedback form above.

Thank you for your help!

25/08/2026

TAG the person below who you want to play Street Fighter with! 🕹️

One of many of our retro arcade games located on the Milestones Pier inside the museum.

👾Experience nostalgic arcade fun and play your old favourites once again.

23/08/2026

🎬Behind the history of Hampshire’s summer holidays!

Episode 2. How did the pier become the ‘go to’ place to visit in the summer?

We’re taking you back to the 1800’s when piers started to appear in Hampshire💭 Did you know their original purpose? Watch our latest episode to find out more!

📍 Visit our Living History Museum in Basingstoke to uncover the stories of Hampshire’s past, from a vintage seaside pier with retro games to 1930s shops to an Edwardian pub, you’ll get lost in the intrigue of the past at our museum.

Don’t forget!! 31st August we’ll be hosting a day at the seaside with our nostalgic fayre! Hope to see you there 🎠🎺

21/08/2026

🎙️In conversation with our volunteer: Ray!

Learn the story behind the 1928 record player that changed how people listened to music forever!🎵💿

Meet Ray in the gramophone shop on selected weekdays. He has many brilliant stories about the history of music to share!

💡Did you know that when you visit, our fantastic volunteers are situated across the museum and have lots of brilliant stories and facts to share? Make sure you stop by for a chat!

18/08/2026

Our Teddy Bear collection goes back over 100 years! 🧸

📍 Mr Simpsons Teddy Bear Museum, located inside Milestones Museum.

Learn about this wonderful collection with Carolyn, one of our fantastic volunteers!

17/08/2026

Wow! What a fantastic display with The Thornycroft Society and Basingstoke Classic Car Club for the Hampshire Road Run yesterday at Milestones 🛻

Did you join us? We hope you enjoyed this fantastic display outside! And did you catch the beautiful performance by Sofia Belfelice? Absolutely incredible!

📸Great photos from Paul Crane