Milestones Museum

Step back in time to the Victorian era and experience life as it was back then! At Milestones Living History Museum, you can truly live Victorian life in this totally immersive experience. From cobbled streets to a seaside pier, teddy bears, vintage vehicles, an operating pub, sweet shop and more, there is so much for everyone to see, do and enjoy at Hampshire’s museum of living history! In a detailed recreation Victorian life from the 1930s and 1940s, you can travel the cobbled streets of a time before us. Explore life-sized, immersive streets where you’ll find buildings, shops and vehicles recreated and restored as they would have been in olden times. It’s not just the buildings that will bring back memories either; for those with a sweet tooth, Milestones also contains its own 1940s sweet shop, Abrahams, where you can pick up your ration’s worth of niceties, or if you’re looking for something a little stronger, grab a pint at The Baverstock Arms! There’s plenty for all ages to see and do, including a charming Teddy Bear Museum and a fantastic penny arcade. Stroll along the boardwalk, learn all about the history of piers and view the traditional seaside scenes. Laugh at your friends in the postcard-style photo opportunities and wacky mirrors just like you would at the actual seaside! There are vintage arcade games from claw grabbers and shove pennies to enjoy, plus Pac Man and table football. Teddy Bear Museum With over 260 bears on display, learn all about the history of teddy bears! The museum is based on the extraordinary group of teddy bears put together over many years by Mr W Simpson, and visitors will find out why he started his collection and explore the history of teddy bears, which goes back as far as 1905. The bears are displayed alongside specially commissioned animated films and there are lots of fun things for children to do, too. Learn about teddy bear history and how to identify any antique bears you may have at home! Milestones Pier Stroll along the boardwalk, learn all about the history of piers and view the traditional seaside scenes. Laugh at your friends in the postcard-style photo opportunities and wacky mirrors just like you would at the actual seaside! There are vintage arcade games from claw grabbers and shove pennies to enjoy, plus Pac Man and table football. The Milestones Pier has something for all the family to enjoy... Vintage vehicles The museum is home to an impressive collection of restored vintage vehicles. The Thornycroft Steam Wagon Company Ltd built a huge new factory in Basingstoke in 1898, where cars were also produced from 1903 – 1912. At Milestones, you’ll find a large Thornycroft collection, as well as a re-creation of part of the factory. During the industrial revolution, nearly every factory and workshop relied on steam engines. Brothers Robert and William Tasker were a visionary pair whose pioneering work was a leading manufacturer of steam and stationary engines and road vehicles, agricultural implements and machinery for over 170 years, these can be seen in the museum. As well as vehicles from these giants of local manufacturing, during your visit to Milestones you’ll also see many other beautifully restored vehicles, from a Victorian tram, to classic motorbikes, a Romany caravan and even a 19th century steam-powered fire engine!