Brooklands Museum

A lovely holiday into the transport past, with unique planes, busses, and cars adding special power to the rich history of the Brooklands site. A veritable army of volunteers stands ready to provide stories and data at every turn, lending the objects and spaces a human touch. Quite thrilling to climb aboard the vehicles and walk into the planes. The timed tickets for the Concord are worth the price.

The cafe gets busy; ask for dressing for the salad.

I can’t explain how amazing this visit was! To everyone that works and volunteers here you are amazing. The time you spent with my son and I was unforgettable. Thank you for letting him sit in Ayrton Senna’s F1 car, my idol and who he’s named after! To sit in a jet plane and have everything explained to him with such patience! Everyone was wonderful, you can visit somewhere that has amazing exhibitions but the time that was dedicated to educate and facilitate such experiences for him is so key and will never be forgotten. Not by me and certainly not by my little excited boy. Just perfect and as a proud father thank you all!

Excellent transport museum with the main focus being the exceptional BA Concorde. The staff are all extremely helpful and knowledgeable and their enthusiasm shines through when talking about the exhibits.
The Concorde experience us an additional £6 ( I think?) but is a must do and our guide, Karl was so good, again having a passion for the job is key.
Definitely recommend it and probably not our last visit.

Loved our day here, volunteers were all very knowledgeable, passionate and friendly, and really made our day, most had experience working on the aircraft or as engineers. Lots to do, and very interactive so could get into planes and cars, plus a large selection of buses. Concorde experience definitely worth it

First time visiting and really enjoyed it. My girls and I spent 4.5hrs here looking at the cars, planes and history including one of two complete wellington bombers! If you want to go on Concorde it's an extra ticket which is a shame but you can walk under it which is great.
The cafe has good food, not big so does get busy.
As an acoustician I'd have loved to look inside the acoustics lab as this is a piece of acoustics history within aviation and there will be many like me wanting to see it.

I was suprised about the history of this place. Came here for the Concorde experience which was outstanding and it is really nice to see and walk inside this aircraft.

The people working there are amazing, they are full of knowledge and they share it very good. If you are planning to visit it it one of the best museums.

Amazing place for literally everyone.. All the staff (paid and volunteers) are simply awesome and so passionate about this place and the history of Aviation and the incredible huge fleet of planes...

My 6 year old wants to go back tomorrow!
#BeyondExpectation

Great experience! Wonderful day out!
I was at Brooklands for the VSCC Driving Tests. But I also visited the Museum, explored several of the static aeroplanes and the Bus Museum and, finally, the hanger of the Vickers aircraft manufacturing exhibition.
All very splendid and enjoyable!

Amazing venue for weekends with family and friends if your are interested in history, cars and aviation. But not limited to those only.
I have gained membership for the family and we enjoyed every single visit. Plenty of opportunities to meet interesting people and learn a lot about internship apprenticeship cadet if you’re interested, music and food, available in good variety.

New Year's Day classic car event, great to see so many lovely old cars. A huge mix of all sorts, made me smile reminiscing about my younger days and seeing some that my Dad had owned when I was a kid ☺😎

Fantastic museum. Steeped in history from racing to aircraft production, the volunteers are amazing and greeted everyone in each building or hall and explained their part of the experience. The Concorde experience is well worth booking in advance as well. Thanks to Sam in the Vickers Viscount today for the chat, good to meet you!

Amazing museum, huge and very interactive - you have a formula 1 simulator, can get on old buses, airplanes (including Concorde but get tickets separately for this, in advance) ! The best part about visiting is the amazing volunteers and staff that have deep knowledge which they are more than happy to share - don't be shy to ask questions! This is really how museums should be!

Right, then. After the disenchanting escapade at Mercedes World, our intrepid visitor traipsed over to the Brooklands Museum, a hop and a skip away, to soak in some real automotive and aeronautical history. Brooklands, a name that resonates with the thunderous echoes of Britain's motoring and aviation heritage, was the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit, established in 1907. This hallowed ground birthed British motorsport, then became an aviation design and testing trailblazer, and saw over 18,000 aircraft of nearly 260 types take flight from its grounds between 1908 and 1987​​.

During the war years, Brooklands was a beehive of activity. It played a pivotal role in flying training both before and between the World Wars and was a vital cog in the British aircraft industry. Post-war, companies like Vickers and British Aerospace continued this legacy of innovation​​. The site's transformation into a museum showcases an awe-inspiring array of motoring and aviation exhibits, including the legendary Concorde and other storied aircraft like the Vickers Viscount and the Vanguard​​​​.

What really sets the Brooklands Museum apart is not just the exhibits themselves, but the stories they tell and the people who tell them. Our visitor, a self-professed non-museum goer, was swept up in the passion and knowledge of the volunteers. The Concorde, a marvel of engineering and a symbol of a bygone era of luxury air travel, wasn't just a static display; it was being lovingly maintained and even improved upon by a group of former engineers, a testament to the enduring legacy of these machines​​.

This isn't just a museum; it's a living, breathing homage to Britain's rich history in motor racing and aviation. From airworthy replicas of pioneering aircraft to exhibitions that breathe life into the stories of the past, Brooklands is a time capsule of human ingenuity and determination​​​​​​. The experience of wandering these halls, where history is palpable, is far from the lackluster tour of Mercedes World. It's an enlightening journey that offers far more than just a glimpse into the past; it's a dive into the heart of British motoring and aviation legacy.

So, in summary, while Mercedes World may have been a bit of a damp squib, Brooklands Museum emerges as a gleaming beacon of historical fascination, proving that sometimes, the best experiences come when you least expect them. It's not just about old cars and planes; it's about the spirit of an era that dared to dream big and soar even higher. And that, my friends, is something truly worth every pound spent.

Amazing experience!

I visited today (Monday 11th December 2023) where it was fairly empty which was perfect for roaming around without the pressure of loads of people around you.

I did the Concorde experience and it was amazing from start to finish and it’s amazing to know how pivotal Brooklands was in the golden age of aviation.

The volunteers were some of the most lovely people I’ve met and were well-informed and very easy to have a conversation with. Big shout out to everyone on the aircrafts today as it was truly brilliant having a chat with you all! They definitely made my experience that much better. (Shame I don’t remember names)

Will definitely be visiting again and definitely recommend it to everyone regardless whether you have an interest in aviation and motorsport or not.

Wonderful experience visiting here. The passion from your volunteers is exemplary. Booked the regular Concorde experience and Jeanette Hartley out host regaled the story of this amazing plane and her experiences. She features on a bbc Concorde documentary on YouTube. You're in awe of this plane as you walk around under and sit in it. We learnt the connection of the planes around Concorde particularly the VC-10 and the former Sultan of Omans plane. Just the outdoor plane exhibits took us to lunchtime. A detour to the cafe and friendly staff and tasty food here. There is a bus museum and opportunity to ride an old bus out into the local area. It's a mecca for kids old and young alike. Continuing the Vickers them the assembly hangar has a Wellington and the requirements to design and assemble. You continue through to some chances for a hawk and harrier cockpit view. Kids delight again to be allowed to sit in. You exit out to some of the historic track. Finally cars and jokes can be viewed with a fantastic McClaren section and F1 display. Well worth a visit as if you have kids there's a bit of everything but the experience is enhanced by the volunteers.

We visited the museum last weekend for the emergency service day with paw patrol. My boys absolutely loved it. They're 5 and 3 years old. We booked the concorde experience too, we all loved it, definitely recommend the museum.

This one definitely needs a second visit. OK, it has a Concorde but having lived under the approach path to Heathrow when Concorde flew in every day and seen one at Duxford, Cosford, Heathrow, Washington DC and New York, that was not the draw for me. It is such a big place,so many things to see ranging from bicycles to jet aeroplanes. it is staffed mainly by volunteers who are fabulous. They are knowledgeable and approachable and very clearly dedicated. I got to drive an F1 simulator round the Brooklands banked track, that was cool and whilst the lap record is 44 secs, I was happy with 47. I will be back to see more stuff and hopefully drive the sim yet again.

Great venue....and really interesting volunteers with in depth product knowledge, a good day's visit.

A great museum recording the history of Motorsport and flight. I went on a day when the vintage car club were having a trials day, so lots of vintage cars being put through their paces. The museum is amazing with lots of classic cars and full size aeroplanes. You can even sit inside concord but that will cost you a little bit extra

If you love air /land transport, then this place is for you. It is dripping with history. The bus transport museum wonderful, highly recommended the 20mins classic bus trip for a very low price, (could change so not added here). If your driving to location please don't add post code from Google maps, it's not wrong but takes you to delivery gates. Go via the website for Brooklands. For those with ADHD there is plenty of space low noise and place you can chill out.