Beaulieu National Motor Museum
Beaulieu, England
One of Europe’s leading automotive museums, the Beaulieu National Motor Museum is an essential stop for car lovers. Home to 280 vehicles—including everything from F1 cars to the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—as well as a vast collection of automotive artifacts, photos, and films, the museum also hosts a range of temporary and permanent exhibitions and installations.
With origins dating back to the 1950s, the Beaulieu National Motor Museum tells the story of British motor history, from its 19th-century beginnings up to the present day. With hundreds of vehicles and millions of archival materials (housed both in the main museum site and the adjacent Collections Centre, accessible by appointment only), it’s one of the top destinations for automotive enthusiasts in the UK.
The museum is housed within the Beaulieu Attraction, a campus that’s home to some of the area’s top landmarks. You can book admission to the Beaulieu Attraction in advance, which gives you access to the Beaulieu National Motor Museum and the site’s other historic highlights. You can also visit the museum as part of a full day out in the New Forest region from Southampton.
It’s best to reserve your entry in advance; prices are lower when booking online, and there are discounts for kids and seniors.
Ticket holders to the Beaulieu National Motor Museum also receive entry to the town’s Palace House and Gardens, Little Beaulieu, Beaulieu Abbey, and more.
The Beaulieu National Motor Museum is accessible to wheelchair users; however, some parts of the Beaulieu Attraction are not.
If you’re looking for a bite, head to the Beaulieu Attraction’s adjacent Brabazon Restaurant; a picnic area is also available if you wish to bring your own food.
If you’re looking for souvenirs, there are several shops in the Beaulieu Attraction that stock automotive items, as well as other gifts.
The museum is located at the John Montagu Building within the ticketed Beaulieu Attraction campus, in the village of Beaulieu. It’s around 30 minutes from Southampton by car and 50 minutes from Bournemouth, the two nearest major hubs. Direct trains also connect London to nearby Brockenhurst in around 90 minutes; take a taxi from there to the museum.
The Beaulieu National Motor Museum is open daily (except Christmas Day), from morning to early evening. It has slightly longer opening hours from late May to mid-September. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing time.
Included in the ticket price, the World of Top Gear is just adjacent to the Beaulieu National Motor Museum’s main building. Showcasing a number of cars that appeared on the popular Top Gear TV series, and which were often raced by the hosts, it’s an enjoyable accompaniment to the main museum.
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