Christmas Holiday - The Tank Museum

Festive fun for the whole family to enjoy!

The Tank Museum brings the story of tanks and their crews to life. Experience the biggest day out in history with 100 years of history, 300 tanks, kids activities, and more at Dorset’s largest indoor attraction.

This Christmas Holidays, enjoy free Christmas card colouring, Frank on a Tank Elf Trail, special talks from the Education Team and a Christmas-themed 1940s House and Shop.

Open daily 10am-5pm
Closed between 24-26 December
Special Christmas family activities
Onsite restaurant, café, parking & free soft play
Free kids trails and dressing up
All indoors – great for a rainy day
Allow 4-5hrs for your visit

					Amazing day out Brilliant day out and some very moving displays, walking through the trench experience was really breathtaking, so much information to take in, unfortunately there was no outdoor shows when we visited but we will definitely return
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Min4615
01/12/25
					Excellent day out Got to the museum at 11.00 and left just before 5.00 and still didn't see everything so will definitely going back. There is so much to see and lots of games dotted around to keep children interested. They also have a gaming zone for teenagers. Well worth a visit
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claire r
26/11/25
					Excellent half day out First time visiting and we were fortunate to be there on the 11th for the 2 minute silence. So much to see there and we particularly enjoyed the trench exhibition, although its hard to use the word enjoy - ita incredibly emotional when you read or watch the stories being told there. However, its so important to remember the sacrifices made on our behalf. It was also interesting to understand the part and sacrifice, that horses played in the first world war.
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III7777
11/11/25
					Five tanks seen that my husband knew Reminiscing about Army life. Large selection of tanks, good displays of horses in WW1 and the trenches. Also war in Ukraine display. Cafe and restaurant available. Noisy soft play area in cafe though! Visiting young children from Primary School meant we couldn’t hear the volunteers talk about the tanks as play area with toys too close and noisy.

Lots of car parking.
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Jane t
11/11/25
					An Amazing Museum An amazing collection of armored vehicles that any war history nerd would love.  Extremely well done:  informative, clean, professionally maintained.  Of course, the collection is first rate and hosts a wide variety from experimental models to current day.  It can be appreciated by both tank enthusiasts like me or people seeking a better understanding of these machines and the men who so bravely fought in them.  This has been on my bucket list for decades and am finally pleased to have been able to visit.  Highly recommended.
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craig h
04/11/25
					Brilliant. Great place for fans of tanks , all sorts in from the great war to modern day , lots of parking, food hall for refreshments, reasonable price to get in, great little gift shop on way out , friendly helpful staff , really enjoyed this first visit here even if it was nearly a 750 mile round trip .
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sangheili117
27/10/25
					Tanks galore Awesome visit. Such a breadth of detail - brilliantly displayed. There is an overwhelming level of detail but you. A choose to dig deep or just wander more casually.  Mark, the education guide was superb. He explained so much with kindness and great knowledge. A wonderful communicator!  Thanks to all staff. The welcome was good. The meal was good from the restaurant with kind service. The pain au chocolat was surprisingly great too!  Hope to return!
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Mark W
17/10/25
					Really fun and exciting time I went to the tank museum with the school. I liked the educational part because we got to drees up and act like WW2 people. It was fun to do the air raid siren,it was really loud! We also got to see the air raid shelter, it was very realistic. We also got to see the tanks, of which there are around 300. The staff, Phil and Claire were really nice and very good at explaining things.

I really enjoyed my day.

Thank you

Gianni
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missopinionated3
15/10/25
					Great day out Great day out at the tank museum worth going to visit the shop where we were served by fee and becky who were very helpful and polite
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Paul T
30/09/25

What to See & Do
Soft Play

What to See & Do

No matter your age and knowledge of tanks, there’s tonnes to see and do at The Tank Museum.

The Museum is Dorset’s largest indoor attraction, with 300 tanks in 10 powerful exhibitions – all inside.
Colour in a Christmas card to take home
Learn about Christmas during the war
Explore with the Frank on a Tank Elf Trail
See what Christmas looked like during WW2 in our festive 1940s house and shop
There are interactive games and dressing up in all of our exhibitions to keep children entertained and engaged.
Festive photo opportunity outside the Museum – light-up tank with reindeer

Challenger 1 Gate Guardian Christmas Lights_001

Soft Play

Kids can let off steam in our free, tank shaped soft play area, situated in our Tamiya Hall.

The soft play is open all day and is suitable for children aged between 3 and 11.
All children must be wearing socks and must be supervised.
The soft play is right beside our café, and has comfy chairs for parents to relax in.

Christmas Holidays

TIME

ACTIVITY

LOCATION

All holiday, all day

Frank on a Tank Elf Trail

Search for Frank the elf around the Museum – complete the trail to get a chocolatey prize!

Sitewide

Outdoor Play Area

Climb on our Centurion & Mark II in the new outdoor play area. Children must be supervised at all times.

Outside the Museum

Photo Opportunity with Challenger 1

The chance to take a photo outside the Museum with a Challenger 1, festively lit up with lights and reindeer.

Museum Entrance

Soft Play

Children must be supervised at all times.

Tamiya Hall

Christmas Colouring Station

Get in the holiday spirit with this festive colouring activity. Have a go at creating a colourful bauble to take home to add to your very own Christmas tree!

Tamiya Hall

All holiday, timings vary

Wartime Christmas

Meet the residents of our 1940’s street and find out how being at war changed Christmas for everyone.

Home Front House in WW2: War Stories

The Trenches at Christmas

Follow in the footsteps of a WW1 soldier and learn how Christmas was celebrated during the Great War.

The Trench Experience

Christmas 1914 – A curious event in the Trenches

Christmas 1914 saw an extraordinary event, the likes of which, would never be seen again during the 1914-1918 conflict. Join us for a short talk which sheds light on the documented events of the Christmas Truce, while addressing the many myths that surround it.

Check the ‘What’s On’ Board for timings.

Briefing Room

Exhibitions

Our stories: nine powerful exhibitions in seven large halls.

Plan Your Visit

All you need to know before visiting.

What To See & Do

Tonnes to see & do for all the family.

FAQS

GETTING HERE

Christmas Holiday20 December 2025 - 4 January 2026

Festive fun for the whole family to enjoy!

What to See & Do

Soft Play

TICKET PRICES

Frank on a Tank Elf Trail

Outdoor Play Area

Photo Opportunity with Challenger 1

Soft Play

Christmas Colouring Station

Wartime Christmas

The Trenches at Christmas

Christmas 1914 – A curious event in the Trenches

Exhibitions

Plan Your Visit

What To See & Do

Contact

Quick Links

Links