While our average visitor spends 4-5 hours at The Tank Museum, we know that some parties spend much longer, while some only have time for a few hours.
Maximise your families visit to The Tank Museum by taking in these “must-sees”, whatever the length of your visit.
1-2 Hours
For a flying visit, we recommend taking in 100 years of armoured warfare in the Tank Story exhibition, featuring over 30 of the most important tanks in history. This exhibition is filled with dressing-up, interactive puzzles, and activity tables to engage your kids with the story of tanks.
Follow this with a trip through our latest exhibition, Tanks for the Memories, which shows how the tank appeared in popular culture. From models and movies to toys and comics, this interactive exhibition is great for kids or nostalgic grown-ups – including colouring in, retro arcade games, and a World of Tanks gaming zone to suit all ages.
Finish your trip in the Restaurant with a slice of homemade cake and a hot drink – there are plenty of child-friendly snacks and drinks to choose from including juice, slush-puppies, and healthy treats.
3-4 Hours
For a half-day trip, follow this up by letting off some steam in the soft play, before travelling through our immersive Trench and Tank Men exhibitions.
You’ll be traveling with the first tank crewmen from the recruitment office to the introduction of the first tanks, and beyond to their lives during and after the war. This can be quite hard-hitting for little ones, but is followed by the War Horse to Horsepower exhibition, which includes fun interactives and dressing-up opportunities.
For more powerful human stories, continue into WW2: War Stories. Hear the experiences of British tank soldiers from 1939 to 1945, told by Royal Armoured Corps veterans. Accompanied by the world’s best selection of WW2 vehicles, unique objects, and interactives, the exhibition includes a 1940s house and shop, racing tortoises, and tunnels to explore – as well as free activity book to complete.
After this, we recommend refuelling with a hot lunch in our Restaurant or café, with a range of food from local Dorset suppliers, and enjoying some retail therapy in The Tank Museum’s award-winning shop. There are kids’ meals and lunch bags with colouring and puzzles available.
5+ Hours
If you’re spending the whole day at The Tank Museum, you can explore in Dorset’s largest indoor attraction in its entirety. A great way to keep your children engaged during a longer visit is by picking up one of our Commander Basil trails, where they can collect stamps throughout their visit and get a prize at the end.
You can dig deeper into different time periods with a free tour or talk from our Guide Team, such as Tommy in the Trenches or learning about the role of the tank crew with the Cut-in-half Centurion.
Don’t miss our outdoor, tank-themed play area – with two to-scale wooden tanks to climb all over, swings, and tank-spring rider, there is something for all ages (including intrepid adults!). If you’ve visiting during the Easter, May and Summer school holidays, find a seat in the Kuwait Arena, and buckle in for a Tanks in Action Display, including a live battle and explosions (see timings and dates HERE).
Don’t forget that your ticket includes an Annual Pass, so if you don’t see everything on your first visit you can return as many times as you would like for a year (excluding TANKFEST and Tiger Day).
