Dad's Army Museum facts for kids
 |
|
| Established | 7 December 2007 |
|---|---|
| Location | Cage Lane in Thetford, Norfolk |
| Type | Dad's Army |
The Dad's Army Museum is a special place in Thetford, Norfolk, England. It's all about the super popular BBC comedy show called Dad's Army. Many parts of the show were filmed right here in the local area. The museum is located in the old fire station, which is behind Thetford Guildhall. The Guildhall itself was used in the show as the Walmington-on-Sea Town Hall.
Friendly volunteers run the museum. They also take Jones' Van to many 1940s-themed events across East Anglia throughout the year.
About the Dad's Army Museum
The museum is based at Thetford Guildhall. This building was featured in a 1972 episode called "Time On My Hands". In that episode, a German pilot from the Luftwaffe (the German air force) got stuck on the clock tower! His parachute got caught in the clock's hands. The Guildhall was also seen in a 1974 episode called "The Captain's Car".
The Dad's Army Museum first opened its doors on Friday, December 7, 2007. It was officially opened by David Croft, who helped write Dad's Army.
What You'll See Inside
When you visit the museum, you can see a special room that looks just like Captain Mainwaring's office. This was his office in the church hall from the TV show. There are also several other display areas to explore. You can find a shop to buy souvenirs and the Marigold Tea Room for a snack.
The museum shows many unique photos. A lot of these pictures come from the Dad's Army Appreciation Society. You can also see other cool items and memories connected to the TV series. You can even see uniforms on display. These include a copy of the fancy red uniform with lots of medals worn by Lance-Corporal Jones. There are also uniforms worn by the Home Guard, who were like local defense volunteers during World War II.
The Famous Jones' Van
In December 2012, the museum bought the real Ford BB van. This was the van used as Jones' butcher's van in the TV series! They bought it for £63,100. Because the Dad's Army Museum doesn't have a lot of space, the van is now shown at the nearby Charles Burrell Museum. It went on display there in March 2013 after being carefully fixed up.
Images for kids
-
The Exhibition Hall
-
Captain Mainwaring's office
-
Lance-Corporal Jones' medals and tunic
