Milestones Museum facts for kids
Milestones Museum at night
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| Established | 1 December 2000 |
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| Location | Basingstoke, Hampshire, England |
| Type | Heritage centre |
| Public transit access | Route 8 bus |
Milestones Museum of Living History is a super cool museum in Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK. It's like stepping back in time! The museum has streets that look just like those from the Victorian era and the 1930s in Hampshire.
The museum first opened its doors on December 1, 2000. The Duke of Edinburgh helped open it. It was a big project between Hampshire County Council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. The Heritage Lottery Fund also helped make it happen.
Milestones Museum became part of the Hampshire Cultural Trust in 2014. This happened as many museums moved from county and city councils to this new trust.
Explore the Past: Milestones Museum Exhibits
Step Back in Time: Amazing Buildings and Shops
At Milestones, you can explore many recreated buildings and shops. They show what life was like long ago. Imagine walking through these places:
- A public house called the Baverstock Arms. This pub looks like one from the Victorian era. It's named after a brewer from the 1800s.
- A Victorian railway station. This station is based on the old GWR station at Winchester (Chesil). It even has a small model of the station with working trains!
- An old-fashioned Ironmonger shop.
- A Victorian watchmaker and jeweller's shop.
- A typical Victorian terraced house.
- A milliners shop, where hats were made.
- A light engineering shop from the Victorian times.
- A Victorian paintworks, which used a steam engine for power.
- A fun Victorian pier amusement arcade.
- A sawmill where wood was cut.
- A saddlery shop, where horse riding gear was made.
- A 1930s town with many shops. These include a Cooperative Society shop, a sweet shop, and a toy shop with original toys. There's also a record and television shop, and a car showroom.
- Homes from the 1940s. You can see how kitchens and living rooms looked back then.
A cool new part of the museum is Mr. Simpson's Teddy Bear museum. It opened in 2021. You can see over 260 teddy bears there. Some of them are from as far back as 1905! Many of the shops and workshops also have sounds. You can hear conversations and other noises from the past.
Wheels of History: Road Vehicles Collection
The museum has a huge collection of old road vehicles. Many of these were made by local companies like Thornycroft from Basingstoke and Taskers of Andover. You can see vehicles powered by people, horses, steam, and early motors.
Human-Powered Vehicles
- Hand carts for carrying things.
- A hand-propelled baker's cart.
- A bicycle used by a grocer for deliveries.
- Two tricycles used by tradespeople.
- Different kinds of bicycles, including tall penny-farthings.
Horse-Drawn Vehicles
- A Pantechnicon, which was a large moving van.
- A Governess cart, a small carriage.
- A brewer's dray for carrying barrels.
- A coalman's cart.
- An old Milk float.
- A farm wagon.
- A stickback undercut gig, another type of carriage.
- A Hutchings caravan.
- A Reading type Romany caravan, also known as a vardo.
- A portable steam engine.
Steam-Powered Vehicles
The museum has several steam-powered vehicles. These include road rollers made by Taskers and Wallis & Steevens. There are also two Taskers Little Giant traction engines. One is shown with a log trailer.
Motor Vehicles
You can see about 25 commercial vehicles here. There are also private cars, two types of motor buses, and a coach.
- Cars: See early cars like the Thornycroft 4-seater from 1903 and a Morris convertible from 1937. There's also a unique OEC motorbike with a sidecar from 1939.
- Buses: Check out the Thornycroft J Portsmouth Corporation bus from 1919 and a Leyland Titan TD4 double-decker bus from 1934.
- Commercial Vehicles: Many different lorries and vans are on display. These include a Thornycroft J army lorry from 1916 and a Thornycroft Bulldog flatbed lorry from 1931. You can also see a Austin pick-up from 1926 and a Thornycroft Sturdy milk lorry from 1937.
Fire Brigade Vehicles
The museum's fire station has a selection of fire engines. These include hand-powered, horse-drawn, and early motor-powered ones.
- A hand-operated pump.
- A hand-propelled Pyrene fire extinguisher.
- A Shand Mason horse-drawn fire engine.
- A Shand Mason horse-drawn steam pump.
- A Dennis Light 6 fire engine from 1936.
- A Dennis Big 4 fire engine from 1938.
Trains and Trams: Railway and Tramway Stock
- A steam locomotive named "Woolmer." This 0-6-0ST engine was built in 1910 by the Avonside Engine Company. It's on loan from the National Collection.
- A 7-plank open wagon from the Great Northern Railway.
- An electric tramcar from Portsmouth, number 84.
Special Events: Temporary Exhibitions
Milestones Museum often hosts special exhibitions. For example, in 2014, they had an exhibit of Lego models of extinct animals. These models were built by Bright Bricks. The exhibition returned in 2018, but this time it focused on mythical creatures.
Every year in early December, the museum holds a Victorian-themed Christmas Market. It's a great way to get into the holiday spirit!
