East Midlands Aeropark
Volunteer-run aviation museum beside East Midlands Airport with around 28 preserved aircraft, a viewing area and a cabin shop.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
East Midlands Aeropark is run by the Aeropark Volunteers Association, formed in 1984 and with roots in earlier local aviation groups of the late 1970s. The first collection stood on the eastern edge of the Castle Donington airfield, and an Avro Vulcan bomber that was saved from scrapping was one of its early arrivals.
Airport expansion forced that site to close in 1994. A new site in the north-west corner of the airfield, near Donington Park, opened in August 2001 after substantial investment by the airport, and it welcomed its 50,000th paying visitor in 2004.
Today the charity runs the Aeropark as both a museum and a viewing area, with two grassy mounds close to the runway. The volunteers have added a wartime-style Romney hangar, and the collection now includes around 28 complete aircraft on outdoor display, from fast jets and helicopters to airliner cockpits, with engines and smaller items shown indoors.
Highlights
- Avro Vulcan B2 bomber and BAC Lightning fighter
- Nimrod and front section of a Vickers VC10 airliner
- Helicopters including Sea King, Wessex and Lynx
- Viewing mounds beside the airport runway
- Aircraft engines and a Link trainer in the hangar
- Occasional open-cockpit days
Permanent exhibitions
- Preserved aircraft collection – About 28 complete aircraft on outdoor display, including an Avro Vulcan, a Nimrod, a VC10 front section, jets, helicopters and airliner cockpits.
- Engines and cockpit components in the hangar – Indoor displays of aircraft engines, a Link simulator, other components and photographs.
- Founded
- 2001
- Operated by
- Aeropark Volunteers Association (registered charity 1159587)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £5 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £3free up to age 4 · Children aged 5 to 16 pay £3; under 5s are free. |
| Groups | –Group visits cost the same as individual tickets (£5 adult, £3 child) and are booked in advance with the Visits Coordinator. |
| Families | –No family ticket; a family Friends membership at £60 gives unlimited entry for the membership year. |
| Family Friends membership (April to March) | £60Unlimited admission for the membership year. |
Pay on the day only, by cash or contactless card; there is no pre-booking. No concessions. Parking is included in the entry price. Friends memberships: adult £30, couple £50, senior £20, senior couple £35.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The site is described as accessible to all, with accessible parking next to the gatehouse and an accessible toilet at the back of Hangar 1. Open aircraft cannot be entered by wheelchair, mobility scooter or pushchair, and the grass viewing mounds may be unusable for wheeled visitors in wet weather. Assistance dogs are welcome.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
Under 5s enter free and children must be supervised by an adult at all times. School groups can use an aircraft quiz and a word grid of exhibit names. Kites and ball games are not allowed. Open aircraft are not suitable for pushchairs.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Trent Barton Skylink buses from Derby and from Nottingham serve East Midlands Airport.
By car
Free parking
Free on-site car park included in the entry price, with accessible spaces next to the gatehouse. There is a 2 m height barrier, so over-height vehicles must contact the Aeropark in advance or ask at the gatehouse. The car park is locked outside opening hours.
- Accessible parking
The Aeropark is in the north-west corner of East Midlands Airport, at Hill Top, Castle Donington.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
The Aeropark Cabin, just outside Hangar 1, sells hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, cakes, snacks and ice cream, along with gifts, models and toys. Picnic tables are on the viewing mounds. Toilets (male, female and accessible) are at the rear of Romney Hangar 1.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
- Corporate events
The site can be hired for private and corporate events and has been used by East Midlands Airport, DHL and the BBC.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | The static aircraft are outdoors, and the viewing mounds give clear views of the runway for photography. Drones are strictly forbidden because the site lies in a restricted flight zone. |
| Good to know | Group and school visits last about an hour, with volunteer guides, and may include boarding one or two large aircraft such as the VC10 and the Nimrod. On special event days the cockpits of several aircraft are opened, subject to weather, staffing and aircraft condition. Visitors should keep their ticket, as staff may ask to see it. |
