Spitfire Visitor Centre
Visitor centre in a wartime RAF hangar at Blackpool Airport, with Spitfires, a Hurricane, a Bf 109E and restored ground-crew vehicles.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Hangar 42 at Squires Gate, now part of Blackpool Airport, was built for the Air Ministry in May 1939. During the Second World War the airfield was taken over by the RAF and used to train ground crew and aircrew. British and Polish aircrews flew night fighter operations from the hangar, and the pilot Amy Johnson is recorded as flying her last mission from Squires Gate in 1941.
Today the hangar has been refurbished to look as it did around 1940. The visitor centre grew out of the Lytham St Annes Spitfire Display Team, which was founded in 2009 to raise money for the RAF Memorial at Fairhaven Lake. The team is now the fundraising arm of the centre, and the work is paid for by entrance fees and public donations. Volunteers of all ages help to restore and look after the collection.
The displays bring together several Spitfires, a Hawker Hurricane and a Messerschmitt Bf 109E, all in various stages of restoration. Around them are restored RAF airfield vehicles, motorcycles and ground equipment, a replica operations and briefing room, and wreckage of wartime aircraft recovered by the Lancashire Aircraft Investigation Team. On public days volunteers give talks on the aircraft, on wartime history on the Fylde coast and on RAF training in Blackpool.
Highlights
- Several Spitfires, a Hawker Hurricane and a Messerschmitt Bf 109E in a restored 1939 hangar
- Restored RAF airfield vehicles, motorcycles and ground-crew equipment
- Replica operations and briefing room
- Optional paid cockpit seat in the Spitfire Mk IX "Lucy" and a cockpit talk
- Full-size Spitfire flight simulator and, separately booked, flights in a two-seat Spitfire
Permanent exhibitions
- Spitfires, Hurricane and Bf 109E – Several Spitfires, a Hawker Hurricane and a Messerschmitt Bf 109E, shown in various stages of restoration, including the Mk IX "Lucy".
- RAF airfield vehicles and operations room – Restored airfield vehicles, motorcycles and ground-crew equipment, plus a replica operations and briefing room.
- Up Close and Personal – An immersive display of the sights and sounds of an operational RAF fighter squadron during the Second World War.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £13 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £9Armed forces veterans |
| Children & teens | £7free up to age 5 · Children aged 6 to 16 inclusive. |
| Visitors with disabilities | £7Support worker or carer accompanying a patient. |
| Sit in the cockpit of Spitfire Mk IX "Lucy" (includes photos taken by staff) | £5 |
| Cockpit and weapons talk (10 minutes, photos with your own camera) | £10 |
Tickets can be paid for on the door or booked online. Proof of ID is needed for all concession tickets. No family ticket is listed. Spitfire flights and the flight simulator are booked and priced separately through other websites.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
A wheelchair-accessible entrance is available at reception, and all public areas of the hangar can be reached by wheelchair along wide aisles. Lightweight mobility scooters can be used in most areas; larger scooters can be parked securely outside. Small side rooms such as the NAAFI café may have limited space. Seating is provided throughout. The accessible toilet has grab rails, drop-down rails and a baby changing table. Assistance dogs are welcome, but the nearby airfield can cause sudden loud aircraft noise. A smartphone audio tour is available for visually impaired visitors (bring your own headphones), and volunteers can describe the exhibits. The centre is fundraising for an extension with better facilities for disabled visitors and families with young children.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
Aisles are wide enough for pushchairs, and the accessible toilet has a baby changing table. A school programme for pupils in Years 6 and 7 covers topics such as code breaking, the Battle of Britain, evacuation and rationing.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Blackpool Squires Gate station · 5-min walk
Blackpool Squires Gate railway station is about 5 minutes’ walk away. Bus routes 1 and 11 (about 5 minutes’ walk) and Stagecoach route 68 serve Squires Gate. The Squires Gate tram stop is about 10 minutes’ walk away.
By car
Free parking
Free tarmac car park reached along the side of the Lidl supermarket; it is about 80 yards from the hangar reception. Cars must use this car park.
From Squires Gate Lane go straight on at the traffic lights into the airport, turn right at the T-junction, then immediately left down the side of Lidl to the car park. Follow the footpath on the north side of the large blue Westair Hangar and the Spitfire signs. what3words: ///master.indeed.chats
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
The WW2-themed NAAFI café is on site, and there is a visitor centre shop.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Corporate events
The centre offers tailored events for companies, such as staff events, away days and presentations.
Plan your visit
| Audio guide | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | On public open days volunteers give talks throughout the day. A free smartphone audio tour can be downloaded. Pets are not allowed, apart from assistance dogs. School visits are designed for Years 6 and 7 (£8.40 per child, maximum class size 33) and run from 10:00 to 14:00; groups of 20 or more can arrange tailored visits, also outside school hours. |
