RAF Air Defence Radar Museum
Museum in a listed 1942 radar operations building in Norfolk, telling the story of air defence from the 1930s to the Cold War, with an original operations room.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum stands on the site of the former RAF Neatishead, which opened in June 1941 as a Ground Control Intercept station. From such stations controllers guided fighter aircraft towards enemy raiders detected by radar. After the war the base was kept in use and was rebuilt in the late 1940s and early 1950s as part of the Rotor programme, which created a large underground operations block for air defence in the early Cold War.
In 1994 funds were raised to buy the grounds and buildings from the Royal Air Force, and the museum has occupied them ever since. On 1 January 1999 the Air Force Board approved the change of name to the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum. The main building, the 1942 operations building, is Grade II listed.
The displays cover the development of radar from the 1930s to the end of the Cold War, with rooms on the Second World War, the Cold War and the nearby RAF Coltishall, which closed in 2006. The Cold War Operations Room is presented as the only original one of its kind in the country. The museum is run by volunteers, many of them former RAF personnel, who give daily talks in the Second World War and Cold War rooms.
Highlights
- Original Cold War Operations Room
- Rooms on the Second World War and the development of radar
- Collection from the nearby RAF Coltishall
- Royal Observer Corps nuclear reporting post
- Daily talks by volunteer guides
- Housed in a Grade II listed 1942 operations building
Permanent exhibitions
- Cold War Operations Room – An original operations room from the Cold War period, said to be the only one of its kind in the country.
- Second World War and radar development – Rooms on the early development of radar and the work of the ground control stations in the Second World War.
- RAF Coltishall collection – Rooms with items from the nearby RAF Coltishall, which closed in 2006.
- Operated by
- RAF Air Defence Radar Museum (registered charity)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £14 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £12Over 65s, blue light services and forces |
| Children & teens | £6free up to age 5 · Children aged 6 to 16; children under 6 are free. |
| Seniors | £12Over 65s |
| Visitors with disabilities | –A combined ticket for a disabled person and a carer costs £20. |
| Students & apprentices | £8 |
| Groups (6+ people) | £11 per personPre-booked groups; groups of six or more receive a discount. |
| Families | £32Two adults and up to three children. |
| Disabled person plus carer | £20 |
| Blue light services and forces | £12 |
Tickets are valid for 12 months. Friends of the museum enter free.
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 1942 listed building cannot be reached step-free in all areas. Ramps serve the front entrance and several other entrances, a small flight of stairs links the annex and main building (the outside ramp avoids it), and the Cold War Operations Room has stairs that may be too steep for a ramp. A wheelchair is available on site, there are two accessible toilets, and Blue Badge parking is near the front entrance. Volunteers help visitors reach most of the museum. Guide dogs and support dogs are allowed inside.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £32 · Two adults and up to three children. |
- Playground / play area
The museum describes itself as a day out for the family, with a family ticket, reduced child prices, a small grassed play area and a picnic area.
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
Large car park for cars, coaches and minibuses, with shaded parking for dogs and Blue Badge spaces near the front entrance.
- Accessible parking
The museum is in Neatishead near Horning, about five minutes by car from Wroxham and about 20 minutes from Norwich.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Crumbs Café serves home-made bakes, cakes and light lunches, and there is a gift shop and a grassed picnic area. Mobile connectivity is limited in parts of the building.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Audio guide | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | A free digital guide with audio tours and veterans’ stories is available through the Bloomberg Connects app, which should be downloaded before the visit. The museum suggests allowing a whole day to see the collection and attend the talks. Dogs other than assistance dogs are not allowed inside; a small kennel is provided. |
