RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre

About the museum

RAF Burtonwood was a very large air base near Warrington that served the Royal Air Force and later the United States forces, who knew it as Base Air Depot 1. The heritage centre keeps its memory alive and is run as a donation-based charity. It stands on part of the former airfield, in the grounds of the Gulliver’s World resort.

The displays cover the people, the aircraft and daily life of the base. They recall the huge warehouse where aircraft engines were assembled, the maintenance of bombers and fighters, and the Berlin Airlift. Further sections tell the stories of the GI brides, the entertainers who visited the base, and everyday life in the war years, with uniforms, audio recordings and a recreated air raid shelter.

A cockpit experience of a real C-54 Skymaster, the type flown in the Berlin Airlift, is one of the best-known attractions. School groups can take part in educational visits with talks by the centre’s curator.

Highlights

• Cockpit experience of a C-54 Skymaster from the Berlin Airlift
• The GI brides exhibition with wedding dresses and stories
• Planes and engines of RAF Burtonwood
• Recreated air raid shelter and everyday-life displays
• Audio histories and uniforms

Permanent exhibitions

• The Living History of Burtonwood – People, planes and life at the base, with a timeline, aviation art and a cockpit experience of a C-54 Skymaster.
• The GI Brides – Wedding dresses, stories of how couples met and the links of their descendants to the base.
• Planes of RAF Burtonwood – The working depot, engine assembly and maintenance of B-17, P-47 and B-29 aircraft, and the Berlin Airlift.

Founded

2000

Operated by

RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre (registered charity)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free; the centre is a donation-based charity. A visit is included in the entrance fee of the Gulliver’s World theme park. It is not necessary to enter the theme park to visit the centre.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Children visiting as part of a Gulliver’s World day can follow “GI Gully’s Trail” through the centre.

Getting there & parking

Satnav: use the address of Gulliver’s World, Warrington, WA5 9YZ.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit