RAF Manston History Museum
Volunteer-run museum on the former Battle of Britain airfield at Manston, with aircraft and cockpits, a Dambusters practice bomb and a 1940s experience.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The RAF Manston History Museum stands beside the former RAF Manston airfield on the Isle of Thanet in Kent. The airfield began as an emergency landing ground in the First World War and became the Admiralty Aerodrome at Manston in the winter of 1915 to 1916. Its position on the Kent coast made it important in the defence against Zeppelin and Gotha bomber raids.
In the Second World War Manston was a frontline fighter base in 1940, a base for Hawker Typhoons and the RAF's first Meteor jet squadron, and, with its very long runway, an emergency landing site for damaged bombers. Barnes Wallis tested his bouncing bomb nearby, and 617 Squadron, the Dambusters, practised at Manston. The decision to close the RAF base was taken in 1999, and the airside part of the site later passed to a commercial airport operator.
The museum is run as a charity, with volunteers, and its displays include the cockpits of an Avro Vulcan, a Handley Page Victor and an English Electric Canberra, as well as full aircraft such as a Lightning, a Jaguar and a Wessex helicopter. Other rooms cover the 1940s home front, a rare practice bouncing bomb, photographs, engines, guns and munitions, LEGO displays and model railways. There is a memorial garden and wall in the grounds, and a café and shop on site.
Highlights
- Cockpits of the Avro Vulcan, Handley Page Victor and Canberra
- Aircraft including a Lightning F.6, a SEPECAT Jaguar and a Westland Wessex
- One of the few recovered practice bouncing bombs of the Dambusters raid
- 1940s Experience showing wartime life at Manston
- Guns, munitions and missiles room
- Garden of Remembrance and Memorial Wall
Permanent exhibitions
- Aircraft and cockpit displays – Cockpits of the Vulcan, Victor and Canberra and aircraft such as the Lightning, Jaguar and Wessex tell the story of the RAF at Manston and beyond.
- 1940s Experience – A display of how people at Manston lived through the bombing and rationing of the Second World War.
- Operation Chastise and the bouncing bomb – One of the few surviving practice bouncing bombs and the story of how 617 Squadron perfected the weapon.
- Operated by
- RAF Manston History Museum (registered charity 1179982)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £6Concession ticket |
| Children & teens | £3.50free up to age 4 · Children under 16. Under 5s are free, up to 3 per paying adult. |
| Visitors with disabilities | £4Carer ticket. |
| Groups (10+ people) | £6 per personAdult groups of 10 to 24 pay £6 each, 25 to 49 pay £5 and 50 or more pay £4.50. School and child groups pay £3 each for 10 to 24 children and £2.50 for 25 or more, and teachers and leaders enter free. |
| Families | £20For 2 adults and up to 4 children. |
| Carer ticket | £4 |
| Annual pass, adult (16+) | £24Includes entry to events except Santa at the Museum. |
| Annual pass, child (5+) | £12 |
| Annual pass, concession (65+, disabled adult and military ID) | £20 |
| Annual pass, family (2 adults and up to 4 children) | £72 |
| Annual pass, carer | £12Proof of status needed. |
Tickets can be booked online for the period 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, but booking is not needed. Donations support the museum.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum has a detailed access guide produced with AccessAble and a separate guide for visitors with sight loss or autism concerns, which is intended to make a visit less daunting. The website itself gives no further access details.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £20 · For 2 adults and up to 4 children. |
There is a family ticket for 2 adults and up to 4 children, a children's menu in the café, toys in the shop, LEGO displays and regular family events such as model days and Santa at the Museum.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Manston Museums
Stagecoach buses 48 and 11 stop at Manston Museums, but there is no crossing on the busy road between the stop and the museum. Trains from London run to Ramsgate station, about 10 minutes away by car or taxi; bus 48 also runs from the station bus stop.
By car
Parking available
The museum car park is a short way down Manston Road on the right, reached from the B2050 on the airport side of the museum.
The museum is signposted from the A299 Thanet Way, next to the Manston airport site. The what3words address is yarn.depending.manages.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
The NAAFI Café serves breakfast, lunches, cakes and a children's menu; it is open 10am to 3pm from Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm at weekends. The museum shop at the entrance sells souvenirs, toys, die-cast models, kits and books.
Events & venue rental
The NAAFI Café can be booked for buffets and sit-down meals for groups.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Tours for groups can be arranged on request in the evenings or at weekends; the museum suggests at least 45 minutes and can run to 90 minutes or longer, and visitors can usually enter three or four of the aircraft. Education visits for schools and groups are available; a leader is asked to visit beforehand. Booking is not needed for ordinary visits. |
