The Rifleman's Museum
Regimental museum in Winchester telling the story of the rifle regiments and The Rifles, with a Waterloo diorama of 30,000 models.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum grew out of the regimental collections of the King's Royal Rifle Corps and the Rifle Brigade, which were first kept wherever space could be found at the Rifle Depot in Winchester. When Peninsula Barracks was rebuilt in 1964, the collections moved to the first floor of the Depot headquarters building, where the museum is still based. After the depot closed as a training base in 1986, The Royal Green Jackets were able to set up a permanent museum there.
In 1989 the two collections were joined as the Royal Green Jackets Museum, which was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 December 1989. The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry lent a large part of its Oxfordshire collection, which later became permanent. The museum was renamed The Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum in 2009 to link the Rifle Brigade's history with The Rifles, formed in 2007. The Rifles Collection was set up in 2013, and in 2024 the Rifles Council placed its collection with the museum, giving one collection that runs from 1741 to the present day. In mid-2025 the museum took the name The Rifleman's Museum.
Visitors can see a Waterloo diorama with 30,000 models of soldiers and horses and a short audio-visual presentation, feel the weight of a Baker Rifle, look over the edge of a First World War trench and try on uniforms from different periods. The gallery covering the years since 2007 is closed for redevelopment, and the museum is raising money for a new gallery and a public reference library.
Highlights
- Waterloo diorama with 30,000 models
- Baker Rifle and other weapons to handle
- First World War trench display
- Uniforms to try on
- Collection of the rifle regiments from 1741 to today
Permanent exhibitions
- Waterloo diorama – A diorama with 30,000 models of soldiers and horses shows moments from the day of the Battle of Waterloo, with a five-minute audio-visual presentation.
- Regimental history galleries – Displays on the rifle regiments, including a Baker Rifle, a First World War trench and uniforms from different periods that visitors can try on.
- Founded
- 1989
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £6.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £5.50Concessions |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 15 · Children under 16 enter free. |
| Groups (10+ people) | –Concession prices apply to groups of ten or more. Conducted tours for groups cost £25 per hour. |
Serving personnel and Friends of the Museum enter free, and members of The Royal Green Jackets Regimental Association pay half price. UK taxpayers can Gift Aid their admission; a Gift Aid receipt gives free re-entry for a year. There is no need to book in advance; tickets can be bought on arrival or online. Allow one to two hours for a visit.
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
Two stair lifts, with a short level transfer in between, reach the upper floor, and a visual guide to the upper floor is available for visitors who cannot go upstairs. The accessible toilet on the ground floor is step-free but has no emergency alarm. There are hearing loops at the front desk and at points in the displays, and a wheelchair for visitors to use upstairs. Accessible parking bays are near the door. Guide and assistance dogs are welcome.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 2 hrs |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 15 |
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Baby changing facilities
Children under 16 enter free. Trails include a Makaton trail and an Everyday Objects trail, and free printable activities such as colouring pages and make-your-own models can be downloaded from the website. Visitors can handle a Baker Rifle and try on uniforms. Baby changing is available in a gender-neutral space.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Westgate bus stop · 2-min walk
The museum is about a 10-minute walk from Winchester railway station and a little over 10 minutes from the bus station.
By car
Free parking
Limited free parking in front of the museum; collect a parking permit from the front desk on arrival and display it in the windscreen. Tower Street car park is about a 5-minute walk away and is pay and display.
- Accessible parking
The Guildhall, the cathedral and the railway station are each within 10 minutes' walk, and the museum is within 100 metres of the High Street and the West Gate.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Shop near the entrance with souvenirs, books, clothing and sweets, plus an online shop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The museum suggests allowing one to two hours. Conducted tours can be booked for groups at £25 per hour. A five-minute audio-visual presentation accompanies the Waterloo diorama. Groups and school visits should give as much notice as possible. Evening talks are held six times a year, in person or online. |
Museums nearby
Adjutant General's Corps Museum
HorsePower: The Museum of the King's Royal Hussars
The Gurkha Museum
Westgate Museum
Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum
City Museum
All 9 museums in Winchester All museums in South East England
