Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum
Motorcycle museum in the New Forest with more than 500 mostly roadworthy machines, from early British bikes to trials and racing legends.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum grew out of the private collection of Sammy Miller, an eleven-time British trials champion who won well over a thousand competition events. Miller restored rare motorcycles for years and kept them for himself before opening the collection to the public in 1980.
In 1996 he bought a derelict farmhouse at Bashley near New Milton and converted its barns into the present museum building. The site has been extended several times, most recently with the Upper Gallery, which opened in 2021. In September 2024 Miller was made an Honorary Freeman of New Milton.
More than 500 motorcycles are on show, and almost all of them are in working order; most were restored by Miller and his workshop team, which still works on site. Popular machines are ridden at museum events and at outside events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The halls are organised by theme or make, including trials machines, Norton, Vincent, grand prix racers and Japanese and post-war European bikes.
Highlights
- More than 500 motorcycles, nearly all in working order
- GOV 132, one of the best-known trials motorcycles in the world
- A 1905 Norton, described as the oldest known Norton
- Racing Gallery with a 1957 500cc Moto Guzzi V8
- Vincent Hall including a 1950 Black Shadow racer
- Upper Gallery of early British machines with views towards the Isle of Wight
Permanent exhibitions
- Upper Gallery – Early twentieth-century British motorcycles and rare engines, with a reading area and views towards the Isle of Wight.
- Trials Hall – Off-road competition machines, including GOV 132, widely regarded as the most famous trials motorcycle in the world.
- Racing Gallery – Grand prix and factory racers, among them a 1957 500cc Moto Guzzi V8.
- Founded
- 1980
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £16 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £14Seniors aged 66 and over |
| Children & teens | £8free up to age 6 · Junior ticket for ages 7 to 16; children aged 6 and under are free. |
| Seniors | £14Aged 66 and over. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –A carer and client ticket costs £19 in total: the client pays the standard price and the carer pays the junior price, with proof such as a Blue Badge or benefit letter. |
| Families | £40Two adults and two children. |
| Carer and client (together) | £19The carer needs ID, for example a Blue Badge or a benefit or council letter. |
The upper level is reached by stairs only, so the museum offers a reduced entry fee for visitors who cannot use stairs. Online booking was out of order at the time of research, so tickets are paid for on the day. Entry to the craft and gift shops, the tea rooms and the animals is free. Gift vouchers are valid for one year.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- 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 ground floor, which holds about 300 vehicles, is level or ramped. The upper level can only be reached by stairs. Two wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge; reserve one by phone. Small, well-behaved dogs on short leads are welcome at the discretion of the duty manager.
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 3 hrs |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
| Family ticket | £40 · Two adults and two children. |
Junior tickets cover ages 7 to 16 and children aged 6 and under enter free; a family ticket is available.
Getting there & parking
By car
Free parking
Free parking; coaches are welcome. Campervans and small motorhomes may visit during the day, but overnight parking is not allowed.
The museum stands at Bashley Cross Roads, New Milton, in the New Forest.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Sammys Pit Stop cafe, run by Larte Coffee House, is open 9:30 to 16:00 every day; there are also tea rooms in a courtyard and craft and gift shops. Free parking.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Photography | Photography is welcome. |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Allow at least two to three hours; most visitors stay four to five hours. A workshop on site restores bikes six days a week. |
