Solent Sky

About the museum

The museum began in the 1970s as the R. J. Mitchell Memorial Museum, a small collection about the Supermarine company housed in a former NAAFI hut. By late 1982 the buildings were decaying, so the museum committee asked Southampton City Council for a new home. Construction started in 1983 and the Short Sandringham flying boat was moved into the unfinished building that July. The new museum opened on 26 May 1984 as the Southampton Hall of Aviation and was renamed Solent Sky in 2006.

The museum tells the story of aviation in Southampton and the Solent region, which was a centre of aircraft research and development between 1910 and 1960. Southampton is the birthplace of the Supermarine Spitfire, and it was also home to the largest flying boat operation in the world, which carried passengers on long journeys to the British Empire.

Today more than 20 aircraft and a number of engines and models are on show. Visitors can sit in the cockpits of jet fighters, and volunteers give guided visits of the flight deck of the Sandringham on request. The museum is supported by the registered charity R. J. Mitchell Memorial Museum Limited and also houses the Hampshire Police and Fire Heritage Collection.

Highlights

• Supermarine Spitfire F24 PK683
• Short Sandringham flying boat with flight deck visits on request
• Supermarine S.6A seaplane from the 1929 Schneider Trophy
• Cockpits of the Harrier and the Supermarine Swift to sit in
• Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 jet fighter flying boat
• Hampshire Police and Fire Heritage Collection

Permanent exhibitions

• Supermarine Spitfire F24 PK683 – A Spitfire is on show in the city where the aircraft was developed, and the display explains the history of Southampton as the birthplace of the Spitfire.
• Short Sandringham flying boat – A large four-engined flying boat shows how passengers travelled on week-long aerial cruises to the British Empire, and visitors can climb aboard.
• Supermarine S.6A and the Schneider Trophy – The 1929 racing seaplane tells the story of the Schneider Trophy air races, in which top speeds rose from about 40 mph to over 400 mph.

Founded

1984

Operated by

R. J. Mitchell Memorial Museum Limited (Solent Sky Ltd)

Admission & discounts

Tickets can be bought on arrival.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

• Hands-on stations

Visitors can sit in the pilot's seat of the Harrier cockpit and in a Supermarine Swift cockpit. Scout and Guide badge sessions and school workshops are offered; a family ticket covers two adults and three children.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Volunteers run the museum's gift shop.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties

A meeting room can be hired for £99 for a half day (10am to 1pm) or £149 for a full day (10am to 4.45pm); tea, coffee and biscuits cost £2 per person. The museum also offers special event room hire and guided tours for tour parties. The conference room is used for lectures and school activities.

Plan your visit