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The Gurkha Museum

Museum of Gurkha service to the British Crown in Winchester; the main galleries are closed for redevelopment until early 2027.

Opening hours Wheelchair accessible

Website Directions

Limited operations (expected until 2027-02-10). The public galleries on the ground and first floors are closed for redevelopment (Project Kaida). The second floor, with the McDonald Gallery, temporary exhibitions, shop, library and research space, stays open.

About the museum

The Gurkha Museum was first opened on 21 June 1974 at Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Church Crookham, where it occupied a wooden barrack block that soon proved too small and temporary. When the Rifle Depot at Peninsula Barracks in Winchester closed, larger premises became available. The Church Crookham museum shut in April 1989, its collection was moved, and the new Winchester museum was opened on 16 July 1990 by Field Marshal Lord Bramall.

The museum tells the story of the Gurkhas in British service chronologically, starting in Nepal and with their first enlistment after the war between Britain and Nepal in 1815. It covers the fighting of 1857, frontier duties in India, the Western Front in 1914 and later campaigns, and it also presents the culture and religion of Nepal. The collections include objects and archives from more than 200 years of Gurkha service, among them material linked to the 26 Victoria Crosses awarded to Gurkha soldiers. A library, archive and research room are on the second floor.

The museum is run by The Gurkha Museum Trust, a registered charity. In September 2025 it began a redevelopment called Project Kaida: the displays on the ground and first floors have been removed, the collection is in secure storage, and the public galleries are planned to reopen on 10 February 2027. Meanwhile the second floor stays open with the McDonald Gallery, temporary exhibitions, talks, family activities, the shop, the library and research space.

Highlights

More than 200 years of Gurkha service to Britain
Library, archive and research room
Temporary exhibitions in the McDonald Gallery during the redevelopment
Talks, lectures and family activity days
Redeveloped galleries due to reopen on 10 February 2027

Founded: 1974
Operated by: The Gurkha Museum Trust

Admission & discounts

Groups (10+ people)	–Groups of ten or more can book in advance at a discounted rate.

Admission prices during the redevelopment are not published on the museum's website.

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible
Elevator
Accessible restroom: no information
Accessible parking
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 lists step-free access, a lift to all floors, a stair lift, toilet facilities and designated accessible parking.

Kids & families

Family tours & workshops

The museum runs family activity days and holiday activities alongside its temporary exhibitions.

Getting there & parking

By public transit

Winchester railway station · 10-min walk

Winchester railway station is about a 10-minute walk away, according to a regional tourism listing.

By car

Parking available

Designated accessible parking is available.

Accessible parking

The museum is in Peninsula Barracks, Romsey Road, next to the Great Hall. The what3words location is ///stolen.wings.eclipses.

Get directions

Amenities & dining

Museum shop

The museum shop stays open on the second floor during the redevelopment, and there is an online shop.

Events & venue rental

Spaces for rent

The McDonald Gallery can be hired as a function room.

Inquiries & details

Plan your visit

School programs	yes
Good to know	Group visits can be booked in advance, and the museum offers educational resources for schools and outreach groups. The library is open as a research, reference and education centre. A summer exhibition, Hot Jungle, Cold War, on the Gurkhas in the Borneo Confrontation, includes family activities.