The Hockey Museum

About the museum

The Hockey Museum grew out of an idea from the 1980s for a permanent national museum of hockey. When the National Hockey Stadium in Milton Keynes closed in 2003, volunteers rescued its heritage material and stored it in Woking. An archives steering group formed in 2007, and Woking Borough Council later offered premises. The museum opened in October 2012 and describes itself as the world's first museum for hockey.

It was first based in offices in an old warehouse, then used a second site, and in late 2017 moved to its present home at 13 High Street in the centre of Woking, reopening in April 2018. It registered as a charity in 2013 and gained Accredited Museum status from Arts Council England in 2018. In 2022 it appointed its first professional curator.

The ground-floor exhibition shares the history of the game through objects, stories, screens and listening posts. A library and archive on the first floor serve researchers by appointment, and the museum also takes exhibitions to hockey clubs and tournaments.

Highlights

• Ground-floor exhibition on the history of hockey
• Handling objects, interactive and audio-visual displays
• Heritage collection of hockey memorabilia and archives
• Research library for visits by appointment
• Children's interpretive trail and Discovery Chest

Permanent exhibition

• Hockey Museum exhibition – The ground-floor exhibition shares the history of hockey through objects, stories and interactive displays from the museum's heritage collection.

Founded

2012

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free; donations are appreciated but not required.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: not available
• 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: not available

The pavements leading to the museum are flat and wide. The front door has two steps, and a wheelchair ramp is available; the doorbells are at an accessible height. The ground-floor exhibition has wheelchair-friendly routes, with exhibits and signs at accessible heights, and large-format text is available. The first-floor library can be reached only by stairs. There are no audio guides and there are no public toilets in the museum; accessible toilets are in the nearby Wolsey Place shopping centre. Woking Council's Shopmobility service offers bookable scooters or wheelchairs from its car parks. Please contact the museum beforehand with specific access needs.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

Family visits include an interpretive trail, a Discovery Chest, handling objects, screens, listening posts and interactive and audio-visual displays.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on High Street in the centre of Woking. A bus or coach service runs to Woking from Heathrow Airport.

Amenities & dining

No public toilets on site; accessible toilets are in the nearby Wolsey Place shopping centre, and maps are available inside the museum.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit