A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

You all know that I love motor racing and we’re rather big aeroplane fans in this house too. I’ve been meaning to visit Brooklands Museum for years but somehow it’s just never happened.  Then it was a case of feeling that Monkey was too young to really enjoy it. But having read PODCast’s recent post I decided it was definitely time for a day of adventures at Brooklands Museum near Weybridge in Surrey. (Be warned – this is a long post as so much to see!)

Concorde

The Museum is easily found, not far off the M25 and right next door to Mercedes Benz World (I feel a visit there will be required when Monkey is older!).  There is plenty of free on-site parking.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

I’ve always wanted to see the famous banking from the old Brooklands race track and we all wanted to take part in the Concorde Experience.  You do pay a little extra for the Concorde Experience and you need to book a flight slot.  We decided to book our slot as soon as we arrived so we could plan our day accordingly. Once that was sorted we gave Monkey the map and he decided where we should head to first.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

There are different displays based around the site both outside and inside a number of hangers and garages.  You also gain free access to the London Bus Museum.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

I knew Monkey would love this as he’d really enjoyed the London Transport Museum a while back.  He was off, exploring with Daddy P.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

We saw buses through the ages – 100 years worth of history. It was really interesting.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

Monkey had fun cranking up an electric motor.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

Look at engines in maintenance.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

Monkey happily climbed on board a double-decker bus – his confidence to try new things is definitely on the up!

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

Before we knew it it was time for our Concorde Experience. I’m not sure who was most excited if I’m totally honest.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

The iconic plane used to fly over my school as a child and I’ve had the privilege of seeing it take off from Heathrow in the past. I can vividly remember the day of the fateful Air France Concorde crash and when I heard the news that the fleet was being withdrawn from service.  Daddy P is a big fan and Monkey just loves planes – we were ready to go.  We got our boarding cards out and went on our pre-flight check where we heard all about the history of Concorde.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

Then it was time to investigate the undercarriage before heading on board.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

We got to see part of the plane stripped right back and various displays before heading to our seats.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

It was lovely to see Monkey as captivated as we both were, it meant Daddy P and I actually got to thoroughly enjoy the experience, rather than rushing through things as is the norm with younger kids!

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

We’d shortly be going supersonic.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

It was an interesting experience and well worth the additional charge. Memories made and we all received a flight certificate as we left.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

We were all feeling peckish so headed off to the cafe for something to eat.  There was a range of meal options available although we just stuck with sandwiches and a lunchbox for Monkey.  It does get busy so I’d advise an early lunch with youngsters.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

Once we’d eaten it was time to head off to the iconic Brooklands banking.  Can you believe that cars used to race along this – at great speed! It seems impossible but it happened.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

I’m not sure that the photos can do the incline justice to be honest.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

How amazing must it have been to watch cars zooming past on this in the early 1900s quite staggering in my opinion.

There are a number of aeroplanes you can board and explore – all with something different to see.  Seeing a plane with bedrooms and a rather plush bathroom was a first for all of us.

Then it was time to explore the various hangars and garages and spot a familiar town from my childhood.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum 7

I particularly wanted to see the Grand Prix and Motoring displays.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

Although it was getting late in the day and my son was getting tired and less engaged by this point!

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

So he couldn’t be persuaded to sit in the McLaren, or maybe he was being a true Ferrari fan!!

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

It’s certainly somewhere Guru Gramps would have loved to explore and I would have like to have spent more time looking at the displays.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

We did even got to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

There really was so much to see, we had a full day and still didn’t get to see everything.

After trying out some Morse Code for the first time it was time for us to head home.

A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum 60

One tired little boy had a day of adventures at Brooklands Museum and I’m sure we will be back again at some point.  We all really enjoyed our day out, and I can thoroughly recommend it if you’re looking for somewhere to keep you busy all day.

 

 

24 thoughts on “A day of adventures at Brooklands Museum

  1. It looks like such an amazing place, a lot to see! I like the sound of the Concorde experience 🙂

  2. What a fab place. I too would have definitely paid extra to go and sit on concord. My eldest loved the transport museum so I’m sure would love this if it was closer. #countrykids

  3. This is on our to-do list this year – never did get to fly concorde but would have loved to. Looks like you had a great time

  4. There looks like there is so much to see. My hubby would love it. Amazing to think cars used to race along that hill/road, can imagine the adrenaline….. #countrykids

  5. I know when you’ve enjoyed somewhere-there are so many great photo’s 🙂
    It looks absolutely brilliant and somewhere we would definitely enjoy visiting one day. I’d really like to see that incline for myself too x

  6. I can’t believe we lived so close and I never took my boys when they were young. Alistair was 4 when we moved and I think he would have been just old enough to have enjoyed it too. How exciting to sit on concorde, it used to fly right over us in Esher and make Alistair cry in his pram! Looks like you had a wonderful visit and I love how you can really get up close and even inside the vehicles. Thank you for sharing your lovely day on Country Kids.

  7. Really great to get a look round, it is so different from the 24 years ago when I was last there. My parents still live very close so this will be ncie for my kids in the summer, thanks. Mich x

  8. I must arrange a trip there as this would be my husband’s ideal day out with the family!

  9. Wow, what a great day out! There’s so much to do. This isn’t too far from us really, must go visit! x

  10. There’s absolutely masses there – I’d love to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and planes with bedrooms myself 😀
    I’ve been to the Coulthard Museum in Scotland, that was teeny by comparison (just one room), yet still fascinated us for hours.
    I said before there is a photo of me as a toddler sitting in Concorde’s cockpit – unfortunately I was a bit young to remember it really 😀

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