Always a great place to visit. All the exhibits are interesting and inform about the local area.
During term time there are usually 'treasure hunts' that are good for the children.
During the holidays they run craft, Lego, clay and story sessions that are very popular. (Use the website to book before they fill up.)
Great, small museum, but with a lot of information related to the area, it's social and industrial identity through the years. Plus a great café for lunch. It's a free entry museum, but you feel happy to leave a donation as it deserves support for the great collections on display.
It's a really great compact museum with a huge range of exhibits. Where else would you be able to see an F1 exhibit through a tableau about the Saxons? There's always free trail sheets for various ages of children and information boards they can read as well as adults and interactive exhibits. Also the cafe and shop are really nice.
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A fantastic little museum with history from fossils to a Williams F1 formula one car.
As a Williams F1 fan I was especially pleased to see the Sir Patrick Head & Adrian Newey designed FW16B which Williams F1 which had won the 1994 constructor’s championship with & the various car race car parts from it, such as a brake disk, steering rack, brake cooling pod & brake & accelerator pedals, as well as Damon Hill’s race suit.
Entry is free, plus there’s free WiFi and donations are welcome.
The staff are very friendly & helpful, and there’s a lovely restaurant area too which serves hot & cold food, cakes, teas & various coffee’s, as well as cheap bottled & canned beers.
I paid £2.30 for a 500ml can of Old Speckled Hen & £2 for a coffee, which is cheaper than many of the local establishments around Wantage.
In addition to the nice little restaurant there’s a lovely little gift shop, which has a wide selection of new & second-hand books, and various other gifts. Some of which I found amusing & good gifts for family or friends.
Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 0930-1600 (except Bank holiday’s).
There is access for individuals with disabilities and a chair lift to the museum.
There is car parking nearby at Portway, which is close to The Beacon.
Parking chargeable Monday to Saturday.
0-2 hours is free
2-3 hours is £1.30
3-4 hours is £3.30
4-6 hours is £4.30
Over 6 hours is £5.30
The car parking is owned by the Vale of White Horse District Council.
Always busy with plenty of delicious food offered in the cafe. The children love mooching round (even if they're on a second or third visit).
Great museum and very family friendly. Welcoming and lots to do, we went with ages from 1-64 in our group and all had a great time. Interactive things for children, 5 year old really enjoyed the quizzes and clipboards, while 3 and 5 year old enjoyed the duck fishing game and the books.
Very cute place to take your kids. They have activity packs and a cafe. They often have special events on. It's very small but you make what you will of it. For example, they have lots of boxes under the displays where kids can touch and feel things. They even have smelling box. The staff are volunteers but polite enough. The food in the cafe is pretty good.
Small and friendly, lots to keep little ones (under 5's) entertained. We were pleasantly surprised!
The artifacts collection is very interesting. There is also a real William formula 1 car. Nice café as well. It is free and donations are welcome.
Beautiful little museum, have loved coming here since a child. And now I bring my children. Staff or all lovely greeting us with a smile.
Cafe serve delicious food, service is always with a smile. Well done to you all.
Really homely, friendly café with good coffee. Fabulous little town museum which was busy with kids and parents doing fun half term activities
Great little museum! Today was a special workshop day with activities for children. Our 6 year old loved it. Lots of craft activities and an excellent storyteller. 90 minutes was time and space for the adults to explore some of the rest.
For a small town, this is an excellent museum. It's free entry with lots of information about the history of the area, including information about King Alfred.
This is a small place and perfectly formed. It has a really good community feel and the latest displays about King Alfred are very interesting. I do wish they could get a more modern Formula One car but seeing an old one in the flesh is still a treat. The cafe always does OK food and nice tea/coffee. Cakes is where it excels I would say. Its a good place to spend a couple of hours and learn about local history.
What a gem. All sorts, beautifully displayed. Thoroughly enjoyed short visit with grandchild. Look forward to returning and also visiting cafe! Entry free but worth every penny of suggested donation.
Really friendly staff and although I didn't go in the museum the shop and cafe is very clean and the books and maps are not very expensive. There is no parking outside, but free parking for an hour is available at Portway Car Park, Wantage OX12 9BX
Lots to see and do for all ages. Local history spanning from prehistoric to 20th century. Hands on and interactive. They have great children's workshops during school holidays.
Delicious soup followed by panini.
Warm welcome.
Easy access.
Museum always worth a visit.
Saturday morning visit, nice atmosphere, well presented displays and plenty of interactive items. An F1 car on the wall was a surprise. Very nice cafe with reasonably priced cakes and drinks. Very good for families.
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