In the week that the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) released the visitor figures of its members for 2023 during English Tourism Week, the team at Yeovilton’s Fleet Air Arm Museum are celebrating a bumper year and return to pre-Covid levels of visitation.
Recording a 33% increase in visitor numbers to almost 87,000, the popular museum that captures over 100 years of naval flight and has seen considerable success re-engaging with a local audience through its winter-long 30% discount offer to local residents.
Marc Farrance, General Manager explains:
“The last year has been a good one for us with real shoots of recovery post-Covid and we’re thrilled to be included in Alva’s list of leading attractions.
"We’re particularly proud of the work we’ve done attracting local residents during winter with a discount campaign and high-quality regular programming, which means visitors return time and time again.
“School holidays are buoyant and the gallery improvements we’ve made in the last 18 months with our refreshed aircraft carrier exhibition and Barracuda Live: the Big Build which reconstructs a complete, non-flying Barracuda aircraft are proving to be really popular.”
The Fleet Air Arm Museum is home to Europe’s largest naval aircraft collection and features over 100 aircraft, 2 million records, artefacts and objects. The museum is also home to Concorde 002, the first British prototype Concorde which visitors can climb aboard.
Easter events at the museum include:
The Fleet Air Arm Museum, Egg-cellent Easter Egg Hunt, Saturday 30th March 2024 to Sunday 14th April 2024
A surprise visit from a certain bunny has left a trail of eggs around the halls of the Fleet Air Arm Museum. Ellie Copter needs help from museum visitors to find all the hidden eggs, piece together the clues and follow the trail to save Easter and claim a prize. This event is free with a valid museum ticket, and operates during normal museum opening hours.
The Fleet Air Arm Museum, Active Aviators, Thursday 28th March 2024 10:30am to 12pm
Particularly for under 5s and their parents or carers, this event is a morning of crafts, games and more for children while offering parents a chance to relax. This event is held monthly, and all tickets must be pre-booked. Tickets cost £3 per adult with 3 accompanying under 5s, or is free with a valid museum ticket. To learn more and book on please visit: https://www.nmrn.org.uk/events/active-aviators-march-2024
A ticket to the Fleet Air Arm Museum gives 12-months of access, so visitors can return for seasonal events throughout the year, return for their favourite exhibit, or see how the work in Barracuda Live is progressing. To purchase a ticket to the museum please visit: https://www.nmrn.org.uk/buy-tickets/fleet-air-arm-museum