Basingstoke’s Milestones Museum of Living History has reopened its doors today (May 21) after several months of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Before welcoming customers back, the staff have worked hard to get the museum on the Leisure Park ready.
A message on the museum website reads: “We’ve dusted down our costumes, polished up our vehicles and swept the streets ready to give you a warm and safe welcome back!
“Come and discover life in Hampshire past and visit our all new Mr Simpson’s Teddy Bear Museum, home to an incredible collection of more than 260 teddy bears.
“You can buy admission tickets and also pre-book a day and time to visit the museum online, where you will also be able to see the measures that we have in place to help keep everyone safe.”
In a boost for museums in Basingstoke, the Hampshire Cultural Trust, which runs Milestones along with the Willis Museum and Basing House, was given £240,000 to help with its recovery.
Made up of a network of streets that have been recreated according to those found in Victorian and 1930s Hampshire, Milestones Museum has been a popular attraction in Basingstoke.
You can explore the museum’s streets, shops and buildings to discover how people used to live, buy a ration of sweets from a 1940s sweet shop, view a unique collection of vintage vehicles and have a go in the penny arcade.
Its other attractions include cobbled streets, a replica Victorian school room – complete with chalkboard and teacher’s desk – and even a working printing press.
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