Museums, cultural venues and park trails offer different ways to spend time in Basingstoke. When planning, first decide whether you are more interested in history, music and art, or outdoor trails; the places themselves also differ in their opening hours, content and routes.

Museums: Opening hours and historical focus

Milestones Museum, located in the centre of Basingstoke Leisure Park, is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 16:45. As current opening hours may change, check them before travelling. Admission to the Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery is free, and no advance booking is required. Here too, it is worth checking the visitor information before setting out.

The Willis Museum explores the history of Basingstoke and Deane, from its archaeological heritage to the present day. Its archaeology gallery focuses more narrowly on the Borough’s distant past, covering the period from the Stone Age to Saxon times. This places a broad regional historical perspective alongside a clearly defined archaeological focus on a particular period. If you are interested in early history, you can make the gallery the focus of your visit; for a broader historical overview, the museum’s overall scope is the main consideration.

Parks and trails in Basingstoke

The River Loddon flows through Eastrop Park and feeds a balancing pond in a wildlife area. Several named routes also run through the park: National Cycle Network Route 23 passes through it, as does the Basingstoke Canal Heritage footpath, which runs from Festival Place through Eastrop Park. If a cycling route is relevant to your plans, Route 23 is the specific option; for a walk, the Heritage footpath route from Festival Place is useful.

War Memorial Park has three self-guided walks and a Tree Trail. You can choose between these self-guided walks and the routes through Eastrop Park. The parks also differ in their stated features: the river, balancing pond and wildlife area shape the landscape at Eastrop Park, while the walks and Tree Trail are the main features of War Memorial Park.

Cultural venues and art

Anvil Arts operates three cultural venues in Basingstoke: The Anvil, The Haymarket and The Forge. Anvil Arts provides visitor information for these venues on ticket booking, getting there and access facilities. If you are planning a visit, this information may help you prepare. Individual event programmes may change, so check the programme for your preferred date.

The Anvil in Basingstoke is a concert hall. Its programme includes classical music, jazz, country, folk and popular music. These genres give a clear idea of the musical styles represented there; which event suits your stay depends on the programme at the time. The Haymarket is also one of the three venues operated by Anvil Arts in Basingstoke.

Visitors can take part in a range of art activities at Proteus Creation Space. This offers a different focus from attending a concert at The Anvil: here, the emphasis is on participating in art activities, while The Anvil offers a music programme. Viables Craft Centre is also located in Basingstoke.

Discover more destinations: Martin, Bordon, Hambledon, Emsworth, Fair Oak, Nursling, Hayling Island, Hamble-Le-Rice

For the wider travel overview: Hampshire.