Activities in Basingstoke

A brilliant example of living history, Milestones Museum is a literal trip back in time with brilliantly immersive street scenes recreated from the Victorian era onwards. Guests can explore and interact with the museum including a 1940s street, vintage vehicles, a replica Victorian school, a printing press, a working pub, costumed characters and a dedicated under-fives play area.

The perfect mix of fun and functional, the Basingstoke Aquadrome is an action-packed leisure centre with several swimming pools, a splash zone, a baby pool, rapids and several flumes. Great fun for the family, the Aquadrome is located in the Basingstoke Leisure Park alongside the Hollywood Bowl, Planet Ice and iFLY Indoor Skydiving on Churchill Way on the western edge of Basingstoke, a short drive from our Basingstoke West hotel.

A 16th-century country house now owned and run by the National Trust, The Vyne is an impressive Tudor house that’s recently been fully opened up to the public after an extensive £5.4m refurbishment. After you’ve explored the impressive rooms, artworks and tapestries, head out to the leafy gardens and explore the lake and woods and stop off for a coffee and lunch at the Brewhouse tea-room.

The largest privately-owned Tudor house in England, Basing House is a fascinating trip back in time to 1535 situated around a mile east of the town centre near Basingstoke Common. The Basing House Museum traces the history of the house, including its part in the English Civil War, while the walled garden and activity trail are perfect for exploring. The house run regular events including outdoor theatre and workshops, while there’s also a visitor centre, café and gift shop on site.

A modern entertainment park which includes an ice rink, ten-pin bowling, skizone, Odeon cinema complex, indoor bowls club, a golf centre, a range of restaurants and an iFLY Indoor Skydiving zone, Basingstoke Leisure Park is a brilliant day out for kids, families and couples. Whether it’s a romantic dinner and movie night, ice skating session, a floodlit thrash around a Par 3 golf course or practising your perfect skydiving pose, there’s something for everyone. And, our Basingstoke West hotel is handily located opposite the Odeon cinema.

In the heart of Basingstoke, Eastrop Park is a large space full of walking trails, a boating lake, paddling pools and play areas. Thanks to the River Loddon that runs through the middle, there is plenty of wildlife including a resident kingfisher while the man-made lakes are home to the Basingstoke Model Boat Club. There’s also a café and boathouse open during the summer, bank holidays and at the weekends from Easter to the end of September.

Covering the town’s local history from medieval times to the modern day, the Willis Museum is a fascinating space with a variety of exhibitions and galleries near Festival Place. Across two floors of an impressive Victorian building that once acted as the Basingstoke Town Hall, the museum also has dedicated galleries covering archaeology, a community gallery, a Jane Austen statue and – not for consumption – the world’s oldest wedding cake dating back to 1898.