The British Motor Museum is all set to reopen its doors on 17 May in line with Stage 3 of the Government’s roadmap.  Having been awarded the ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry charter mark by VisitEngland, the Museum is confident that everything is in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit. 

The Museum will be open 7 days a week from 10am – 5pm with limited numbers per day and pre-booking is essential for all visitors including those returning with an annual pass. There are 10am, 11am, 12noon and 1pm arrival slots available and once at the Museum visitors can stay as long as they wish until closing.

New for 2021, the E-type Evolution Exhibition from the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust (JDHT) commemorates the 60th Anniversary of the Jaguar E-type. The Exhibition tells the story of the car from the racing C and D-types of the 1950s, the E2A Prototype, its launch at Geneva on 15 March 1961 and finishes with two very successful Racing V12 E-types from the 1970s. The exhibition runs to the end of June and is included in the standard Museum admission. 

For the May half-term week from 29 May – 6 June, the Museum will be hosting a full programme of family friendly activities to celebrate the Jaguar E-type’s 60th Birthday. Visitors will have the chance to meet Dotty or Dougie, the car designers from the swinging 60s and explore this amazing car and it's design.  Younger visitors will also have the chance to take home their very own cardboard cut-out Jaguar E-type! There are also online celebratory activities for those not able to visit the Museum.

The ‘Gaydon Gathering’, a free monthly evening gathering aimed at motoring enthusiasts, will return on Tuesday 11 May. The first gathering took place last October and the Museum plans to fun this friendly event on the second Tuesday of every month until the autumn. Pre-booking is essential. 

The Museum is also gearing up to run a full schedule of motoring shows and events this summer, all in line with Government advice. Over 14 shows and rallies are being planned to include the return of several popular events such as the Land Rover Show, Retro Truck Show as well as some brand-new events including ‘Autolicious’ on 29 August. This event presented by Audi-licious is a rare opportunity to see an array of stunning cars on display including Audi, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Bentley, Porsche, Mercedes, Lamborghini and VW.

Jeff Coope, Managing Director at the British Motor Museum said “We are delighted to be able to re-open our doors and welcome back visitors after being closed for such a long period. Thanks to funding from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund and the success of the furlough scheme, the Museum is in a good place and is now keen to get back to business. We’re looking forward to seeing the return of our much valued and loyal visitors as well as the staff, some of whom are already hard at work preparing to re-open the Museum once again”.

2021 admission prices remain the same as in 2020 and are: Adults £14.50, Concessions £12.50, Children £9 (5-16 years), under 5’s free, and a Family ticket £40 (2 adults & up to 3 children). If you Gift Aid or donate your entrance fee you receive an annual pass at no extra cost. All visitors must pre-book tickets so the Museum can fulfil its NHS Test and Trace commitment.  Visitors must adhere to the ‘Rule of 6’, wear a face covering at all times and observe social distancing.

For more information on keeping visitors safe please visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/news/welcome-back

Those with annual passes will automatically have their passes extended by the number of days that the Museum was closed. More information about this and to book tickets please visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/plan-your-visit/book-tickets. Museum tickets will go on sale on 11 May.