What To See
The Rifles Museum has re-opened! Please check the Plan Your Visit page for detailed opening times...
Main Gallery
The Main Gallery in The Rifles Museum offers a fascinating insight into the story of the largest infantry regiment of the British Army.
Immerse yourself into their history and exciting campaigns, and find out what it is like to be a Rifleman, including trying on their uniform and battle armour!
Packed with personal items and individual soldiers’ accounts, it is a meaningful experience for all to enjoy and explore.
Exhibitions
Unseen Art – The Art of a Regiment
21 January 2020 to 9 May 2020 [Extended to Summer 2021]
As part of the museum’s changing exhibition series, this exhibition features a selection of artworks and silver owned by The Rifles Regiment. Including a mixture of portraits, freedom and friendship gifts and presentation pieces, this display will look at why military organisations commission and collect art, and how painting can be used during the recovery and rehabilitation of injured Riflemen.
Free Entry
Sport in The Rifles
[Postponed until Summer 2021]
To link to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo during July and August, this exhibition will highlight the importance of sport to The Rifles. As a fitness tool, a source of competition and camaraderie and for social entertainment, sporting endeavours are a crucial part of life as a Rifleman, and form a central part of the Regiment’s calendar.
Free Entry
Events and Workshops
Family Activities (2022)
Don’t miss any of our fun, family activities at The Rifles Museum this year. We will be hosting a range of guided and self-led activities in the Museum in 2022, during school holidays and in connection to specific events, such as Armistice Day.
All activities are hosted in the Museum, located at Peninsula Barracks, Romsey Road, Winchester, SO23 8TS, and usually take place between 10:00 am and 3:30 pm.
After an activity, enjoy exploring the rest of The Rifles Museum, which is free entry. Also, don’t forget to check out the five museums in Winchester’s Military Quarter, and grab something to eat or drink at Joe’s Café!
Sword Making – Spring Half-Term Holiday (22-24th February)
Make and decorate your own sword from cardboard and tin foil. Did you know that in The Rifles what the rest of the Army usually call ‘bayonets’ in are known as ‘swords’? Come along to discover why!
Recommended donation: £2
The activity is suitable for children aged 4 and up. Young sword makers may need help with glue and scissors.
Eggbox Tank Building and Rifleman Egbert Making – Easter Holiday (12-13th, 20-22nd April)
Over Easter, come into The Rifles Museum on the 12-13th April to make your own Eggbox Tank or other armoured vehicle – either based on a real vehicle used by the British Army or your own design! Also, discover the story of how The Rifles and the current Regiment’s antecedents have fought against and alongside tanks.
On the 20-22nd April, create your own ‘Rifleman Egbert’, who never cracks under pressure! Colour him in and attach his arms and legs. While in the Museum, learn how camouflage developed in the British Army and in the antecedents of The Rifles.
Recommended donation: £2
The activity is suitable for children aged 4 and up. Young visitors may need help with glue, scissors and paint.
Ranks of The Rifles – Summer Half-Term Holiday (31st May – 1st June)
Create your own rank badge or sticker, copying the real ranks used by the British Army. Learn why rank titles are different in The Rifles, such as ‘Rifleman’ instead of ‘Private’, and ‘Serjeant’ spelt with a ‘J’.
Recommended donation: £2
The activity is suitable for children aged 4 and up. Young badge makers may need help with scissors.
Summer Holiday
Over the course of the Summer Holiday, come in every week for a different family activity.
Riflemen Dolls (26-28th July)
Make and take a wooden Rifleman doll. Copy the real uniforms worn by The Rifles today, a historic British Army uniform or come up with your own design!
Recommended donation: £2
The activity is suitable for children aged 4 and up. Young doll makers may need help with glue and scissors.
Quadbike Building (2-4th August)
Come into The Rifles Museum to see and sit on a real Army quadbike, before building your own!
Recommended donation: £2
The activity is suitable for children aged 4 and up. Young quadbike builders may need help with glue and scissors.
Medal Making (9-11th August)
Follow our guide to making your own military medal. Try copying one of the real medals awarded to Riflemen today, a medal from British Army history, a foreign military medal or just create your design!
Recommended donation: £2
The activity is suitable for children aged 4 and up. Young medal makers may need help with glue and scissors.
Caps and Cap Badges (16-18th August)
Decorate a cap with either the cap badge of The Rifles, one of the antecedent regiments or your own creation. Discover what a cap badge represents and why The Rifles badge features a bugle.
Recommended donation: £3
The activity is suitable for children aged 4 and up. Young cap decorators may need help with glue.
Rifleman’s Mirror (23-25th August)
Glue a mirror onto a sheet of card and then draw and colour-in your hat or helmet, uniform and other details. See yourself as a Rifleman!
Recommended donation: £2
The activity is suitable for children aged 4 and up. Young visitors may need help with glue and scissors.
Camouflage Colouring (30th August – 1st September)
Discover the story of camouflage in The Rifles and the British Army. Enjoy camouflage-themed colouring and activities.
Recommended donation: Free!
The activity is suitable for children of all ages.
Peninsula Pumpkins – Autumn Half-Term Holiday (26-28th October)
Come into The Rifles Museum for pumpkin carving and other Halloween fun – including military-themed ghost stories and spooky colouring.
Recommended donation: £4
The activity is suitable for children aged 4 and up. Staff and volunteers will do the actual carving, while children design and scoop out their pumpkins.
Peninsula Poppies – Remembrance Day (7-13th November)
Commemorate Remembrance Day by making a poppy or poppy wreath in The Rifles Museum.
Recommended donation: Free!
The activity is suitable for children aged 4 and up. Young helmet makers may need help with glue and scissors.
Christmas Card Making (28th November – 17th December)
Make your own Christmas cards in The Rifles Museum. Use one of our templates, and wish someone special a Merry Rifles Christmas, or create your own design. Also, enjoy fun and festive Christmas colouring.
Recommended donation: Free!
The activity is suitable for children aged 4 and up. Young helmet makers may need help with glue and scissors.
Christmas Card Making
Come into The Rifles Museum and make your own Christmas card! Use one of our templates, and wish someone special a Merry Rifles Christmas, or create your own design. Also, enjoy fun and festive Christmas colouring.
Activities are self-led and free! Any donations to the museum are much appreciated and help us to continue to host family activities.
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
29th November – 18th December
The activity is suitable for children of all ages. Very young card makers may need help from an adult!
After making your Christmas cards, have fun exploring The Rifles Museum and the other five museums in Winchester’s Military Quarter, and grab something to eat or drink at Café Joes!
Remembrance Poppies
For Remembrance Day, The Rifles Museum will be hosting free poppy making from the 8-14th November 2021.
Come along and make either a poppy or poppy wreath. Both a family, craft activity and a chance to remember the sacrifices made by those that gave up their lives for us.
The Remembrance Poppies activity will be largely self-led in the museum and consist of craft activities, making poppies and wreaths from paper plates, and Remembrance-themed colouring.
The activity is suitable for children of all ages, although younger poppy makers may require some help with glue and scissors.
Peninsula Pumpkins
This Halloween, come into The Rifles Museum for fun, Halloween activities!
Pumping carving will be hosted from the 26-28th October. You design your jack-o’-lantern and the Museum staff will carve it for you! Also, pick up some Halloween pumpkin recipes – with ideas for some scarily tasty treats!
This event was made possible by the generous support of Lyburn Farm (www.lyburnfarm.co.uk).
All week, 25-31st October, enjoy creepy Halloween colouring and pick up a collection of mysterious military ghost stories.
After enjoying Peninsula Pumpkins, have fun exploring The Rifles Museum and the other five museums in Winchester’s Military Quarter, and grab something to eat or drink at Café Joes!
Summer Holiday Activities (2021)
28th July, 4th, 11th and 16-29th August
This Summer Holiday, come to The Rifles Museum for fun, family activities. Take home great craft packs and colouring on our Wonderful Wednesdays!
Medal Making – 28th July: Create your own medals. What will yours be awarded for?
Sword Making – 4th August: Copy and make one of the swords or bayonets from the history of The Rifles!
Riflemen Dolls – 11th August: Design and decorate your doll. Copy the real uniforms of The Rifles or invent your own!
Camouflage Colouring – 16-29th August: Self-led Camouflage Colouring and activities. Learn the story of camo in The Rifles.
Touring Exhibition
I am a Rifleman
Drawing on our unique collections and stories, we have created a touring exhibition, I am a Rifleman. We are always looking to develop new partnerships and hope to curate more touring exhibitions in the future!
For further information on our touring exhibition offer, please download the information pack below or contact us by email on museum@the-rifles.co.uk
Download the I am a Rifleman information pack here
Read more about the exhibition here