Visiting Haynes Motor Museum

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When we were away in Somerset and Wiltshire over the Easter holidays we spent a rainy day at Haynes Motor Museum. It’s somewhere we’ve often seen signs for but have never visited before – but it turned out to be the perfect attraction for bad weather!

What is Haynes Motor Museum?

Haynes Motor Museum is home to the UK’s largest collection of cars and motorcycles, with over 300 vehicles showcasing automotive innovation and motoring history. Created by John Haynes – who you’ll know from the Haynes Owners Workshop manuals – the museum dates back to the 1980s, originally showcasing John’s own collection of cars and expanding over the years to create the fantastic attraction you can visit today.

Where is Haynes Motor Museum?

Haynes Motor Museum is in Yeovil in Somerset. It’s well signposted and easily accessible from all around the local area – making it a great day out or even just somewhere different to stop to break up a long journey.

Visiting Haynes Motor Museum

On our visit to Haynes Motor Museum we parked easily and headed straight inside. The museum is well planned out so that you can visit the shop and cafe without paying to enter the museum – and you can still see plenty of cars in the reception area too!

We had already bought our tickets online – with a slight discount when buying in advance – and were pointed in the direction of the main museum. You can come and go as much as you like during the day and the museum also have seasonal trails around the museum and sensory activity bags for children to borrow to keep little ones as engaged as possible during your visit.

The museum began by teaching us about John Haynes, his work and his car collections. It was the natural place to start before moving on to focus more on the cars on display.

The next areas were about the dawn of motoring, the very first motor cars and veteran and vintage vehicles. There were so many different vehicles on display – not just cars – showcasing fantastic examples of motoring in tip top condition.

One of our favourite areas was the red room where all different sports cars and classic cars were on display – but they were all red. This was because John thought that if cars were all the same colour you weren’t influenced by your colour preferences and instead could enjoy the cars for their design. He wasn’t wrong!

Next we explored the Triumph exhibit – featuring a vehicle created to break the land speed record for a two‑wheeled vehicle. It used two Triumph Rocket III engines with Guy Martin riding it. This was a really interesting part of the exhibition and the kids loved seeing not only Triumph but also how the Triumph Rocket III Streamliner compares with the speeds of other vehicles and animals. This definitely made a change to ordinary cars.

We then discovered a vast outdoor play area – full of climbing structures, vehicles to play on and some coin operated machines too. This was a great place for kids to run off some steam and we definitely made the most of it in between rain showers.

There were also some activities for children inside the museum – where they could race scalextric and have a go of remote control cars. I’m not sure if this was just over the school holidays or if it’s on all the time but the kids definitely enjoyed it.

It was then time for a walk down Memory Lane, an exhibition that celebrates the cars that once filled driveways and roads across Britain from the 1940s to the 1970s, with each car representing a piece of everyday British motoring history.

We loved that this area also featured a collection of vintage enamel signs and other motoring memorabilia that really brought the era to life. It really was like walking through a little slice of history.

The Morris Story was one of our favourite parts of the Haynes Motor Museum. Located on the site of the original Haynes workshop, established in 1985, it charts the history of Morris Garages from its beginnings in 1915 to the present day.

It features so many significant MG and Morris vehicles and the garage part looks like the mechanic has just stepped out for lunch. With so much to see and even touch, the children loved this bit.

The next exhibition was dedicated to Enzo Ferrari – the ambitious young driver who turned a racing dream into the world’s most recognised luxury brand. Who doesn’t love looking at beautiful, shiny cars? This area is a must for any sports car fan!

Another top part of the Haynes Motor Museum for us was the Hall of Motorsport. This area is dedicated to vehicles that have defined decades of competition, from Grand Prix racing and rallying through to royal karting! It even includes some of the first racing cars driven by some of the top names in motorsport.

We then found ourselves in a vast area dedicated to The American Dream, where you go on a journey through 100 years of American motoring history. It features some of the most iconic cars in the Museum, and in the history of motoring.

The kids then really enjoyed the Williams F1 section, showcasing the history and fierce competition that have defined Williams Racing’s journey. It features legendary cars and explores the cutting-edge technologies behind one of the most successful teams in F1 history.

The Haynes Motor Museum has a cool mezzanine level where you not only get great views of the American Dream exhibition but you also get to explore one of the most interactive parts of the museum – Life on Two Wheels. This tells the story of British motorcycling from its origins to the modern day.

As well as having many bikes on display, it also shows the science of how bikes work, specialised protective clothing and how motorcycles were used during wartime. It’s really informative and so different to the rest of the museum.

It was then time for British Icons: Driven by Innovation, showcasing the most iconic British cars in history. It covers over 40 years of British automotive history and features cars like the Aston Martin, Jaguar, Lotus and Mini.

The kids loved that they could design their own Mini here – and see the design brought to life on a real car right in front of them. They would have happily stayed designing for hours if we’d let them!

Nearing the end of the museum we saw the Haynes Motor Museum’s exhibition, Transitions exhibition which explores the prospect of sustainable motoring whilst explaining the latest technologies shaping the cars of the future.

The last part of the museum was the Wheels Around the World area which looks at how geography, politics, and social needs have shaped the cars we drive. It features a diverse and eclectic range of vehicles spanning from the interwar period to the early 2000s, each telling a unique story of the place it originated from. It was a great end to a lovely day.

Refreshments at Haynes Motor Museum

Halfway through our trip we popped to the cafe for a pit stop. We’d brought a picnic with us but bought a round of hot drinks – and loved that the tea came in tea pots, so much nicer than just a mug! The cafe was great, with a good variety of hot and cold food and drink options.

We had such a nice day at the Haynes Motor Museum and we’re so glad we finally made the trip. It was a toss up between visiting here or the Fleet Air Arm Museum which is another great local attraction. But, when the choice came down to planes or cars, cars won and a lovely day out was had.

A ticket to Haynes Motor Museum gives free return entry for a year which is fantastic if you’re local or visiting the area regularly. Anyone with even a passing interest in cars would enjoy a day wandering around the vehicles on display.

You can find out more about Haynes Motor Museum over on their website and for reference the address is: Sparkford, Yeovil BA22 7LH