Stuck for ideas of what to do on a rainy day in Cambridge? Head to IWM Duxford for England’s most impressive aviation museum! As a result Footprints Tours has written the ultimate guide to IWM Duxford!

A short drive away from Cambridge is IWM Duxford, England’s largest aviation museum. IWM Duxford is Britain’s best preserved WW2 airfield with an astonishing collection of fighters and bombers including Spitfires, Lancasters, Tiger Moths and The Vulcan Bomber. It’s also home to The Royal Anglian Regiment Museum and The American Air Museum.
‘The Superhanger’, Hanger 1, features 30 large aircraft. These include The Hawker Siddeley Harrier, a Eurofighter Typhoon DA4 and a Panavia Tornado.
After that you can head to Hanger 2, which gives you a glimpse into fighter maintenance and restoration. This is home to Duxford’s famous private fighter collection.
Next on the list is Hanger 3 which houses a Duxford’s maritime museum. Boats on display include The Coastal Motor Boat 4, the Vosper motor torpedo boat MTB-71 and a Royal National Lifeboat Institution boat.
Hanger 4 houses the Battle of Britain and The Blitz Display. Its an impressive and heart-rendering look into Britain’s air defence during WW2.
Hanger 5 houses Duxford’s aircraft conservation area and the guides there will be happy to talk to you about their experiences conserving some of the most famous aircraft in the world.
If you head over to Hanger 6 there is a a real-life 1940s Operations Room. This gives you key insights into how Duxford operated during WW2 and grounds the museum in its own impressive history.
The newly rebuilt Hanger 7 features The American Air Museum which has a plethora of incredible American Aircraft including a B-17G flying fortress and a B-29 Superfortress.
The final stop, Hanger 8, features the land warfare exhibit. It hosts an impressive display of the museums’s collection of armoured vehicles, tanks and artillery. There is also a fascinating exhibition on the North Africa, Normandy and The Eastern Front campaigns.
Periodically Duxford hosts spectacular air-shows, so make sure you visit the website in advance. Its a great day out for kids and adults alike!

Opening Hours: 10am-5pm