National Cold War Exhibition
The Vulcan, Victor and Valiant bombers together under one roof, with a Lightning hung vertically above them.
Three British Cold War nuclear bombers stand shoulder to shoulder under one roof here: the delta-winged Vulcan, the Victor and the Valiant, with an English Electric Lightning hung nose-up above them as if frozen mid-climb. Nowhere else on earth shows the V-force together (this Valiant is the only one left in existence), and that alone justifies the trip out of Birmingham to the RAF Cosford airbase in Shropshire, even for someone who cannot tell one aircraft from another. Entry is completely free, worth saying first because most visitors to Britain assume anything this size must cost a family the price of a good dinner. This is the Midlands branch of the national RAF Museum (the other is at Hendon in London) and was called RAF Museum Cosford until 2022. Over seventy historic aircraft fill vast hangars, the standout being the angular National Cold War Exhibition building. The Test Flight hangar holds the TSR2, the prototype strike aircraft cancelled in 1965 of which only two survive, beside the oldest Spitfire still in existence; War in the Air has the freshly restored Wellington, one of only two left, and the wooden Mosquito. One important caveat for 2026: Hangar 1 is shut for redevelopment until summer 2027, when it reopens with a new gallery, The RAF: 1980 to Today. The famous Falklands Chinook Bravo November is earmarked for that gallery and is not on regular display until then, so if that helicopter is your reason for coming, check the museum website before you set off. The site also closes on occasional days for private events, so check dates before travelling. For families it is unexpectedly easy: wide flat floors suit pushchairs, there is a big aviation-themed playground outside, flight simulators and a 4D cinema at £5 per person (10% less booked online), and the Airfield Kitchen cafe in the visitor centre. No prayer room is advertised, and the cafe is standard British fare with no advertised halal option. Three hours is enough for a brisk walk-through, five if you read the panels and climb into the open Hunter and Phantom cockpits. In winter the doors close at 16:00 and the hangars dim early, but as an almost entirely indoor site it is a first-rate wet-day plan. Getting there: a direct train from Birmingham New Street to Cosford on the Shrewsbury line takes about forty minutes, then a fifteen-minute, half-mile walk on a new footpath opened in July 2026 that keeps you off the road; note the station is unstaffed and has steps from both platforms. Driving takes roughly 30 to 45 minutes via the M6 and M54 (junction 3), and parking is £7.50 per car. The museum recommends booking your free entry ticket on the official site before you go, especially in the summer holidays and on rainy days when the hangars fill up.
The Vulcan, Victor and Valiant bombers together under one roof, with a Lightning hung vertically above them.
Test Flight holds one of only two surviving TSR2 prototypes beside the oldest Spitfire still in existence.
A large aviation-themed playground outside, open Hunter and Phantom cockpits to climb into, and simulators at £5 a go.
Lysander Avenue, RAF Cosford, Shropshire TF11 8UP
Yes if aircraft interest you or you have children who love them: the three main buildings, including the Cold War exhibition, are open and are the heart of the visit. If your target is the Chinook Bravo November or the new post-1980 gallery, wait for summer 2027 or check the official site before leaving. If aviation leaves you cold, this museum will not convert you, and the time is better spent in Birmingham itself.
Both are free and run by the same institution. The London branch at Hendon is easier to reach by Tube and covers the broader story; Cosford wins on the Cold War hall, the three V-bombers and the TSR2, none of which London has. If you visit both cities but have time for only one museum, pick London for convenience and Cosford for the sight you will not see anywhere else.