The Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery

The Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery We're the community museum for Basingstoke. We host regional and national exhibitions in our gallery. We're part of Hampshire Cultural Trust.
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Volunteer with us: https://tinyurl.com/3tu7bpk8 Basingstoke’s Willis Museum, housed in the Old Town Hall, is in the historic heart of Basingstoke close to Festival Place, the busy town centre. You can discover Basingstoke and Deane’s past, from the rich archaeological heritage beneath our feet right up to the modern day. In the Sainsbury Gallery there is always something new to see with a regularly changing programme of special exhibitions, workshops, talks and events.

‼️Only a FEW DAYS LEFT to submit your stories of Basingstoke in the 1990s‼️Help us tell the story of Basingstoke during ...
30/05/2026

‼️Only a FEW DAYS LEFT to submit your stories of Basingstoke in the 1990s‼️

Help us tell the story of Basingstoke during the decade of Furbies, Spice Girls, and Cool Britannia!

Were you living, working and growing up in Basingstoke in the 1990s?!

Fill in this quick, anonymous survey and get your memories of our town during the decade into our exhibition 'Basingstoke in the 90s' upstairs in the Basingstoke Community Gallery from Saturday 18 July - Sunday 23 August 2026

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/YKdbU0ebRH

Image: Chicago, Wi******er Street, 1990s

☀️ THROWBACK THURSDAY☀️Did you know that Basingstoke Football Club celebrated their centenary in 1996?!Do you have any m...
28/05/2026

☀️ THROWBACK THURSDAY☀️

Did you know that Basingstoke Football Club celebrated their centenary in 1996?!

Do you have any memories of watching games in the old grounds?

⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️

There's a few days left to get your memories in to contributed to our exhibition Basingstoke in the 90s!

Follow this link to fill in a quick, anonymous survey and tell us your memories of Basingstoke during the decade https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/YKdbU0ebRH

Image: Hampshire Cultural Trust, 1990s

🪻MAY HALF TERM IS ALMOST HERE🪻 Book your spot on our ✨️ Family Watercolour Workshop with Veronica Williams✨️ THURS 28 MA...
22/05/2026

🪻MAY HALF TERM IS ALMOST HERE🪻

Book your spot on our ✨️ Family Watercolour Workshop with Veronica Williams✨️

THURS 28 MAY - 10.30AM-12.30PM

🎨 Step into a world of creativity this Half-Term at The Willis
In this fun and exciting workshop, children will learn how to use watercolour paints and have the freedom to play with their creativity and imagination.

🎨 This hands-on workshop encourages creativity, confidence, and sustainable art-making — perfect for young artists who love to imagine and create!

Suitable for: 8 - 11 yrs

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All children must be accompanied by an adult. Please only book a ticket for the children taking part, not accompanying adults.
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🌟 Throwback Thursday🌟Balloons Over Basingstoke had its final event in 2010 but before then it ran for over 15 years! Thi...
21/05/2026

🌟 Throwback Thursday🌟

Balloons Over Basingstoke had its final event in 2010 but before then it ran for over 15 years!

This photo from the Hampshire Cultural Trust collection is of a fairground organ operator at the War Memorial Park for Balloons Over Basingstoke, May 1990

Share your memories of the event in the comments!

Thank you to everyone who supported our Big Give campaign.With your help, we raised over £13,000 through the campaign, u...
19/05/2026

Thank you to everyone who supported our Big Give campaign.

With your help, we raised over £13,000 through the campaign, unlocking vital match funding to help children and young people find inspiration, creativity and joy in the arts when they need it most. Since the campaign closed, further gifts and Gift Aid have taken the total to over £18,000, which is a wonderful result.

We are also grateful to the donor who provided match funding and believes deeply in this work, helping every pound given to go further. Together, this shared commitment will enhance local children and young people’s connection to their local museum or gallery and access to creative opportunities

📞 📞 📞 CALL OUT📞 📞 📞 We are collecting memories of Basingstoke during the 1990s until the beginning of June!Did you watch...
17/05/2026

📞 📞 📞 CALL OUT📞 📞 📞

We are collecting memories of Basingstoke during the 1990s until the beginning of June!

Did you watch the Tour de France come through? Spend your nights partying at Martines?

We'd love to know about your memories of living and working in Basingstoke during the decade

Pop into the museum to chat to our staff or click the link in the comments to fill out our quick anonymous survey!

🪻 GET AHEAD FOR MAY HALF TERM 🪻 Book your spot on our ✨️ Family Watercolour Workshop with Veronica Williams✨️ THURS 28 M...
17/05/2026

🪻 GET AHEAD FOR MAY HALF TERM 🪻

Book your spot on our ✨️ Family Watercolour Workshop with Veronica Williams✨️

THURS 28 MAY - 10.30AM-12.30PM

🎨 Step into a world of creativity this Half-Term at The Willis
In this fun and exciting workshop, children will learn how to use watercolour paints and have the freedom to play with their creativity and imagination.

🎨 This hands-on workshop encourages creativity, confidence, and sustainable art-making — perfect for young artists who love to imagine and create!

Suitable for: 8 - 11 yrs

-
All children must be accompanied by an adult. Please only book a ticket for the children taking part, not accompanying adults.
-

We have TWO MORE brilliant Tea & Talk events before our summer break!SUNDAY 31 MAY 'The New Forest - A Wildlife Year' wi...
16/05/2026

We have TWO MORE brilliant Tea & Talk events before our summer break!

SUNDAY 31 MAY

'The New Forest - A Wildlife Year' with Marcus Ward

The Wild New Forest tour guide will take you on a journey through the seasons! Explore the flora and fauna, iconic ponies and hidden insects that inhabit the unique woodland!

🦌 ⚔️ 🦌 ⚔️

SUNDAY 28 JUNE

'A field in Runnymeade' with Alan Turton

Join the military historian as he discusses King John and the effects of the Magna Carta!

‼️TOMORROW‼️Learn about the decline of the Basingstoke Swift and what YOU can do to stop it!Join Catharine Gale, trustee...
15/05/2026

‼️TOMORROW‼️

Learn about the decline of the Basingstoke Swift and what YOU can do to stop it!

Join Catharine Gale, trustee of charity Hampshire Swifts, as she tells us about the work of the charity to save this iconic bird

Book your tickets for this FREE talk now!

🪺 🪺 🪺

🍎🥩💐 💿️ IT'S MARKET DAY🍎🥩💐 💿️ There's been a market in Basingstoke's Market Place outside the museum for hundreds of ye...
13/05/2026

🍎🥩💐 💿️ IT'S MARKET DAY🍎🥩💐 💿️

There's been a market in Basingstoke's Market Place outside the museum for hundreds of years!

But before Festival Place was built there was also a market in New Market Square

We found this photograph of a sunny market day while research for our exhibition 'Basingstoke in the 90s' which will be upstairs in the Basingstoke Gallery (18 July - 23 August)

Did you visit the market in the 90s?

If you would like to contribute a memory or two of Basingstoke in the 1990s to our exhibition please fill out this short, anonymous, survey before the end of May! https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/YKdbU0ebRH

⁉️DID YOU KNOW... ⁉️ The South-East of the UK has lost an estimated 75% of its Swifts since 1994!Join us for a FREE talk...
12/05/2026

⁉️DID YOU KNOW... ⁉️

The South-East of the UK has lost an estimated 75% of its Swifts since 1994!

Join us for a FREE talk on Saturday 16 May with the Hampshire Swifts (a charity set up in 2016 to address the decline of Swifts in the county!)

Learn about the rapid decline of this iconic bird and what YOU can do to help reverse it!

Sercure your space now by clicking the link in the comments

🪺 🪺 🪺

Address

Market Place
Basingstoke
RG217QD

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+441256465902

Website

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