The Forties Experience

Directions Contact the museum

The Forties Experience A unique, hands on, WW2 living history attraction located in Bushey, Hertfordshire at the site of th The opening times are 10.30am until 4pm.

Our Open Days are on the last Sunday of the month (excluding December). Admission:
Adults: £6
Children (4-17): £4
Under 4s: Free
Concessions (Disabled, carers, seniors): £4
Period Dress/Uniform: £4
Family Ticket (2 Adults and 2 Children or 2 Seniors): £18

It's not just a museum - It's a living history experience! What was once the WW2 operational headquarters of the United States Air Force 8th Fighter Command is today home to The 1940s Experience, a part of the Lincolnsfields Children's Centre, which is run by the Lincolnsfields Children's Charity. The 1940s Experience offers exciting, unique educational trips for both children and adults. For children and young people we offer two study opportunities under our Children at War Evacuees Experience programme. These are group day visits for schools and, uniquely in the UK, 3-day residential visits; which allow pupils to fully experience some of the realities of being a child during the Second World War. The adult and family programme centres around the regular Open Day events at the Centre on the last Sunday of every month (except December) and pre-booked private group visits for party bookings. There are lots of hands-on activities for the whole family to enjoy. We offer education, nostalgia and fun! Big or small, young or old we cater to all - whether you're looking for a trip down memory lane; to experience parents or grandparents stories of their life during the war; or to learn about an important part of our country's history in a fun, hands on way.

During your visit, come and have a look at our Dig for Victory garden to learn about what people used to grow for themse...
13/10/2026

During your visit, come and have a look at our Dig for Victory garden to learn about what people used to grow for themselves and see our Anderson Shelter.

Explore a taste of wartime London in our London Blitz Experience. This is a guided walk through experience, lead by our ...
10/10/2026

Explore a taste of wartime London in our London Blitz Experience. This is a guided walk through experience, lead by our ARP warden, where you can learn about what life was like for people living in London during the Blitz.

Be warned though, this exhibit is dark - there was a blackout after all!

During term time, The Lincolnsfields Childrens Centre run an extremely popular series of "Children at War" school visit...
07/10/2026

During term time, The Lincolnsfields Childrens Centre run an extremely popular series of "Children at War" school visits. For either a single day trip or a three day residential trip, school groups can come and get a hands-on experience of what life was like for children during the 1940s.

For more information and enquiries you can visit their page, their website at www.lincolnsfields.co.uk or call the centre at 01923 233841.

Swingsters will be back for the last dance of their tea dance season in the dance hall during our open day this month. *...
05/10/2026

Swingsters will be back for the last dance of their tea dance season in the dance hall during our open day this month. *Please note, this is a separate event with an additional entrance fee*

Join the Swingsters, and special guests Stardust Big Band, for a lovely afternoon of social dancing from 2pm until 5pm in the dance hall. Admission to the tea dance is £15pp (to be paid at the entrance of the dance hall) and includes complimentary tea and cake. For more information please visit www.swingsters.co.uk or visit Swingsters on Facebook.

Why not pick up a little souvenir of your visit from our gift shop? We have a range of items from books and replica pack...
30/09/2026

Why not pick up a little souvenir of your visit from our gift shop? We have a range of items from books and replica packs to posters, keyrings and magnets.

27/09/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our open day today. If you've enjoyed your visit, you can leave comments as a review on Facebook, Google or on TripAdvisor.

If you've taken any photos during your visit that you'd like to share, you can share them using

Our next open day will be on Sunday 25th of October 🙂

27/09/2026

We are now open for our September Open Day! If you're visiting us today and you'd like to share pictures from your visit, feel free to use 🙂

Address

The Lincolnsfield Children's Centre, Bushey Hall Drive
Bushey
WD232ES

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Forties Experience posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to The Forties Experience:

Shortcuts

Share

Category