This summer, the Government’s Great British Summer Savings campaign is making family days out easier on the wallet. From 25 June to 1 September 2026, VAT on a wide range of eligible family activities is being temporarily cut from 20% to 5%, and children aged 5 to 15 in England can travel free on local buses throughout August – so getting the family out the door has never been simpler.

It’s the perfect excuse to explore one of the many outstanding Army Museums in the AMOT network, which stretches the length and breadth of the country. Each museum has its own speciality, its own remarkable objects, and its own stories of service and sacrifice. Several are joining the spirit of the campaign with their own family offers and reduced pricing. Here are five that deserve a place on your

Royal Engineers Museum – Gillingham, Kent

For anyone who has ever wondered how armies actually get things built, moved and bridged. Visit the UK’s largest military engineering museum and uncover the fascinating story of the Royal Engineers. Built on one of the UK’s most significant military collections, developed over the last 200 years, the museum brings to life the people, innovations and achievements that have helped shape the modern world – from bridging and fortifications to the earliest military flights and dives.

Collection highlights include a rhino-hide shield captured in 1958 during a rebellion in Oman, and a suit of chain mail worn by the Sultan of Darfur, captured in 1879 – two objects that speak to just how far the Corps’ story reaches.

2. Green Howards Museum – Richmond, North Yorkshire

300 years of history, heroism and heritage, told through the people who lived it. Housed in Richmond’s historic former Trinity Church, the regimental museum of the Green Howards holds over 35,000 artefacts chronicling the lives of thousands of soldiers – sharing their stories of service and sacrifice alongside personal tales of daring and adventure.

Don’t miss the museum’s special 2026 exhibition, Battle Bowlers and Football Boots, exploring the sporting and military lives of Green Howards footballers. It features golden boy Wilf Mannion, the rise of women’s football, boredom-busting matches in prisoner-of-war camps, and Donald Simpson Bell – the only professional footballer ever awarded the Victoria Cross.

Collection highlight include more than 200 uniforms spanning 1798 to the present day, and over 4,000 medals – including 14 Victoria Crosses and three George Crosses.

3. The Museum of the Black Watch – Perth, Scotland

A genuine castle, seven galleries, and 300 years of Highland regimental history. Housed within historic Balhousie Castle, the collection covers the long history of the oldest of the Highland Regiments – from its raising as six independent companies in 1725, to 2006 when it became a battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Displayed chronologically across seven rooms, each dedicated to a particular period in the Regiment’s history, you’ll find colours, uniforms, weapons, badges, medals, paintings and regimental trophies illustrating campaigns from the North American wars and the Napoleonic era to the Crimea, both World Wars and more recent operations.

Visitors can enjoy a 12% reduction on standard Museum admission tickets throughout the summer holidays, along with reduced pricing on children’s meals in the Bistro at the Castle.

This summer also brings a programme of family activities included with admission. Every Tuesday from 14 July to 18 August visitors can take part in drop in craft sessions and object handling experiences designed to bring the history of The Black Watch to life. Once you have purchased your museum ticket you can enjoy all activities during summer at no extra cost.

4. Aldershot Military Museum – Aldershot, Hampshire

Tanks in the grounds, hands-on activities, and a pay-once-visit-all-year ticket. Housed in the only surviving brick-built barrack blocks left in Aldershot, this museum tells the story of daily life for both soldier and civilian in the town since 1854. The history of Aldershot Military Town is told through vibrant collections within genuinely original buildings. Explore the site, admire the tanks, and join in with the hands-on activities; from the Victorian soldier to National Service, photographs, models and objects bring the social and military history to life. The Cody Gallery highlights the first man-powered flight in Britain, achieved here in 1908, while artillery guns and military vehicles are on display in the grounds and in Montgomery’s Barn.

Fans of Military armour can look forward to seeing the museums Challenger 2 main battle tank, it’s spiritual ancestor the Chieftain and a Scimitar armed with its 30mm autocannon!

5. Army Flying Museum – Middle Wallop, Hampshire

From balloons and kites to the only publicly displayed Apache in the UK. The Army Flying Museum tells the story of the British Army in the air, from modern helicopter operations right back to the pioneering days of balloons and kites, first begun by the Royal Engineers in 1878. The collection features over thirty-five fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, alongside imaginative and interactive displays that bring the history of British Army flying vividly to life – from a First World War biplane to a Cobra attack helicopter, plus an example of every Allied glider used operationally during the Second World War.

Make it a summer to remember

With free bus travel for children across England throughout August, reduced VAT on eligible attractions until 1 September, and offers like the Black Watch’s 12% discount on top, there has rarely been a better – or more affordable – summer to discover Britain’s military heritage. These museums are only a taste of what’s on offer across the AMOT network, so however you’re spending the school holidays, there’s likely to be an Army Museum with a story to tell close by.

Ticket prices, opening hours and offers are correct at the time of writing but may change – check each museum’s website before you travel.