When do we open?

We are now open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until December 2025. We do not open on Bank Holiday Mondays.

There will be occasions when we need to close the site on a regular opening day - this might be due to Site-wide hires, filming or things like that. On these days, you cannot visit us. We will ALWAYS post on Social Media to tell you.

On Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th of September 2025, we will be unable to accept visitors arriving by AIR, due to the event taking place - although ground based visitors are welcome. The event is on Saturday only.

We do not offer Mess-Only admission on event days. Please check here for those days.

Regular Opening

Our regular opening days are Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm. This is what we call  "Regular opening". You do not need to book in advance to visit us on a regular opening day. Last entry to the site is at 3pm. The Airmen's Mess Café closes at 3.30pm. If you have a group, we would recommend you contact us in advance to see if we can arrange a special  Group Visit.

On regular opening days, access to the Mess and shop only (no exhibitions, hangars or other) is admission free. Please ask in the shop.

Pilots - all landings are PPR only. To fly in, please click HERE

If we have to close the site - for filming or other purposes, like a private event -  we will alert you on Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. 

As we say above, the following regular opening days are closed to visitors:

• Friday 9, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 May
• Saturday 14th June

We also might have some smaller events that only take up part of our site - Historical hammerings, for instance. On these days, you can still visit the site as normal and enjoy the exhibitions and hangars.

It may be possible to arrange a Group Visit on a different day, depending on the nature of the visit ‐ but this must always be arranged well in advance with us - e-mail us at info@stowmaries.org.uk in the first instance

Event Days

Some of our events  take over the whole site. These are events like Air shows, for instance. Check our Event page for all advance ticket purchases.   

Dog-Friendly Fridays

We love our furry friends, here at the Aerodrome. We also know that we have some great spaces to enjoy. So, on the first and last Friday of the month, why not pop up and spend some time with us? You just need to grab a pink wristband from the shop on arrival. You will have free access to the Café and Shop. (Please remember - should you wish to enjoy our exhibitions and galleries there will be a fee). Well-behaved dogs on short leads at all times, with responsible owners, are very welcome! No need to book. You can bring your dog with you on other days, of course, but restrictions may apply.

How much does it cost?

For Regular Admission (Regular opening, non-event days):

• Propeller Club Members - FREE
• Use of Cafe and Shop (WITHOUT access to any Hangars, exhibition galleries or other parts of the site) - FREE
• Adult ( 16yrs) - £12
• Concession/ NUS/ Young Person (65 / 6-15yrs ) - £9
• Infant (0-5yrs) - FREE
• Group Ticket (2 x Adult 2 x Young Person) - £40
• Carers (one adult accompanying a reliant fee-paying disabled visitor) - FREE
• English Heritage Members: 2-for-1 on regular adult tickets on non-event days only (Both adults must be members)
• Currently serving members of His Majesty's Armed Forces, and one guest, will receive free entry, on non-event days, upon production of an ID card.

Event days:

These prices vary, depending on the event, and must be purchased in advance. We will not provide tickets on the door for events ‐ you will need to have your ticket before you get to us. Have a look at our events for details and to purchase tickets.

What can I expect to see when I arrive?

• An Arts Council England accredited museum, with a variety of award-winning exhibitions, housed in our original WW1 buildings and modern hangars. These include a variety of interactives, dioramas and displays.
• Live Aircraft - including period reproductions and more modern ones - accessible in our hangars for viewing, as part of a tour or when escorted.
• The Airmen's Mess Café with a varied menu including hot meals, cakes and refreshments.
• A great Retail outlet, offering a range of  models, souvenirs, local produce, memorabilia and gifts. 
• A team of volunteer guides to share with you some incredible stories from our past and where possible, take you on a Guided Tour (included in admission) 
• Weather permitting,  aircraft taking off and landing. (Air activity is not guaranteed)
• A chance to spot the some of our wide variety of wildlife as you explore the site,  including some protected species. 

Facilities Summary

• Parking ‐ Free and on site.
• Accessible Parking and drop off ‐ yes, please ask on arrival.
• Café - Yes (Airmen's Mess Café)
• Shop ‐ Yes
• Toilets ‐ Yes
• Accessible Toilets and Baby-Change ‐ Yes
• Accessible spaces (Exhibitions, Café, Shop) ‐ Yes, we are a ground floor site with very few stairs. Push-Wheelchairs available for use on site by request.
• Dogs - We welcome well-behaved dogs on short leads at all times, with responsible owners. All dogs must be under full and competent control at all times.  Blacksmithing courses are not appropriate for dogs and if taking part in these activities, your dog should be left at home.

How do I find you?

If coming by Car ‐ check here.

If coming by Coach ‐ check here.
Please note that vehicles of 7.5tn or greater must use the Crows Lane entrance: They are not legally permitted to enter via Hackman's Lane.

If coming by Air ‐ check here.

Group visits

If you wish to visit us with more than 11 people at once, we can arrange a "group visit". These are very popular and are an ideal way to enjoy our wonderful heritage site.

Group visits must always be arranged in advance - the first step is e-mailing us on info@stowmaries.org.uk. We have some suggestions for you - have a look here.

We do not accept group visits on full event days, but these maybe possible on minor event days - please e-mail us to ask.

To discuss making a group visit, please contact info@stowmaries.org.uk in the first instance.

Some thoughts from our Group Visitors:

Good morning, 

on behalf of Bart and myself we want to thank you for the guided tour we received. It was a really interesting experience to be able to be present on such historic significant grounds.  All the best to keep expanding the museum. We will keep in touch and send a copy of the article we will write about our trip to the UK.

Best regards
Harald  - Flanders Aviation Society - June 2025

Dear Cara,

 I would like to thank you so much for our very enjoyable visit to the aerodrome. We were thankful for the phone call warning us of the road works, so that we then found alternative routes to you.

The cream tea was so nicely presented and delicious. I for one ate too much cake! Both Dutch and English found the tours really interesting. So please thank your guides for their detailed knowledge.  Altogether it was a very successful afternoon.

Thank you again

 Jill - Chair of Maldon Twinning Association - June 2025

Hi all,

Just to say a huge THANK you for such a lovely day today. I believe everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves! 

Wishing you all the very best for the future of Stow Maries [Great War] aerodrome.

See you again soon I am sure.

With kind regards,

Debbie - Ingatestone and Feering Archaeological Society, May 2025 

Hello Suzanne,

 Just a short note to say thank you for a very interesting and insightful visit on Thursday.  Our members were very appreciative of the enthusiasm of your volunteers and their knowledge of the site.  The lunch was delicious too, many thanks to your chef Rosie.  In all a trip that was thoroughly enjoyable and we look forward to future visits and will pass on details of your upcoming events to the rest of our members.

Kind regards

Dianne - Dengie U3A Group, May 2025

Dementia-Friendly Site

Stow Maries is working to become a dementia friendly site. As part of our work, we have produced a map that may be helpful to some people while visiting us.  Click here to open and print the map - it will open in a new browser tab or window.