20 Things To Do in Basingstoke, Hampshire

Basingstoke isn’t renowned for being a tourist destination, so it’s more likely you’ve found this list if you’re a local yourself. However, Basingstoke is so easy to travel to – it’s right on the M3 linking it from London to Southampton; the A303 links it from the South-West and then it’s just 45 minutes from London on the train. Once you’ve made it here, here are 20 things you could do:

Milestones Museum

Known as Hampshire’s museum of living history, Milestones is a great place to visit, young or old. Admission price covers you for a whole year, meaning you can revisit whenever you want to. For me that’s perfect because they run an excellent schedule of activities during the school holidays, and I only have to pay once all year.

It’s all indoors so it’s ideal for rainy days and the main museum area is set up like an old town, with cobbled streets that will transport you from Victorian times through the 1930s and 1940s. You can buy a ration book and spend your rations on a drink in the real pub, or in the traditional sweet shop. There’s a vintage Pier where you can play some old-fashioned games, buses and fire engine to explore and even a Teddy bear museum. The parking is free and there’s an on-site café and shop too.

The Vyne, National Trust

The Vyne was a former Tudor house, until it was extended in the 17th Century before being handed over to the National Trust. It had a large garden to look around, and it sits beside a wetland area with a bird hide. We love to walk around the woodlands, following one of the three marked trails, looking out for pine cones and squirrels. There’s a café and shop as you’ll find at most National Trust sites.

They’ve recently started adding activities for families during school holidays such as their Easter adventures, and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt in May. You can either pay £17-18 or buy a membership and see which other local National Trust places you could visit. Under 5s go free.

Bombay Sapphire Distillery

Now if you’re a fan of gin or cocktails you’ll be delighted to visit the Home of Bombay – just a few miles down the road in Laverstoke. This beautiful building on the banks of the River Test features the most stunning greenhouses, where you’ll see the famous gin botanicals growing. A new Botanical room recently opened where you can smell everything to help you work out which cocktail you might enjoy in the bar. Tours include a ‘make your own’ signature gin and tonic before you head into the Cinema room.

Strictly for over 18s, you can do a cocktail masterclass – these are excellent fun, particularly in small groups. And they run regular events throughout the year, like their Festive film nights, and Mother’s Day afternoon tea.

Festival Place

You might be someone who chooses to visit Basingstoke for shopping, whether that’s the large, indoor Festival Place, or the adjoining Malls. You’ll find a lot of the big chains here such as M&S and Next, and there’s also a few independents like All Our Own Crafts where you can pick up a variety of gifts and things from local makers. Outside there’s Vue cinema and lots of popular eateries, many of which offer ‘kids eat free’ deals in the school holidays. Our favourite one to visit as a family is actually Brewdog – they have a great kids menu, colouring and some board games.

Alongside the shops in Festival Place, there’s also Superbowl (for bowling and soft play), the Sports Centre (with swimming and soft play) and escape rooms. I’ll keep this updated if anything else exciting comes along too!

Eastrop Park

Some of my favourite childhood memories revolve around Eastrop Park – gathering with my many cousins to enjoy paddling and picnics. Occasionally we manage to meet there now with our own children, as there’s still a paddling pool open in the summer months. There’s a boating lake with pedalo and rowing boats for hire, and a kiosk selling refreshments most weekends and school holidays. The children love to play in the park, or watch the ducks and swans on the ponds. Parking is free (though the early bird catches the worm) and you can easily walk into town for a meal. There are public toilets here though I can’t guarantee they’re open as sadly they are frequently vandalised.

Coffee and Cake

Moving on to one of my favourite things to do in Basingstoke…drinking coffee and eating cake! We are home to quite possibly the best bakeshop in the country – The Street Bakeshop – either its original site in Old Basing, or the newer one in Lychpit. Both serve incredible coffee, and the best baked goods. Pop in for a hot roll at breakfast or lunch, or try one of their famous doughnuts on a Thursday (you’ll have to queue). They also supply their delightful pastries to other excellent coffee shops such as The Coffee Barn in town.

Willows Coffee House is another lovely independent coffee shop in the town centre, and they run some great community events and meet-ups. You’ll also love the Parlour Tearooms and I’ll come onto them in more detail further down the list.

A night at the theatre

Here in Basingstoke we are lucky to have The Anvil (which is frequented by some of the nation’s top comedians), The Haymarket and Proteus Creation Space. The Anvil is great for seeing stars like Al Murray, Lucy Beaumont and Alan Carr (all with tickets available at the time of writing), as well as ballet, opera, and the annual pantomime. I love the Haymarket for smaller, family-friendly shows like The Cat in the Hat and the Dinosaur that Pooped.

Proteus Creation Space is a much smaller but quirky and interesting space. The annual summer and Christmas performances by Scratch Built Productions are a family tradition of ours, where you’re immersed into a world of fun and puppetry. They also host hilarious cocktail and cabaret nights, sometimes involving bingo or playdough. You can also attend classes such as an art class, or my all-time favourite maternity leave activity: Mama Canta – a beautiful singing class for mums and babies.

The War Memorial

Here’s another free activity in Basingstoke for you. The War Memorial park is a popular area of green space in the centre of town. There are play areas suitable for a range of children’s ages as well as a fairly new skate park area. On Saturday mornings it’s the home of Parkrun, though it is popular all-week round for runners, dog walkers, cycling and ball games. There’s a tennis pavilion with a café, and there’s also the Orchard café. You can easily walk into the town centre, or under the underpass to Black Dam ponds. Throughout the year there’s a number of events which take place here too, our favourite being the Festival of Transport in May.

Exciting events

Speaking of events, I’d recommend using Love Basingstoke for all the up to date information of events in Basingstoke. They host many of them, such as the free light trail in February, and several free things to do with children during the school holidays. The Festival of Transport is on 10th May 2026 and this is a free (and hugely popular) event featuring hundreds of classic cars, buses, bikes and stalls like tombolas, games and motoring memorabilia.

Another top event is Basingstoke Festival which starts in June with free weekend shows and activities that will blow you away. Think street performance and theatre, with mind-blowing tricks and stunts, or family-friendly comedy. One for the calendar for sure.

Follow in the footsteps of Jane Austen

I know everyone lays a claim to Jane Austen (Bath – I’m looking at you) – but she was actually born and raised in a quiet hamlet just a couple of miles from Basingstoke in Steventon. You can visit the church where her father was rector and there’s a great walk you can do which incorporates two other local churches.

Oakley Hall would have been one of her neighbours (recommended in my afternoon tea section) and you’ll see a Jane Austen statue in the Top of the Town just outside the Willis Museum.

The Willis Museum

Now owned by the Hampshire Culture Trust, The Willis Museum is another free place to visit in Basingstoke. You can discover Basingstoke’s history from medieval to local times, and visit regional and national exhibitions. They’ve had all sorts visit recently like wedding dress exhibitions, and famous children’s illustrations. They usually have some activities during the school holidays and there’s a café inside.

Nights out

Whilst we’re in the Top of the Town, I’ll recommend some places to visit on a night out. Now most Basingstoke residents will laugh, but there are some decent places to go for drinks (gone are the days of starting at Spoons, then Lloyds and ending up in Liquid – IYKYK)

The Duck and Tipple is a great choice for a couple of cocktails; they regularly change the specials menu and I rate the bottomless brunch too. There’s a big pile of board games so it works well for a date night, or for a group of friends.

Alchemy Bar & Lounge is a fairly new venue just for over-21s at night, which gives it a classier vibe. Think gorgeous art-deco interior and an elegant cocktail menu. During the day it’s an eco-friendly and organic coffee stop and they host regular events such as wine tastings.

The Post Box is Basingstoke’s first interactive sports bar where you can play on the Sports Simulator with over 30 sports, shuffleboard, darts and multiple pool tables. It’s a great venue for a group celebration or a work night out. Surprisingly, it’s also a good choice for a family-friendly outing during the day, and in the school holidays they are offering 50% off games and 50% off the children’s food menu.

Pop up Play Village

The Pop up Play Village – we’d been needing a play café in Basingstoke for so long, and Erica and Frank have given us exactly what we need by bringing their pop up franchise into a permanent space at the Leisure Centre. Book a 90 minute play session and enjoy playing in a safe space, perfectly set up for children from 0-8 (or however old your children are happy to play). The role play areas are updated frequently so you can visit often without being bored. And the on-site café caters well for a range of dietary requirements and is really reasonably priced. There’s also ceramic painting in the café for older kids, or they can sit and watch the sky-divers (it’s in the iFly building).

Indoor skydiving

Indoor skydiving – speaking of the iFLY building; it’s where wannabe daredevils can experience the adrenaline rush of skydiving, without having to throw themselves out of a plane. A 2 flight session gives the equivalent free-fall time of 3 skydives and incredibly you can take part from 3 years old – what an amazing family activity to try. Prices start from £45.99 for an off-peak time (or less if you do as a larger group).

Baboon Adventures

Baboon Adventures – carrying on the theme of adventurous activities with Baboon Adventures who will take you on an off-roading electric scooter tour of the Kingsclere estate. Keep your eyes open to spot the local wildlife such as deer, birds of prey and hares. It’s popular for corporate team-building events but I think it’s a great family activity as you can ride your own scooter from 12 years old or be a passenger from 5 years. They also offer axe-throwing which is an event growing in popularity.

Afternoon Tea

Afternoon Tea – we are fortunate to have many excellent options for afternoon tea in Basingstoke. One of my favourites is Oakley Hall; I really rate the patisserie selection here and it’s a good one if you like that country mansion ambience. For a more relaxed setting there’s the Parlour Tearooms (and sister venue Teabarn) where you can choose your preferred sandwich flavour and a cake from the cabinet. The Palm Brasserie offers an Asian-fusion style tea, with some different savoury options. You can see all my local afternoon tea recommendations in this article.

A Taste of the Town

Basingstoke has a bit of a reputation for being full of chain restaurants when there are actually plenty of great independent restaurants. One that I regularly recommend to friends is Da Mariú – a Sicilian hidden gem on Wote Street. It’s a small, intimate restaurant serving delicious dishes such as Norma Paccheri and you cannot miss the dessert cabinet (choose the pistachio one).

Our favourite Indian restaurant is Spicy Tadka and every few weeks we’ll be ordering a chicken Lababdaar and paneer Tikka Makhani. The Olive House serves authentic Turkish food with a lovely atmosphere, and The Lime Leaf is a top choice for Thai food where I’ll always order a beef mussaman. For a casual lunch I’ll often choose El Bigote because the burritos and quesadilla are simply delicious.

Basing House

I often forget about Basing House and Ruins but I’ve attended a couple of craft markets there and it is an interesting place to visit. It was the grounds of the largest private Tudor house in England, but it was attacked by Cromwell in the Civil War where it was burned to the ground. Nowadays you can walk around the grassy mounds and see what is left of the old stone walls. The Great Barn is largely intact, and there’s a small museum too. Admission prices include a whole year, and the grounds make a lovely picnic spot in the warmer weather.

Adventure Golf

I think there’s a lot of people who don’t know about this medieval themed crazy golf in Basingstoke, but it’s hidden in plain sight near the Leisure centre. Knights Realm is an 18-hole adventure golf course which is fun for all the family. The highlight is the pull along ferry platform between holes 10 and 11. A family ticket will set you back just over £30 but it will keep you active and encourage some healthy competition.

Playgrounds and Parks

If you enjoy getting outside for some fresh air then here are some of our favourite parks in Basingstoke. Beggarwood has a large, enclosed play area with equipment suitable for all ages. There’s also a popular pump track, a natural play area and outdoor gym equipment. Popley Community Park has a great play area, with a musical pirate ship and lots of swings. There’s also a parkour area, outdoor gym equipment and a multi-use games area which is popular for basketball and football. The park opposite the Soldiers Return had a recent upgrade and my daughter loves riding her scooter around the ‘road’, playing twister, and pretending to drive the train. There’s a splash park in the Chineham/Popley area which is open April-September, providing an enclosed space for children to splash and play. Over in Old Basing you can explore Crabtree Plantation where there’s a wooden climbing frame and zipwire (not so great for really small children) and lots of woodland area for den-building.

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That brings me to the end of my “20 things to do in Basingstoke” and hopefully you’ll agree there’s something to enjoy here whatever your age or interests. For more local recommendations be sure to follow me over on Instagram – I’d love to hear your favourite places to visit in Basingstoke!

By Sarah Frost 

Image credits – Dreamstime