Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

I've not been to this one, has anyone here? Latest news in this PR:

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HAYNES INTERNATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM¹S £4.2 MILLION REDEVELOPMENT ENTERS ITS
FINAL STAGES

Haynes International Motor Museum will unveil the first phase of its
extensive £4.2 million redevelopment this spring. The redevelopment, which
includes new display halls, café, shop and state of the art conferencing and
banqueting suites, will provide a completely new façade to the museum, and
is due to be fully completed in Spring 2014. The development has been
privately funded by founder and Chairman John H Haynes OBE, who opened the
museum with just 33 cars, housed in one hall, back in July 1985.

Phase one, set to open this April, will reveal the first of the new
exhibition areas, nicknamed OThe Black Box¹ due to its exterior. The Black
Box, a huge two-storey display area, overlooks the Haynes test track and is
divided into two areas ­ The Vroom Room on the ground floor and The
Motorcycle Mezzanine on the upper.

The Vroom Room, spanning over 360 square metres and accommodating around 18
to 20 cars, is dedicated to high powered, high performance cars, while the
Motorcycle Mezzanine, at 330 square metres, will create a permanent home for
the museum¹s two-wheeled collection of around 70 motorbikes which includes
the British Motorcycle and the Forshaw Speedway Collection, the World¹s
largest and most complete Speedway display.

Prior to the opening of the new exhibition halls, Haynes will reveal a
£250,000 new family entertainment zone in the museum¹s grounds called Haynes
Motorland, featuring a 1,500 square metre adventure playground with a myriad
of motoring themed interactive games and miniature vehicles for children to
enjoy. There are also two classic buses ­ one featuring a cinema and the
other a soft play area - and a new go-kart circuit known as OHaynes Hatch¹
with battery operated vehicles.

The new family zone is just one of the new developments that will see the
museum expand beyond the restraints of the internal exhibition halls.
Managing Director Marc Haynes explains: ³The outdoor family zone is part of
a new pedestrian area at the rear of the museum that will, thanks to the
help of our wonderful volunteers, allow us to link the exhibits in the
display halls with outdoor activities. We are looking to create a visitor
experience that appeals to all the senses, which includes bringing some
vehicles outdoors so we can fire up the engines allowing visitors to hear
and smell the motoring heritage as well as admiring the 400 vehicles on
display.²

As visitors are welcomed into the museum to see phase one, work will
continue behind the scenes on completing phase two which includes the
remodeling of the other display halls to ensure a more logical and easy to
navigate layout and more room for the exhibits to be displayed.

The existing conference and banqueting suites are all being redesigned as
well as a new additional larger suite added, allowing the museum to offer
hospitality packages to parties of all sizes, from five to 400 guests.

A brand new area is being created and landscaped in the grounds as an
extension of the new luxurious conference and banqueting suites, making them
ideal for civil wedding ceremonies and corporate or motoring club events.
This includes a private garden and parking area that can be used for
exclusive vehicle displays.

The final stage of phase two will see an impressive new museum frontage put
into place that will mark the start of the visitors¹ journey around the
venue. With stylish nods to motoring throughout, such as the sweep of the
new external façade emulating the aerodynamic profile of a car and the
modern yet minimalistic features of the new reception area reflecting a
Bentley dashboard, leading to the welcoming new foyer.

The foyer sets the energetic tone of the redevelopment from the minute the
visitor arrives, with a large open plan 60s inspired modern café offering
hot and cold food and refreshments while the new gift shop will sell
memorabilia as well as a selection of Haynes branded goods, motoring titles
and of course the full range of the iconic manuals. The foyer, café and gift
shop are more than double the size of the previous areas, giving improved
disabled access and more room for movement. These are located off the main
entrance to make them more central to access from all areas of the museum.

Sustainability issues have been high priority, which as well as helping the
environment will also help shore up the future financial strength of the
museum. A significant investment has been made in the infrastructure of the
museum, which has undergone a complete transformation. This will not only
help to facilitate future expansion but will also reduce overheads and so in
turn help keep running costs of the museum to a minimum. This will ensure
the longevity of the museum¹s educational work and preservation of the
collection.
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[Rich5ltr]

I went several years ago, nice display and lots of exhibits. It's more of a traditional museum than, say, Beaulieu which seems to cater for the younger enthusiast. If you are in the locality it's worth a couple of hours but I wouldn't say there's enough there for a whole day.

[Riley Blue]

I've been quite a few times though not for several years. It's an excellent collection of cars - one for the enthusiast, especially if you like red cars.