Museum News
Details on admission charges
2026 Admission Charges
Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum (NASAM)
Our museum’s roots can be traced back 53 years to a handful of aviation enthusiasts meeting in an old Nissen hut behind the Flixton Post Office. From those inauspicious beginnings, our museum has grown into a widely appreciated aviation attraction, now bringing in 12000 visitors per year.
But, as we grew, the demands also grew. We needed to maintain our ageing collection; we needed to add to the attractions for our visitors; and, in keeping with the museum’s history of expansion, we didn’t want to stand still as time progressed. For those reasons we found it necessary to introduce an admission charge for 2025.
One year on, we cannot deny that visitor numbers have reduced as a result, but our admission charge has now put us onto a more sustainable future from a financial point of view. In particular, our annual ticket model has been very successful, bringing in large sums in Gift Aid (effectively, a 25% increase on the ticket income at no extra cost to the visitor.) Our concerns about lost revenue from return visitors turned out to be largely unfounded; in fact, when we have repeat visitors, they often bring friends or family who buy new tickets. With the funding model now established and working well, our immediate task is to build up visitor numbers again, through advertising, social media and a new website.
For pricing, we took our cue from other comparable museums and, although visitors regularly comment on our ‘value for money’ (i.e. they think we’re underselling ourselves!) we have decided to keep prices the same for 2026. We will continue the simple ticketing structure with Gift Aided tickets converted to an annual pass, providing unlimited visits during that period. The prices will remain:
- Adult £10
- Child (5 to 17) £5
- Children under 5 are free
- Family (5 people with a maximum of two adults) £20
We have always valued the patronage of local people and appreciate the support you have given us over the years. We recognise that, unlike many of our visitors, you’re not necessarily going to spend all day with us on your frequent visits. This had some bearing on our decision to opt for a ticket valid for 12 months with Gift Aid. For those unable to Gift Aid, museum membership may be taken out at no additional cost which, in turn, will bestow an annual pass. We trust that, if you are one of our repeat visitors, you haven’t felt that £10 per person has been an unreasonable ask for unlimited visits over a 12-month period.
As always, we welcome feedback and will be particularly interested to hear your thoughts on the admission fee. You can contact us by e-mail at nsam.flixton@gmail.com. Alternatively, why not drop in on the days that we are open and tell us in person? You’re always very welcome!
Martin