croydon airport visitor centre

We went to Croydon Airport Visitor Centre as part of Open House weekend, and found the exhibition really good. The staff and volunteers were very friendly sharing stories during the wartime. You can walk up the former Control Tower and the radio room was recreated as it was in the 1930s, and some interesting model planes were displayed in the cabinets. In its heyday, the airport must have been a very glamorous place to travel from.Highly recommended place to visit. Have added some photos here out of the many photos I took on the day!

My latest visit was with a group of friends on Sunday 1st March 2015. This was the 4th time that I have visited The terminal building and it gets better every time! The volunteers and the building management have been doing fantastic things there, so that even in the year since my previous visit there have been significant improvements. The bar which was there has now closed, but a very aptly named "Cloud 9 Pantry" cafe has opened in the main hall which fulfills all refreshment needs in a very friendly way. The guides are incredibly knowledgable, one of whom was there before the war! All the artefacts are of great interest and there seems to be something new each time. I heartily recommend this historical centre.

Brilliant place to visit, really loved it. The guides are very helpful and informative. It is like stepping back into the past. Nice café there for a snack as well. Lots of photo opportunities, the Hotel nextdoor still has the original facade, but has been altered obviously. It is a shame that you can not go up onto the roof of the hotel, but it has had extra rooms put on top. Plenty of free parking as well, loads of people there which is fantastic.

I accompanied my elderly parents to one of the Croydon Airport open days which was special for them as they met and did some of their courting there in the 1950's.My mother worked in the Croydon Airport Communications Centre when I was a young child and I can remember visiting the airport in the days before it closed and everything transferred out to Heathrow. I found the visit interesting as the memorabilia on site was fascinating and I learnt things I didn't already know.We will go back again when the weather is warmer as parts of the building were very cold. We also took a walk round the outside of this Art Deco building to where the airfield was as my mother had lived in the hostel there when she first worked there.All in all a very enjoyable visit to the place here air traffic control began!

We have been to the Croydon Airport Visitor Centre a couple of times now - and enjoyed it so much that I'm sure we will be going again, So much packed into a relatively small space so it still takes a long time to see everything and I'm sure next time we'll find things that we missed. It really makes you wish that the entire site had been preserved, another bit of our heritage destroyed. Staff and volunteers were wonderful. Top notch. Thanks.

I went along to Croydon Airport Visitor Centre on Sunday 21st September as part of Open House weekend, and found the exhibition most interesting. The staff and volunteers were very friendly sharing stories during the wartime, with a chap saying that his mother had seen the bombs drop over London by the Zeppelin planes during the 1st World war. I went along to the former Control Tower and the radio room was recreated as it was in the 1930s, and some interesting model planes were displayed in the cabinets. Most interesting facts were of the 1st woman pilot Amy Johnson flying from Croydon on her solo flight to Australia and there were artefacts displayed in a cabinet, and of the Queen's father King George VI and grandfather King Edward VIII having trained as pilots at Beddington airfield. For its time, the airport must have been a very glamorous place to travel, and I saw a poster that afternoon tea was offered whilst flying over London. Highly recommended place to visit.

I knew the place well, having countless times driven past the old aeroplane that sits outside on visits to my folks in Surrey, but what a surprise! The enthusiastic, mostly older staff, are charming and obviously have a real passion for the place. You MUST do a tour. This brings the many photos to life. Also, try on the period clothes (imagining you're Douglas Fairbanks or Amy Johnson), and (kids especially) have a go at landing a plane on the simulator in the control tower.it's only open once a month (1st Sun, 11-3) so plan ahead. But do go, you won't regret it.

I have always been aware of this place and after many years of wanting to go boy was I not disappointed. A beautiful building full of historical photos, we tried to imagine what it would be like to sit in the waiting area for our flight to faraway places. The staff were excellent, very informative and friendly. My godson particularly enjoyed the flight simulator where he flew a spitfire. So much history, I would highly recommend a visit there to anyone. And all for free, just a small donation is asked. Thank you for a lovely experience.

Croydon Airport, otherwise known as being the first international airport is a little gem hidden in Croydon for those aviation geeks out there. We were taken around the building and told stories about all the photos by Bert, a very knowledgeable chap who also had a lot of aviation history knowledge outside of the Croydon Airport. Most enjoyable. An hour or so was enough for us, but if you have kids there's a dress-up room and they can have a bit of a play. There's also a flight sim upstairs in the air traffic control room which is good for a bit of fun. No fee to enter but donations accepted, 3 GBP is recommended.

We were led by a brilliant 93-year old guide who had flown out of Croydon as a schoolboy in 1937. Among many interesting observations was the fact that you could leave central London at noon, be in Croydon 20 minutes later, and on the Champs Elysees in Paris by 2.30. Try thinking of that the next time you head down to Gatwick!Marvellous memorabilia from the true age of glamour, and the great early flyers. The world's first purpose-built international airport - a gem!

The parking was free. We parked under the wing of an aeroplane that is directly outside the main doors of the building. We were met immediately by a member of staff and taken on a really fun and informative tour of the airport that lead up to the control tower. There was everything you would want from a museum for all the family. Lots of activities for all ages. Model aircraft, flight simulators, period clothing to try on, displays, a cafe etc etc. The heathland next to the museum (which used to be the runway) is also a great place to walk around and had radio controlled aeroplanes and helicopters flying over it. There was also a shop selling some great memorabilia. All the staff were extremely friendly and knowledgeable and were a pleasure to meet and talk too. They were much more passionate than the average tour guide. The museum is only open on the first Sunday of every month but it would be nice to see it open a little more. I guess this is because it is run by volunteers and has no entry fee. The whole thing is free! They do ask for a suggested £3 donation. As my group entered and left we were all compelled to leave a little more than the suggested donation as we'd had such a great time. I will be back to visit as soon as I can.

This historic venue was once the main international Airport in Great Britain and pioneered early air public transport navigation. It opened officially in 1928 and the rich and famous flew to European destinations. It closed in 1959 being overtaken by London Heathrow and Gatwick Airports. The volunteers who make themselves available on the first Sunday of each month, are welcoming, friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic ,one of Croydon's hidden treasures along with The Old Palace and Shirley Windmill. A very worthwhile peace to visit and open every month is a bonus thanks to an enthusiastic band of volunteers.

Only opens first Sunday of every month but this is a great insight into the first proper airport. Stange to imagine what was here considering what is left. Volunteers enthusiastically take you on an informative tour. Great to go somewhere not professionally organised and curated to within an inch of its life. Well done to all concerned, lovely visit and worth the £3 suggested donation if not more.

This historic venue was once the main international Airport in Great Britain and pioneered early air public transport navigation. It opened officially in 1928 and the rich and famous flew to European destinations. It closed in 1959 being overtaken by London Heathrow and Gatwick Airports. The volunteers who make themselves available on the first Sunday of each month, are welcoming, friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic and a visit is very worth while!

We were looking for something to do in Croydon with my in-laws and came across this place on google. We had a really knowledgeable guide and there is a good range of photos and memorabilia to see and some interactive games in the UK's first control tower! It's a shame this place is only open on the first Sunday of the month. Will definitively be taking friends and family to visit if they visit at the right time!