Eastleigh Museum, Eastleigh, Hampshire. Permanently closed.

In January 2024, Hampshire Cultural Trust confirmed that Eastleigh Museum was at risk of permanent closure due to a proposed reduction in the organisation’s central funding from the Council under its budget review. The budget review was opened to public consultation and the Council subsequently carefully considered the feedback to inform their decision making on whether or not to proceed with the proposed options for savings to meet a revised £175 million shortfall in its budget for 2025-26.

The Council Cabinet met in October 2024, and whilst it opted not to progress with all the savings recommendations, the decision to cut Hampshire Cultural Trust’s funding by £600,000 from 1 April 2027 was ratified. 

Following this decision, Hampshire Cultural Trust sought approval from Hampshire County Council to give notice on the operation of Eastleigh Museum, which was granted in late 2024. Hampshire Cultural Trust will no longer be responsible for operating Eastleigh Museum with effect from 1 April 2025.

Hampshire Cultural Trust categorically does not want to be in a position where it has to consider exiting any of the venues that it operates, however, in light of the significant reduction to its funding, has no option but to do so. Eastleigh Museum is currently closed to the public and will not re-open for the remainder of Hampshire Cultural Trust’s operational responsibility.

As a professional and accredited museum organisation, Hampshire Cultural Trust has a duty of care to our museum collections, which are accessioned into the county collection we care for. The objects in Eastleigh Museum have been documented and will be looked after by our professional museum staff at our facility in Winchester. If you would like to contact us regarding the historical objects at Eastleigh Museum, please email enquiries@hampshireculturaltrust.org.uk. Hampshire Cultural Trust: Established as an independent charity in 2014, we promote Hampshire as a county that offers outstanding cultural experiences to both its residents and visitors. We manage and support visitor attractions, museums, art galleries and arts centres across Hampshire."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastleigh_Museum

"Eastleigh Museum was a museum situated in Eastleigh, a town in Hampshire, England,[1] which opened in October 1986.[2] In 2014, ownership of the Eastleigh Museum was transferred to the Hampshire Cultural Trust as part of a larger transfer of museums from Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council.[3]

The town was originally developed as a railway town by the London and South Western Railway from 1884. The museum exhibits explored how the railway led to growth in the area. The main attraction was the story of a typical railway engineer and his family, Mr and Mrs Brown, during the 1930s. The exhibition showed Mr and Mrs Brown's living room. There were also temporary exhibitions and interactive activities and games. The museum had a shop and café.

The museum closed at the end of March 2022.[4][2]"