Location: Isle of Wight
Top Things to do in Isle of Wight
The 10 Best Things to do Good for a Rainy Day in Isle of Wight, England
The Isle of Wight is the perfect place to enjoy some peace, quiet and natural beauty. Except perhaps in the summer, when the Isle of Wight Festival draws visitors from all over the world. In 1970, the Festival was the largest rock-music event ever held. It was called Britain's Woodstock and featured Jimi Hendrix and The Who. (Not so much peace or quiet that week.) The island is also known for its world-famous sailing and lovely resorts, where people have been vacationing since Victorian times.
Restaurants in Isle of Wight
1. St Catherine's Lighthouse
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 540 reviews
A light to warn shipping was first established on the Southerly tip of the Isle of Wight in 1323. Today the distinctive octagonal tower of St.Catherine's Lighthouse provides a waymark for vessels navigating in the English Channel and a guide to vessels approaching the Solent. Each tour is approximately 40 minutes. Tours of St Catherine's Lighthouse are operated by Andrew Booth, under licence from The Corporation of Trinity House.
Reviewed By Marita-Amie - Guildford, United Kingdom
Myself and James although being from the Island had never been to St Catherine's, so we decided to go and visit on a whim after checking out the website to make sure it was open. We parked about 10 minutes up the road by a local pub and walked down through a hidden pathway we found and came out to the side of the lighthouse. We had a lovely walk over and were greeted by a lovely gentleman named Chris. Sadly myself and James were the only 2 people actually interested in the tour, which surprisingly worked out well for us as it was basically like a private tour. Chris was very informative and a real gent. He made the tour fun and answered all of the questions we had. Upon entering the lighthouse he made sure we were safe at all times and let us take some photographs. We had a little moment to remember the lighthouse keepers that were killed and learnt about the local ghost! We had a great time and are actually planning to come back with some family and friends. I cannot recommend the tour more and if you get Chris as your guide you'll have a great time. For £5.00 it was an absolute bargain and well worth the money.
2. East Cowes Heritage Centre
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By Skybunker27
Have been meaning to pop in and have a look round before and I'm so glad I did. What an amazing place!! It's packed full of information on everything you could wish to learn about east cowes. There is so much to see and look at that it would certainly take numerous visits to see it all. Really can't recommend this place enough for anyone interested in anything particular to east cowes or just in east cowes in general. The people who run it are all cheerful and friendly and have a wealth of knowledge themselves. I will be making many more return visits.
3. Neil Williams
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 14 reviews
Friendly photography gallery run by the photographer. Local scenes, stormy seascapes, classic yachts and London cityscapes. Lots to look at. Children welcome.
4. Osborne House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,408 reviews
Former retreat for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (circa 1845) still retains a large collection of the royal couple's possessions, art work and photographs. Also home to the Swiss Cottage for Victoria's children, and the private beach and bathing machine.
Reviewed By 836michaelc836 - Saltash, United Kingdom
Excellent house to visit well worth the money lots to see and do House interesting well presented Guides well informed and polite Gardens well maintained and excellent Swiss Cottage interesting Good walks available Beach worth walking to
5. Sir Max Aitken Museum
6. Isle of Wight Steam Railway
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,102 reviews
Step back to a bygone era when steam power was the order of the day. Thrill to the sight and sound of powerful majestic steam engines and breathe in the evocative smells of a real steam railway. Settle back in beautifully restored Victorian and Edwardian carriages and discover an idyllic view of the Island’s unspoilt countryside. Keep an eye out for a red squirrel or deer darting away from the train as you pass through ancient woodland. Our Locomotives and Carriages have all been painstakingly restored to pristine condition and are the hallmark of our delightful railway. Our oldest locomotive was built in 1876 and carriages date back to 1864! The railway is more than just a train ride - most visitors spend at least 3 hours with us; some stay all day. Explore our Train Story Discovery Centre, our fabulous indoor museum which brings the story of the Island's railways to life. Don't miss our daily falconry displays at 11:40 and 13:40 each day.
7. The Classic Boat Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 54 reviews
The Museum houses a unique collection of historic small craft and memorabilia that have been brought together to form a fascinating exhibition. Covering many aspects of maritime heritage over the past century or so, our displays relate to boatbuilding, sailing, yachting, cruising, racing, and much more. All exhibits are under cover and on one ground floor level. Free adjacent parking. Refreshments. Shop.
Reviewed By peterkirchem
Absolutely worth a visit but yes, it’s hard to find, made somewhat more confusing by the fact that the exhibitions are in fact in West Cowes ... underneath the huge black crane. Imagine coming off the chain ferry in West Cowes ... take the first road left ... and then the first road left again ... then you can’t miss it. Lots of nicely restored wooden boats, some with a close connection to the Island ... interesting also is that boats are being hand restored there in front of you. Friendly people who will answer all your questions. I think there’s a cafe there as well.
8. Brading Roman Villa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 660 reviews
Reviewed By fromstalbans - St. Albans, United Kingdom
This was really worthwhile. The mosacs and ruins are housed into as very attractive modern building with well thought out information boards and videos as well as collection of artifacts There is a lovely cafe with amazing views down to the sea. There is good access and parking
9. Shanklin Theatre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 671 reviews
Shanklin Theatre is an all year round 615 seat venue providing top entertainment for all tastes. There are regular shows with household names from Comedy and Music, and for 2019 we are hosting professional touring plays featuring familiar TV faces. Over the Christmas period we present our annual traditional Pantomime. During the summer season, we are always proud to host our ever popular summer stage show “Beyond the West End”, this professional production is performed by Spotlight (IOW) Ltd, an Island-based company who have been providing top quality professional entertainment for the last sixteen years, the Best of the West End show runs from 2nd May through to the 3rd October 2019. Here is just a small selection of the varied shows and artists coming to Shanklin Theatre in the very near future. June 2019: Stewart Francis- Into the Punset. Cregan & Co. Marti Pellow. July: Al Murray - Landlord of Hope and Glory. Paul Carrack. Carpenters Gold. 80s Mania. August: Showaddywaddy.
Reviewed By 490dawng - Norwich, United Kingdom
On holiday on the Isle of Wight and saw the posters. Booked online, very easy, and collected tickets. Such excellent ‘staff’ (all volunteers) who were happy to tell us about their Theatre. Watched the show and was amazed how brilliant it was, the flying car, the excellent performers, the brilliant children and chorus dancers, the orchestra, the volunteers running it. Fantastic. So so pleased we decided to go. They have some great names perform here too. When we are back next time, I’ll definitely be checking to see what is on.
10. The Wight Military and Heritage Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 204 reviews
The Isle of Wight Military and Heritage Museum is operated by and for a registered charity . The charity uses any excess income from that museum to support ex service personal . It is firmly under the control of a board of trustees with a professional management team in place . This will secure the museum as a living memorial to the sacrifices that ordinary people are , all to often , called upon to make when diplomacy fails and armed conflict breaks out . It brings together items of historical interest and is largely staffed by volunteers who are typically ex service people who regularly give guided tours and talks . It has a cafe and the fully licensed Mess Bar in a former barracks building . The museum is not just a store of artifacts, it aims to be a hub for ex-service personnel to meet , share their knowledge and experience and access services tailored to their needs. The museum also provides volunteer posts for others in need . Any surplus income and donations from the museum go towards furthering these aims.
Reviewed By 442DavidF - Southampton, United Kingdom
We incorporated this into a day trip to the island. Wow! This museum has plenty of parking and a very reasonable entry fee. For anyone with even a passing interest in militaria this place is a must. I don't think I've ever seen so much stuff in one place. Weaponry, vehicles, local heritage items (even some weapons that you can handle - rarely found in museums). The place is run mainly by very enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers, and in my experience museums like this are overtaking the major, national museums in terms of content. Definitely going back on any future trip as I didn't manage to study and absorb everything. Oh, and there is a cafe so you can eat there as well!
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