A museum for the New Forest had been the dream of many people for a long time. With the celebration of the ninth centenary of the Forest's foundation in 1979 the first moves towards the realisation of that objective became possible.
The New Forest Ninth Centenary Trust was founded in that year and set about raising funds for a museum. The dream became a reality when in the summer of 1988 the New Forest Museum was opened by the Duke of Edinburgh. The present rebuild and refurbishment of all facilities now makes the museum a cultural centre for the New Forest in the opening decades of the 21st century. It is designed to cater for the local New Forest community as well as the many thousands of visitors who may wish to make their initial explorations through its portals.
The Museum facility is totally owned by the New Forest Ninth Centenary Trust, a registered charity (No. 279373). A board of trustees has overall responsibility for the work of the museum and the trust. |
