The Fusilier Museum

What The Fusilier Museum does

The Fusilier Museum is a UK registered charity (number 1115452) operating a single physical site on Moss Street in Bury, Lancashire, preserving and exhibiting the military heritage of the XX Lancashire Fusiliers and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers across more than 300 years of history (1688 to present). Founded in 1934 at Wellington Barracks and relocated to its current Grade II listed Bury Cultural Quarter location in 2009, the museum houses two permanent galleries alongside temporary exhibitions, a Quartermaster's Store open-display, an interactive shooting simulator, and a digital guide accessible via the Bloomberg Connects app. The site also includes the Minden Suite (capacity up to 150), Gallipoli Room (22), and Normandy Room event spaces, supported by an in-house café, Olive's Kitchen.

The museum operates a diversified, multi-segment revenue model. Earned income streams include admissions (annual pass model, with only 12% of total income from admissions and service charges), retail via an online and on-site shop selling regimental merchandise, a genealogy and research service (£35/enquiry processing 500+ family history enquiries per year), a corporate sponsorship scheme from £350/year, a Friends membership at £15/year granting reciprocal entry to the Warwick Fusilier Museum, venue hire for corporate events and weddings, and curriculum-aligned educational sessions for Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, secondary and further education groups. Distribution relies on the physical site, a UK e-commerce storefront, direct field sales to schools and corporate clients, and digital channels including website, Twitter, Facebook, email newsletters, and the Bloomberg Connects app.

The business is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Colonel Brian Gorski MBE DL, with a small management team of approximately 30+ staff covering operations, learning, research, collections, and marketing. The museum has historically depended on public grant funding — the Heritage Lottery Fund contributed £1m of a £4.2m relocation project in 2009 and supported a £1.4m phase 2 redevelopment in 2014 — and recently secured £81,244 from the Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND) for roof restoration in 2025. Strategic content partnerships, notably with Heartstone and Voices of Kosovo for the 2024 KFOR and Kosovo +25 exhibition, and with Empathy Holistic Buddies CIC for sensory sessions targeting 0–2 year-olds, extend the museum's programming beyond its traditional military-history core.

Name

The Fusilier Museum

Legal name

The Fusilier Museum

Website

https://fusiliermuseum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Fusilier Museum is a UK registered charity operating a single Bury, Lancashire site that preserves and exhibits over 300 years of history of the Lancashire Fusiliers and Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, serving general public visitors, schools, corporate venue-hire clients, wedding couples, and family-history researchers through admissions, education, retail, and venue hire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Museum & Venue Hire

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Military heritage museum
• Regimental history exhibits
• Educational museum visits
• Wedding venue hire
• Genealogy research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum Admissions: Annual pass admission fees providing unlimited visits within 12 months. Ticket types include adult, concession, children, and family tickets.
2. Retail Shop: Online and in-museum gift shop selling regimental items, jewellery, gifts, books, children's toys and museum merchandise. Registered charity so purchases support museum preservation.
3. Café Operations (Olive's Kitchen): Independent healthy caterer operating within museum premises serving breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and takeaway options with locally sourced ingredients.
4. Venue Hire: Conference and events venue offering spaces including Minden Suite (up to 150 guests), Gallipoli Room (22 guests), and Normandy Room for weddings, conferences, private dining, and celebrations.
5. Education Sessions: Museum-led educational sessions for schools including object handling (£45), guided tours (£45), and themed workshops for Key Stage 1 and 2 students.
6. Research Services: Charged genealogy and historical research service (£35) providing information on Lancashire Fusiliers and Royal Regiment of Fusiliers ancestors.
7. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship scheme with three levels starting from £350/year offering benefits including free room hire, discounts, and staff museum entry.
8. Membership (Friends Scheme): Annual Friends membership at £15 providing free newsletters, free entry to Bury and Warwick museums, 10% shop and café discounts, and VIP event invitations.
9. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations, regular giving schemes, and legacy gifts in wills. Only 12% of income comes from admissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Fusilier Museum is a registered charity operating a heritage museum in Bury, UK, that preserves and exhibits over 300 years of regimental history for the Lancashire Fusiliers and Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Its core revenue-generating products and services are museum admissions (annual pass), an on-site café (Olive's Kitchen), a retail shop (physical and online) selling regimental merchandise, conference and wedding venue hire across three event spaces, curriculum-aligned educational sessions and loan boxes for schools, a paid genealogy research service via The Fusilier Archive, a Friends membership scheme, and a corporate sponsorship programme. Only 12% of income comes from admissions; the majority is self-generated through these activities and charitable donations.

Product overview

The Fusilier Museum is a military history museum and events venue offering a unified experience combining physical exhibitions with digital services. The museum houses two permanent galleries (Lancashire Fusiliers and Royal Regiment of Fusiliers) documenting over 300 years of regimental history, supported by temporary exhibitions, a Virtual Museum, and Bloomberg Digital Guide. Venue hire capabilities include three distinct spaces (Minden Suite, Gallipoli Room, Normandy Room) for conferences, weddings, and events with in-house catering. Educational services span Key Stage 1 through Further Education with museum-led sessions and loan boxes. An online shop sells regimental merchandise including cap badges, ties, hackles, and branded items. Additional offerings include a Shooting Simulator attraction, Fusilier Archive research service, café (Olive's Kitchen), and membership program. The museum operates as a registered charity with corporate sponsorship, volunteer, and donation programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Olive's Kitchen Café Bar: Award-winning independent healthy caterer located at The Fusilier Museum, serving breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, coffee and cakes with freshly made, locally sourced ingredients.

Products and services

• Museum Admission (Annual Pass) Annual-pass museum admission giving access to the Lancashire Fusiliers and Royal Regiment of Fusiliers galleries, the Quartermaster's Store, temporary exhibitions, and the shooting simulator. Priced at Adult £4.95, Concession £3.95, Child £2.95, Family £9.95.
• Online Shop E-commerce storefront offering regimental merchandise including Lancashire Fusiliers Cap Badge (£9.99), Lancashire Fusiliers Silk Tie (£25.00), RRF Cap Badge (£11.99), RRF Hackle (£3.50), Poppy Umbrella (£17.95), Fusilier Museum mug (£4.99) and Bee Scarf Navy (£8.99), with UK delivery and free shipping over £75.
• Shooting Simulator Experience Interactive shooting simulator replicating the Annual Combat Markmanship Test using authentic replica firearms with high-quality graphics, available to museum visitors at £1 per play and wheelchair accessible.
• Minden Suite Venue Hire Contemporary state-of-the-art conference and events space accommodating up to 100 for dinner or 150 theatre-style with separate bar area, staging, and AV equipment. Suitable for corporate conferences, weddings, and exhibitions.
• Gallipoli Room Venue Hire Historic Victorian room with mahogany panelled walls and feature fireplace, seating 22 for private dining or board meetings, featuring regimental silver, chandeliers, and imposing portraits.
• Normandy Room Venue Hire Self-contained events space with high ceilings and natural daylight accommodating up to 120 guests, suitable for parties, celebrations, day meetings, and seminars.
• Wedding Packages Civil ceremony and reception packages using Minden Suite (up to 120 for civil ceremony, 150 for wedding breakfast), the gallery spaces for drinks receptions, and Gallipoli Garden for wedding photographs; includes self-contained bar and bespoke catering.
• Olive's Kitchen Café Bar Award-winning independent healthy caterer located within the museum serving breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, coffee, and cakes with freshly made, locally sourced ingredients; offers dine-in and takeaway options, open Monday–Saturday 9am–4pm.
• Key Stage 2 Educational Sessions Learning programmes for pupils aged 7–11 including 'The Soldier's Story' (£75, 75 min), 'Keep the Home Fires Burning' (£75, 75 min), 'First World War Object Handling' (£75), 'Dad's Army' (£75), 'Second World War Object Handling' (£75), and 'Christmas at the Front' (£65, 60 min).
• Key Stage 1 Educational Sessions Learning sessions for pupils aged 5–7 including 'Victorians at Home' (£65, 60 min), 'The Tin Soldier' (£45, 45 min), and 'It's A Soldier's Life' (£55, 45 min) with interactive storytelling and object handling.
• Secondary & Further Education Sessions Bespoke object handling sessions and guided tours for secondary and further education groups priced at £45 per 55-minute session.
• Educational Loan Boxes World War One and World War Two themed loan boxes for classroom use costing £30 for a two-week loan, including objects, background information, and activity ideas.
• Fusilier Archive Research Service Genealogy and military history research service priced at £35 per enquiry, providing information on Lancashire Fusiliers and Royal Regiment of Fusiliers ancestors via medal roles, casualty lists, and service records. Processes 500+ enquiries annually.
• Friends of The Fusilier Museum Membership Annual subscription membership at £15 providing free biannual e-newsletters, free entry to Fusilier Museums in Bury and Warwick, 10% shop and café discounts, and VIP event invitations.
• Corporate Sponsorship Scheme Three-tiered corporate sponsorship scheme starting from £350/year offering benefits including free room hire, staff museum entry discounts, and association with the temporary exhibition programme.
• Bloomberg Digital Guide Free digital guide on the Bloomberg Connects app featuring items from collections, exhibition history, gallery information, and opening times for remote and on-site exploration.
• The Forgotten Front Remembered Exhibition Temporary exhibition commemorating the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, featuring untold stories of the Lancashire Fusiliers' role in the Far East during the Second World War.
• KFOR and Kosovo +25 Exhibition Temporary photodocumentary exhibition developed with Heartstone featuring over 50 images by photojournalist Nick Sidle documenting KFOR peacekeeping operations in Kosovo 2000-2001.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ family history enquiries processed annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HeartstonecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2024Partnership project between The Fusilier Museum and Heartstone, a UK-based arts, cultural and education organisation. Created the KFOR and Kosovo +25 photodocumentary exhibition featuring over 50 images by photojournalist Nick Sidle, documenting the work of peacekeepers and human stories from Kosovo.
• Voices of Kosovo (VoKim)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2024Oral history project created by Manchester Aid to Kosovo in 2016 to record and preserve the story of the Kosovar community in Manchester. Museum worked closely with VoKim for KFOR and Kosovo +25 exhibition.
• Nick Sidle (Photojournalist)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhotojournalist who captured life in Kosovo during KFOR operations 2000-1, embedded with units including The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. His work forms the basis of the KFOR and Kosovo +25 exhibition.
• Empathy Holistic Buddies CICminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity interest company running 'Mini Museum Adventure Buddies' sensory sessions for babies (0-2 years) at The Fusilier Museum every Friday during school term.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Imperial War Museums: UK's leading military history museum group operating multiple sites (London, Duxford, North). Comparable as a military heritage museum, though much larger in scale and national in scope rather than regiment-specific.
• National Army Museum: British Army's central museum in London covering all regiments. Comparable as a UK military heritage museum with education programmes, but broader in scope and centrally funded.
• Royal Air Force Museum: National museum covering Royal Air Force history across two sites. Comparable as a UK military aviation heritage museum with education and corporate hire, though at significantly larger scale.
• National Museum of the Royal Navy: Multi-site UK naval heritage museum. Comparable as a military history museum with education programmes and venue hire, though broader in scope and nationally distributed.

Direct peers

• Royal Engineers Museum: Single-corps military museum in Gillingham, Kent, preserving Royal Engineers heritage. Closely comparable as a registered charity military museum of similar scale, with education programmes and venue hire.
• The Tank Museum: Registered charity museum in Bovington, Dorset focused on armoured warfare. Comparable as a UK military heritage museum operating venue hire, education programmes, and active collections.
• Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum: Single-regiment military museum in Gloucester. Closely comparable as a charity-run regimental museum of similar scale with education and venue-hire operations.
• Chelsea Pensioners' Museum: Heritage museum at the Royal Hospital Chelsea documenting veteran pensioners. Comparable as a small UK military heritage museum operated as a charity.
• Royal Marines Museum: Former museum dedicated to Royal Marines heritage (collection now at National Museum of the Royal Navy). Relevant precedent for a single-corps military museum model and its scale constraints.

Regional players

• Bury Art Museum: Adjacent cultural attraction in Bury's Cultural Quarter. Not a direct competitor but shares the local cultural-tourism catchment and could be a partnership/comparison point for footfall and visitor demographics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FusilierMuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/FusilierMuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Fusilier Museum