List of museums in Norfolk

This list of museums in Norfolk, England contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit art galleries and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included.

Many of these museums are members of Museums Norfolk (formerly the Museums in Norfolk Group). Museums Norfolk is the representative organisation for museums in the county, and its membership includes museums from both Norfolk Museums Service (NMS) and independent museums. Details of each member museum, opening times and events are given on its website www.museumsnorfolk.org.uk.


To use the sortable table, click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order.

Name Image Town/City Region Type Summary
100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum Thorpe Abbotts South Norfolk Military History of the 100th Bomb Group at RAF Thorpe Abbotts in World War II
389th Memorial Exhibition Museum Hethel South Norfolk Military website, history of RAF Hethel and the 389th Bombardment Group, open on specific days
Ancient House, Thetford Thetford Breckland Local website, Tudor merchant's house with local history and period rooms displays
Barton House Railway Wroxham Broadland Railway Heritage miniature railway and museum with Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway memorabilia and artefacts
Bishop Bonner's Cottage Museum East Dereham Breckland Local website, local history, archaeology, operated by the Dereham Antiquarian Society
Blickling Hall, Gardens and Park Blickling Broadland Historic house Operated by the National Trust, Jacobean stately home with reflecting four centuries of use, museum about use by RAF Oulton in World War II
Blitz and Pieces Scratby Great Yarmouth Military Life in England (the Home Front) during World War II and Dad's Army
Bressingham Steam & Gardens Bressingham South Norfolk Technology Steam railway engines, tractors and other vehicles
Burston Strike School Burston South Norfolk Education Centre of the longest running strike in British history, between 1914 and 1939
Caister Castle Motor Museum Caister-on-Sea Great Yarmouth Transportation Fine and rare veteran, vintage, classic, sports and touring automobiles and motorcycles, bicycles, horse-drawn vehicles, pedal cars and other related items
Castle Acre Priory Castle Acre King's Lynn and West Norfolk Religious Operated by English Heritage, history and remains of the medieval priory
Charles Burrell Museum Thetford Breckland Industry Exhibits about Charles Burrell & Sons manufacturers of traction engines, agricultural machinery, steam trucks wagons and tram engines
City of Norwich Aviation Museum Horsham St Faith Norwich Aviation Military and civilian aircraft, history of aviation in Norfolk
Clifton House, King's Lynn King's Lynn King's Lynn and West Norfolk Historic house website, merchant's house with historic interiors dating from the 13th to the 18th centuries, and five-storey Elizabethan tower
Collectors World Downham Market King's Lynn and West Norfolk Multiple Currently closed,[1] includes Magical Dickens Experience with Victorian period street tableaux, photos and equipment of James Lafayette, Aero Museum with aero engines from Rolls-Royce and Armstrong Siddeley, rooms about author Barbara Cartland, Admiral Horatio Nelson, actress Liza Goddard, the 1960s, telephones, horse-drawn carts and carriages, farming and household memorabilia, an old cobblers shop, and antique and unusual dolls
Colman's Mustard Shop and Museum Norwich Norwich Food website, store and museum of Colman's mustard memorabilia
County School Station North Elmham Breckland Railway World War II period station and museum for the Mid-Norfolk Railway
Cromer Museum Cromer North Norfolk Local website, local history, culture, geology, Victorian fisherman's cottage display
Custom House, King's Lynn King's Lynn King's Lynn and West Norfolk Maritime Exhibits about the merchants, customs men and smugglers of Lynn, Horatio Nelson and George Vancouver
Dad's Army Museum Thetford Breckland Media/Local website, exhibits about Dad's Army and its links with Thetford
Denver Windmill Denver King's Lynn and West Norfolk Mill Early 19th-century restored windmill, currently closed
Diss Museum Diss South Norfolk Local website, local history
Elizabethan House Museum Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth Historic house website, reflects different periods from the Elizabethan to the Victorian eras
Fakenham Museum of Gas and Local History Fakenham North Norfolk Industry website, information, former gasworks used in the manufacture of gas from coal, displays of gas-powered lighting, heating, cooking and domestic equipment
Felbrigg Hall Felbrigg North Norfolk Historic house Operated by the National Trust, 17th-century country house with Jacobean exterior and sumptuous Georgian interior
Fishermen's Heritage Centre Sheringham North Norfolk Maritime website, information, Sheringham's private lifeboats, including the Henry Ramey Upcher, the fishermen who crewed them and the lives they led, Peter Coke Shell Gallery[2]
Forncett Industrial Steam Museum Forncett South Norfolk Technology Collection of large stationary steam engines
The Forum Norwich Norwich Art Includes Fusion, a digital screen gallery for art
Great Bircham Windmill Great Bircham King's Lynn and West Norfolk Mill Mid 19th-century windmill
Great Yarmouth Row Houses Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth Historic house Operated by English Heritage, early 17th-century merchants' houses later sub-divided into tenements
Green Britain Centre Swaffham Breckland Ecology Green energy (including solar and wind power), transportation options without oil, and organic gardening
Green Quay King's Lynn King's Lynn and West Norfolk Multiple website, environment and natural history of the Ouse Wash, history of shipping and trading
Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse Gressenhall Breckland Multiple website, historic workhouse, heritage farm, agriculture and rural life displays, costumes, steam engines, historic farm machinery and farming implements
Gunton Sawmill Erpingham North Norfolk Industrial website, preserved saw mill in working order owned by the Norfolk Windmills Trust, run by the Norfolk Industrial Archeology society
Harleston Museum Harleston South Norfolk Local https://archive.today/20150317225629/http://www.visiteastofengland.com/Harleston-Harleston-Museum/details/?dms=3&venue=0227282 information], local history
Holkham Hall Holkham North Norfolk Multiple 18th-century Palladian style country house with opulent interiors, walled gardens, Bygones Museum with toys, household implements, agricultural tools, vintage cars and steam engines, and an exhibition on the history of farming
Horsey Windpump Horsey North Norfolk Mill Operated by the National Trust, drainage windmill pump
Houghton Hall Harpley King's Lynn and West Norfolk Historic house 18th-century Palladian-style country house built for Britain's first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole
John Jarrold Printing Museum Norwich Norwich History website, historic printing equipment
King's Lynn Arts Centre King's Lynn King's Lynn and West Norfolk Art website, performing and visual arts centre with galleries
Letheringsett Watermill Letheringsett with Glandford North Norfolk Mill Working early 19th-century watermill
Lydia Eva Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth Maritime Last surviving steam-powered herring drifter museum ship
Lynn Museum King's Lynn King's Lynn and West Norfolk Local website, local history, archaeology, social history
Marshland Maritime Museum Clenchwarton King's Lynn and West Norfolk Military website, open by appointment only, naval memorabilia
Mid-Norfolk Railway Dereham Breckland Railway Headquarters and museum for the heritage railway
Mo Sheringham Museum Sheringham North Norfolk Local Local history, lifeboats, fishing industry
Muckleburgh Collection Weybourne North Norfolk Military History and memorabilia of RAF Weybourne, Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry, naval and civilian ship models, weapons, missiles, tanks, aircraft and other military vehicles
Mundesley Maritime Museum Mundesley Norwich Local website, local maritime heritage and social history
Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell Norwich Norwich Local website, local industries, culture, people's daily lives
Museum of Straw Work and Crafts Colby North Norfolk Art information, items crafted from straw including corn dollies, marquetry, Swiss straw lace, plaits, embroidery, jewellery
Museum of the Broads Stalham North Norfolk Local website, boats, heritage of the Broadland waterways
Nelson Museum Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth Military Life and naval history of Admiral Horatio Nelson
Norfolk Motorcycle Museum North Walsham North Norfolk Transportation website, motorcycles from the 1920s to the 1960s
Norfolk Tank Museum Forncett South Norfolk Military website, Cold War militaria including Main Battle Tanks, armoured personnel carriers, small arms, military memorabilia and uniforms
Norwich Arts Centre Norwich Norwich Art Performing arts centre with exhibit galleries
Norwich Castle Norwich Norwich Multiple Tours of the castle, dungeon and battlements, exhibits of fine and decorative arts including costume, textiles, jewelry, glass, ceramics and silverware, exhibits of archaeology, Ancient Egypt, natural history, Anglo Saxon and Viking artifacts
Norwich Cathedral Norwich Norwich Religious Visitor centre with exhibits about the cathedral and art exhibits
Old Gaol House & Regalia Rooms King's Lynn King's Lynn and West Norfolk Multiple website, 1930s police station, old jail cells, city treasures and regalia
Oxburgh Hall Oxborough Breckland Historic house Operated by the National Trust, 15th-century moated country house
Peter Coke Shell Gallery Sheringham North Norfolk Art website, sculptures and arrangements formed from seashells from around the world, adjacent to Fishermen's Heritage Centre
RAF Air Defence Radar Museum Horning North Norfolk Military website, located at RAF Neatishead, history of the military radar station in World War II and the Cold War
Red Mount Chapel King's Lynn King's Lynn and West Norfolk Religious website, medieval wayside chapel for pilgrims on their way to the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
RNLI Henry Blogg Museum Cromer North Norfolk Maritime website, Cromer lifeboat crews and their most famous coxswain Henry Blogg
Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum Norwich Norwich Military Regimental artefacts and memorabilia
Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts Norwich Norwich Art Part of the University of East Anglia, collections include modern art, art from Africa, the Pacific, the Americas, Asia, Egypt, medieval Europe and the ancient Mediterranean, Art Nouveau decorative art, abstract and constructivist art, architecture and design
Sandringham Estate Sandringham King's Lynn and West Norfolk Historic house Private home of the British Royal Family, includes late 19th-century house with furnishings, Sandringham Museum with royal collection of gifts, vehicles, ceramics, photographs and memorabilia
Seething Control Tower Museum Seething South Norfolk Military website, located at Seething Airfield, history of the 448th Fighter-Bomber Group at RAF Seething in World War II
Shell Museum Glandford North Norfolk Natural history website, seashells, fossils, birds' eggs, agate ware, local archaeological finds
Stow Mill Paston North Norfolk Mill website, early 19th-century windmill
Stalham Firehouse Museum Stalham Norwich Firefighting website
Strangers' Hall Norwich Norwich Historic house Tudor and Stuart period rooms
Strumpshaw Hall Steam Museum Strumpshaw Broadland Technology Steam traction engines, rollers, a wagon and a showman's engine
Swaffham Museum Swaffham Breckland Local website, local history and culture
Thursford Collection Thursford North Norfolk Technology Steam engines, organs and fairground attractions
Time and Tide: The Museum of Great Yarmouth Life Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth Maritime Area fishing, shipbuilding and other maritime trades, merchant trade and lifesaving, herring fishing and curing
Toad Hole Cottage How Hill North Norfolk Local website, information, home and working life on the marshes of The Broads in the early 20th century
The Tolhouse Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth Prison website, 12th-century medieval former merchant's house turned into a prison
True's Yard Fisherfolk Museum King's Lynn King's Lynn and West Norfolk Maritime website, exhibits about the historic fishing community
Walsingham Abbey Grounds and Shirehall Museum Walsingham North Norfolk Religious website, ruins of the medieval abbey, museum with exhibits on the abbey and local history
Whitwell & Reepham Railway Station Reepham Broadland Railway Historic railway station under restoration
William Marriott Museum Holt North Norfolk Railway Railway artefacts of the North Norfolk Railway
Wolterton Hall Erpingham North Norfolk Historic house Restored Georgian country house and park
Wymondham Heritage Museum Wymondham South Norfolk Local Local history, culture, former prison, police station and courthouse
Wymondham Station Wymondham South Norfolk Railway Features collection of railway memorabilia

Defunct museums

  • Dragon Hall, Norwich, closed to visitors in 2015[3]
  • Fenland Aviation and West Norfolk Museum, near Walsoken, closed to visitors in October 2022.[4]
  • Iceni Village & Museums, Cockley Cley, reconstruction of the type of village occupied by a British tribe, the Iceni, closed in 2014[5]
  • Inspire Discovery Centre, Norwich, closed in 2011[6]
  • Litcham Village Museum, Litcham[7]
  • Norfolk's Golden Fleece Heritage Museum, Worstead
  • Town House Museum, King's Lynn, closed in 2011[8]
  • Yesterday's World, Great Yarmouth, closed in 2014[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Collectors World of Eric St John-Foti a tourist attraction in Downham Market, Norfolk, to visit | tourUK.co.uk". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2013. Tour UK
  2. ^ "Peter Coke Shell Gallery". Sheringham Society. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  3. ^ "Visit". Dragon Hall. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015. Dragon Hall is now closed to visitors. On 1 April 2015 the Writers' Centre, Norwich will be moving into Dragon Hall.
  4. ^ "end of an era". www.fenlandcitizen.co.uk. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  5. ^ "Iceni Centre, formerly the Iceni Village, closes despite attempted revival". Watton & Swaffam Times. 15 July 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  6. ^ "Norwich Inspire Discovery Centre to close this weekend". Eastern Daily Press. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  7. ^ "Litcham Museum". Litcham. Retrieved 25 January 2015. The Litcham Museum is located at Fourways on the Mileham Road IT IS NOW CLOSED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC
  8. ^ "Town House Museum". Maritime Heritage East. Retrieved 18 March 2015. This Museum was closed in 2011
  9. ^ "Closure of Yesterday's World – Great Yarmouth". Yesterday's World. 12 November 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  • Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service
  • Norfolk Heritage - the website of Museums Norfolk
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