https://www.devonmuseums.net There is something for everyone in Devon museums and galleries, from steam trains to shipwrecks, farming to factories, boats to battles and local history to lace. Just search the collections or find a museum to discover the treasures in Devon museums - and where they can be seen. Or use the museum map to find all the museums near you. en-us Individual 18th-century house with fascinating interior decoration and collections. A unique 16-sided house with an impressive collection of Grand Tour mementoes and distinctive interior décor, including a 'feather frieze' and shell gallery which due to its fragile conditi /A-la-Ronde/Devon-Museums/ Our museum building is the oldest in Honiton with an interesting history. Documents show a chapel called Allhallows existed here before 1327. From the 16th century the building was used by Allhallows School until 1938 when the school moved to Rousdon. The chancel of the old chapel is now the Murch G /Allhallows-Museum/Devon-Museums/ An intimate and fascinating Regency house set in an extensive estate. Full of collections for every taste, many of them amassed by the eccentric and widely travelled Miss Rosalie Chichester, they include displays of model ships, costume, pewter, shells and other fascinating objects. Arlingto /Arlington-Court/Devon-Museums/ Our aim is to tell the story of the beautiful stannary town of Ashburton and its surroundings through a lively collection of artefacts, pictures and displays. Our little Grade II listed building situated in the heart of the town, was at one time a brush factory and later a hair salon. We are a /Ashburton-History-Museum/Devon-Museums/ The museum concentrates on the lower Axe Valley and also includes the adjacent villages of Beer, Axmouth, Branscombe, Colyton and Colyford. Seaton museum is renowned for it's excellent collection of old photographs of the area. These come mainly from the E.S. Gosling collection. Other displ /Axe-Valley-Heritage-Museum/Devon-Museums/ OPEN FROM AUGUST 1st Temporary CV19 measures have been introduced so guests can visit us safe in the knowledge we are diligently following the Government and museum sector recommendations. To help you enjoy your experience, trained staff and clear signage will guide you through the exhibition We tel /Axminster-Heritage-Centre/Devon-Museums/ The Society was formed in February 2000 to further understanding of the geology, occurrence and properties of the ball clays of Devon and Dorset and to preserve the history and heritage of clay production, transport and use, To that end, the Society is assembling an irreplaceable collection of a /Ball-Clay-Heritage-Society/Devon-Museums/ Bampton Heritage & Visitor Centre is located inside the town's Grade 1 listed St Michael and All Angels church. It also acts as a Tourist Information Service. Displays include local history boards, artefacts, photographs and an 8-foot railway station model. Watch fascinating short films a /Bampton-Heritage-and-Visitor-Centre/Devon-Museums/ Founded in memory of the British film-maker Bill Douglas in 1994, this museum on Exeter University campus contains an enormous collection relating to the history of film and optical entertainment. From shadow puppets to Shirley Temple dolls, from magic lanterns to Marilyn Monroe postcards, there /Bill-Douglas-Centre/Devon-Museums/ Bishopsteignton Heritage provides a unique facility which interprets the story of the Bishopsteignton area through its heritage and enables the local community and others to become involved in enjoyable learning opportunities by sharing experiences, including digital and physical artefacts, events a /Bishopsteignton-Heritage-(formerly-Museum-of-Rural-Life)/Devon-Museums/ The small museum with a big heart! Bovey Tracey Heritage Centre is situated off the A382 in the old railway station building, which was in use on the branch line to Moretonhampstead for nearly 100 years. Whether you are interested in family history, local pottery, the history of mining and qua /Bovey-Tracey-Heritage-Centre/Devon-Museums/ Unspoilt and fascinating medieval manor house, still a relaxed family home. Located in a green haven of riverside meadows and woodland. /Bradley-Manor/Devon-Museums/ The Bakehouse Centre was specially converted from a former bakehouse and two cottages to house today's Museum. Museum Staff are pleased to welcome visitors and offer a guided tour if requested. A printed guide to the collection is also available. /Braunton-and-District-Museum/Devon-Museums/ /Britannia-Museum,-Britannia-Royal-Naval-College/Devon-Museums/ The Brixham Heritage Museum and History Society was founded in 1958 for the purpose of recording, saving and displaying the heritage of the historic town and fishing port. Since 1976, the Museum has been located in what was once the Police Station and Sergeant's House, built 1902. /Brixham-Heritage-Museum/Devon-Museums/ 700-year-old home of Elizabethan seafarers Drake and Grenville In the 13th century, Buckland Abbey was home to the Cistercian monks who built the abbey and the incredible Great Barn and farmed the then vast estate. The Abbey, now a house with a combination of furnished rooms and interactive mu /Buckland-Abbey,-Garden-and-Estate/Devon-Museums/ Where dramatic architecture meets innovative family home, this 20th century castle overlooking the Teign Gorge was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens for self-made millionaire Julius Drewe. It looks ancient, but this remarkable building was only constructed 100 years ago, the last castle ever built in E /Castle-Drogo/Devon-Museums/ Coldharbour Mill, built between 1797 and 1799 as Fox Brothers' first spinning mill in the South West, preserves a collection of Victorian spinning frames for the worsted process, and Hattersley looms are still in use to weave knitting yarns, tartan cloth, rugs and stair runners. Come and dis /Coldharbour-Mill-Working-Wool-Museum/Devon-Museums/ Travel back in time to the Jazz Age at the holiday home of the D'Oyly Carte family. You can lose yourself in the magical 12-hectare (30-acre) garden: viewpoints give enticing glimpses out to sea, paths weave through glades past tranquil ponds, and tender plants from the Mediterranean, South Afric /Coleton-Fishacre/Devon-Museums/ Combe Martin has a rich history combining unique social customs with silver mining, lime burning, strawberry growing as well as the maritime aspects. A fantastic Seaside Laboratory is open for all to use with the facility to explore the beach and go rock-pooling. Beach safaris led by museum volu /Combe-Martin-Museum-and-Tourist-Information-Point/Devon-Museums/ Dramatic fortified manor house and small formal garden A rare survivor, this medieval fortress with high curtain walls, towers and a portcullis, set in a landscape of rolling hills and orchards, is a bewitching mixture of romance and history. Home for nearly 600 years to the Gilbert family, in /Compton-Castle/Devon-Museums/ In April 2010 our museum was opened at The Old Town Hall in the centre of Crediton High Street. The museum is run by volunteers and each year plans a separate exhibition, open from April to October. In addition, monthly lectures are held, usually at the Boniface Centre in Crediton, and visits to /Crediton-Area-History-And-Museum-Society/Devon-Museums/ Crownhill Fort was built in the 1860s and designed to protect the Dockyard from a landward invasion. Advances in artillery soon made the Fort obsolete but it remained in military hands for over a century. Now owned by The Landmark Trust, the Fort is home to 15 small businesses, a holiday apartme /Crownhill-Fort/Devon-Museums/ Unlocking the history of one of England's most famous prisons, Dartmoor Prison Museum reflects the heritage of HMP Dartmoor from Prisoner of War Depot to the present day. The interesting collection of artefacts provides a unique insight into prison life both past and present. /Dartmoor-Prison-Museum/Devon-Museums/ Dartmouth Museum is a small, fascinating and interesting museum housed in an atmospheric old merchant's house, built in approximately 1640. The Museum houses an extensive collection of artefacts, models, paintings and photographs which can help you explore and develop your interests, whether /Dartmouth-Museum/Devon-Museums/ With 11 rooms over 3 floors the Museum is best known for its display of Piper Bill Millins' D-Day bagpipes played on Sword Beach during the D Day landings. Packed with local artefacts the tableaus in the Museum are regularly updated and depict life past and present in the town and notably tell /Dawlish-Museum/Devon-Museums/ The Devon & Exeter Hospital was founded in 1741 and the Devon & Exeter Medico-Chirurgical Society in 1780. That became the Devon & Exeter Medical Society (DEMS). The Devon & Exeter Medical Heritage Trust was set up in August 2020, and has gratefully received a collection of histori /Devon-and-Exeter-Medical-Heritage-Trust/Devon-Museums/ The Devonport Naval Heritage Centre is a wholly volunteer run museum which records the development of The Dockyard and Plymouth’s pivotal role in supporting the Royal Navy through war and peace. Through its collections, interactive experiences and pictorial interpretation the drama of the clo /Devonport-Naval-Heritage-Centre/Devon-Museums/ Open Easter - End October Open Bank Holidays / Spitfire flight days This Heritage Centre houses a substantial photographic collection of over 400 photographs that depict day to day life on the base during World War 2, as well as many WW2 artefacts. The display tell the story from the constr /Dunkeswell-Airfield-Heritage-Centre/Devon-Museums/ The Elizabethan House is a rare survivor of Plymouth history. In the late 1500s, Plymouth was a prosperous, bustling port, bursting at the seams with ships and crew, foreign privateers, merchants and craftsmen. An increased need for housing saw the development of New Street for the people whose /Elizabethan-House/Devon-Museums/ Founded in 2018 with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the ECFC Museum is a collaboration between Exeter City Football Club, ECFC Supporters Trust, and the University of Exeter. Overseen by the ECFC Museum Trust (registered charity number: 1180297) our aim is to preserve and share the history /Exeter-City-Football-Club-Museum/Devon-Museums/ "a great gem of a place" - Western Morning News. We tell the story of Exmouth and its people. Exhibits include a 1940s Sitting Room, a Victorian Kitchen, Children's Toys, Railways, Shipping, Antique Lace, the Post Office, Schools, World War II in Exmouth, Commemorative China and th /Exmouth-Museum-and-Heritage-Centre-registered-charity-1216717/Devon-Museums/ Fairlynch Museum and Arts Centre is one of the very few thatched museums in the UK. The Grade II Listed building dating from 1810 is a typical example of a 'marine cottage orné'. A pebble’s throw from the best beach in Devon, we’re a volunteer-run museum for life-lon /Fairlynch-Museum-Budleigh-Salterton/Devon-Museums/ Finch Foundry is a doorway to Dartmoor's industrial past. Take a guided tour of Finch Foundry to experience the sights, sounds and smells of one of the South West's most successful edge tool forges, which at its peak produced around 400 tools a day. Learn about the Finch family and the gro /Finch-Foundry/Devon-Museums/ The beloved holiday home of the famous and much-loved author Agatha Christie and her family. The relaxed and atmospheric house is set in the 1950s, and contains many of the family's collections, including archaeology, Tunbridgeware, silver, botanical china and books. Outside you can explore the l /Greenway/Devon-Museums/ The museum is housed in part of a building which is in itself a museum piece; a small manor house dating from the 17th century which was used as a parsonage in 1724. There are five separate rooms, individually themed, which cover the history of Holsworthy, local tradesmen's tools, medical a /Holsworthy-Museum/Devon-Museums/ Welcome to Ilfracombe Museum, the centre of cultural heritage for this beautiful seaside town. Founded in 1932 by the avid collector and explorer Mervyn Palmer, our museum is eccentric and visceral, with birds and mammals adorning the walls, bats in cupboards and butterflies in drawers. Our vast /Ilfracombe-Museum/Devon-Museums/ Step into the Stone Age! Kents Cavern is one of the most important Stone Age sites in Europe and one of Britain's best showcaves! On your visit you'll go back to a time when the cave was home to ancient humans, sheltering from extreme weather, making fires, shaping tools and hunting /Kents-Cavern-Prehistoric-Caves/Devon-Museums/ Fine 18th-century house with hillside garden and estate. Delightful hillside garden featuring rhododendrons, magnolias, and rare trees. Stunning parkland walks all year round. Killerton house is home to the National Trust’s biggest fashion collection, with more than 20,000 items of historic /Killerton-House/Devon-Museums/ In the Old Grammar School you find an historic building, a range of collections and a local history archive. Each one of these would be worth visiting on its own, but to experience all three is exceptional. The collections are displayed over eight galleries and mainly cover the social history of Kin /Kingsbridge-Cookworthy-Museum/Devon-Museums/ Begun in 1869, and a rare survival of the work of the eccentric designer William Burges, Knightshayes is an extraordinary gothic delight, with rich Victorian interiors, with far reaching views of the Exe Valley and Tiverton. Knightshayes has one of the finest gardens in Devon, with formal terrace /Knightshayes/Devon-Museums/ A charming small museum with collections of agricultural and domestic tools from Lynton and Exmoor. Also maritime, railway, and natural history. Unique pictures of the Lynmouth Flood, and a Victorian dolls' house. Housed in Lynton's oldest surviving domestic dwelling, it even includes /Lyn-and-Exmoor-Museum/Devon-Museums/ Opening in 1898, the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway in North Devon was considered one of the world's most famous and picturesque narrow-gauge railways. Despite its attraction, it closed in September 1935 because of declining passenger numbers. After many years of closure, passengers can again tr /Lynton-and-Barnstaple-Railway/Devon-Museums/ The Museum is run by Mortehoe Heritage Trust, a registered charity (Reg No: 1068961). It is situated in the heart of the cliff-top village of Mortehoe, 1.5 miles north of Woolacombe on the coastal road. Entry is through the village Car Park opposite Mortehoe Post Office The Museum is a Grade ll /Mortehoe-Museum/Devon-Museums/ The Museum of British Surfing is an award-winning visitor attraction in Braunton, near the North Devon coast. We are a registered charity set up to preserve surfing heritage, celebrate current achievements and help shape the future of surfing in Great Britain. It is the first & only dedicated /Museum-of-British-Surfing/Devon-Museums/ Situated within a cobbled courtyard the Museum of Dartmoor Life exhibits over three floors a vast collection of objects relating to 5000 years of life on Dartmoor from the Bronze Age through to the mid-20th Century. Everything from roman pottery to a Bullnose Morris car. There are a number of hunts /Museum-of-Dartmoor-Life/Devon-Museums/ The Museum of Policing in Devon and Cornwall is a registered charity engaging visitors with the policing history of the region. We have a fully accessible small museum in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Tavistock, displaying permanent exhibitions exploring the changes in policing in the region ov /Museum-of-Policing-in-Devon-and-Cornwall/Devon-Museums/ The Carriage Museum in the stables has a vehicle for every occasion from cradle to grave. In the past carriages were as varied as cars are today: designed for long journeys, a trip to town, a day off-roading or simply a drive in the park. Having the right type of carriage was a sign of good taste /National-Trust--Carriage-Museum/Devon-Museums/ The museum now lives inside Newton's Place, a beautifully restored and adapted nineteenth century church. We cover a range of aspects of local history, including: early history and the birth of the town, the World Wars, John Lethbridge: the story of an 18th century salvage diver, the 16th cen /Newton-Abbot-Museum/Devon-Museums/ The North Devon Maritime Museum offers a fascinating insight into the rich shipbuilding and seafaring history of the area. It is housed in a fine, Georgian Grade II listed building which has been the home of several ship owners and master mariners in the past 200 years and is situated in the pictu /North-Devon-Maritime-Museum/Devon-Museums/ Ottery St Mary Heritage Museum opened in August 2018 in the Victorian Old Town Hall and opposite historic St Mary's Church, one the finest churches in Devon. Over 1000 visitors were welcomed before closing in late October. The Museum celebrates the rich social and cultural history of Ottery /Ottery-St-Mary-Heritage-Museum/Devon-Museums/ An exotic and fascinating hidden treasure perched high on the cliffs above Salcombe. Explore the banana garden, meander through the woodland, or relax beneath the palms and soak up the spectacular panorama across miles of beautiful coastline and estuary. Continue your journey of discovery into th /Overbecks/Devon-Museums/ The trust has its headquarters in Thorn Park Lodge, Thorn Park, Plymouth. At the lodge is a pharmaceutical library, a collection of materia medica (used in the past for making pharmaceutical preparations) an extensive collection of artefacts and old fashioned proprietary goods. People of all ages vi /Park-Pharmacy-Trust/Devon-Museums/ The Robey Trust , based at the New Perseverance Ironworks, is a charity dedicated to continuing the traditions of the Robey Engineering Company of Lincoln. This involves not only the maintenance in working order of many Robey engines, the vast majority of them steam engines, but also continuing and /Robey-Trust-Perseverance-Iron-Works/Devon-Museums/ Exeter's world-class museum, with stunning new displays and galleries, fabulous exhibitions and modern amenities. Covid-19 measures are in place, including a one-way system, reduced visitor numbers, and a meticulous cleaning schedule. RAMM's fascinating displays reveal Devon and Exe /Royal-Albert-Memorial-Museum-and-Art-Gallery/Devon-Museums/ A treasure trove of models, paintings, photographs and artefacts which tell the story of Salcombe's links with ships and the sea from ancient times to the Second World War. There is plenty to amuse and engage younger visitors including tales of local smugglers and pirates as well as dressing /Salcombe-Maritime-Museum/Devon-Museums/ Saltram stands high above the River Plym in a rolling and wooded landscaped park that now provides precious green space on the outskirts of Plymouth. The House with its magnificent decoration and original contents was largely created between the 1740's and 1820's by three generations of the Parker f /Saltram-House/Devon-Museums/ OPEN 24th MARCH - 1st N0VEMBER Sidmouth Museum offers 'Something for Everyone'. The local history of Sidmouth has been greatly influenced by the wide variety of people, some very famous, who have lived and visited the area. Our displays aim to engage and inspire the widest possibl /Sidmouth-Museum/Devon-Museums/ The museum contains the toy and model collection of Ian and Rebecca Gregory, which has been accumulated over many years. The centrepiece of the museum is an 00 gauge model railway which provides a showcase for many vintage toys and models which are part of the landscape. The collection includes /Sidmouth-Toy-and-Model-Museum/Devon-Museums/ A centrepiece on Plymouth’s Hoe, Smeaton’s Tower is one of the South West’s most well-known landmarks. In use from 1759 to 1877, it was largely dismantled and rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe in Plymouth, Devon, where it now stands as a memorial to its designer, John Smeaton, a celebrated c /Smeaton’s-Tower-Lighthouse/Devon-Museums/ The South Devon Railway is one of Devon's and the West Country's best loved tourist attractions and is the longest established steam railway in the south west. It is a seven mile former Great Western Railway branch line, built in 1872, which runs along the stunning valley of the River D /South-Devon-Railway/Devon-Museums/ Discover the true spirit of the characters from South Molton's past, through the exhibits and interactive displays. The collections reflect the life and times of the town and the surrounding countryside. Local trades, agriculture and domestic history are also strongly featured. The Museum i /South-Molton-and-District-Museum/Devon-Museums/ Formerly the Grammar School which closed in 1938 just 20 years after celebrating 600 years as a school. When it then ceased to be used for education purposes in the 1980s it became a visitor and heritage centre. This year it houses the medieval history project exhibitions. /St-Lawrence-Chapel/Devon-Museums/ Adorned with high quality replica furniture and painted in the bright colours of the period, the Priory is presented as the 1602 home of the wealthy Hurst family. The display of Elizabethan items from the city's collection, the addition of modern amenities and new interpretation allow greater a /St-Nicholas-Priory/Devon-Museums/ Tavistock Museum is a town museum which has permanent exhibitions relating to its monastic, market, and mining past. It is also a community museum and each year has new exhibitions relating to different community interests and organisations. The Museum is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom /Tavistock-Museum/Devon-Museums/ Teignmouth and Shaldon are beautiful. They are not, however, just pretty places! Products of a turbulent past and the strivings of succeeding generations, Teignmouth and Shaldon have colourful and absorbing stories to tell. The stories are told in the Museum, what happened, when and who the players /Teign-Heritage-Centre---Home-to-Teignmouth-and-Shaldon-Museum/Devon-Museums/ The Box is Plymouth's award-winning museum, gallery and archive. Immerse yourselves in galleries filled with highlights from the city's permanent collections. Browse and buy in our shop. Enjoy something to eat and drink in our Kitchen & Bar. Research family and local history in our /The-Box,-Plymouth/Devon-Museums/ Established in 1951, we are an art gallery, museum and community venue for everyone to love and access freely. The Burton has temporary exhibition spaces, a Museum, Craft Gallery, gift shop, and café. We are also Bideford’s Tourist Information Centre. We are open all year showing ex /The-Burton-at-Bideford/Devon-Museums/ A Jacobean merchant's house, home to the famous Elizabethan privateer, William Parker. Thematic displays of local history include a number of curiosities, a victorian schoolroom and information about Plymouth in the Blitz. /The-Merchant's-House/Devon-Museums/ The museum tells the stories of the people and landscapes of North Devon. We are part of North Devon Council, caring for the collections for the benefit of our local community and offering free admission all year round. The museum includes twelve permanent galleries, an annual temporary exhibitions /The-Museum-of-Barnstaple-and-North-Devon/Devon-Museums/ The Valiant Soldier is an amazing place. It is a pub that closed in the 1960's creating a time warp within its walls. It had been a village inn for more than two centuries. but when it closed furniture, pub artefacts and domestic items were simply left where they stood as the last customer wal /The-Valiant-Soldier,-Buckfastleigh/Devon-Museums/ Thomas Newcomen (1664-1729) designed and installed the first practical and successful steam engine, used initially for pumping water out of coal mines. Over 2000 Newcomen engines were installed world-wide during the 18th and 19th centuries, over 600 of them before 1775 when James Watt was able to im /Thomas-Newcomen-Engine/Devon-Museums/ Explore the museum’s large, outstanding collections and trace the fascinating history of Mid Devon. The displays include the ‘Tivvy Bumper’ GWR steam engine, local industries (particularly lace making), farm waggons and the history of agriculture, and the every day home life of Mid /Tiverton-Museum-of-Mid-Devon-Life/Devon-Museums/ Museum Opening Delayed Topsham Museum, Tea Room and Garden will be closed for several months while it undergoes large repair works. Work started late last year by Exeter City Council, which revealed further problems with the structure of the building. The 17th century building is surrounded by s /Topsham-Museum/Devon-Museums/ Ranked among the finest in South West England and Designated as an outstanding collection in 2016, Torquay Museum is a journey of discovery for all ages. Experience the sights and sounds of country living as you walk through a reconstructed Devon farmhouse from 1860, wonder at the prehistoric artefa /Torquay-Museum/Devon-Museums/ Since its foundation in 1196, Torre Abbey has witnessed, survived and even played a role in some epic moments of history. It's one of the best buildings in the country for the story of Catholicism. A historic house brought to life with a clever mix of authentic artefacts with hi-tech interpr /Torre-Abbey/Devon-Museums/ REOPENED, REFRESHED AND REVAMPED! Great Torrington Heritage Museum & Archive (Torrington Museum for short!) reopened after Covid in August 2021 with a fresh, modern look, new displays and new stories to tell. From the outside it may look tiny, but go through the door and you'll discov /Torrington-Museum/Devon-Museums/ Totnes Museum is housed in a Grade I listed authentic Elizabethan Merchant's House, built in 1575 and located on Fore Street in the heart of Totnes. This year the house is 450 years old and we've added new displays to celebrate this! The Museum has a Collection of over 10,000 artifa /Totnes-Museum/Devon-Museums/ In the heart of Devon cider country, the Whimple Heritage Centre celebrates the history of a Devon cider village. The village of Whimple was dominated by the Whiteway’s Cyder Company factory for nearly one hundred years. Following the closure of the factory in 1989, a group of enthusiastic /Whimple-Heritage-Centre/Devon-Museums/ A small collection of artifacts and bones recovered from the caves at Buckfastleigh Devon and interpretation of the geology and speleology of that area. /William-Pengelly-Cave-Studies-Trust/Devon-Museums/ Open Easter to October Bank Holiday Mondays This Heritage Centre was opened in 2012 and has recently been refurbished to create a representation of what this type of building would have looked like in the second world war. It contains a unique photographic record of what /WW2-Nissen-Hut-and-Upottery-Airfield-Heritage-Centre/Devon-Museums/