The Box, Plymouth

The Box, Plymouth

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 Cottonian Research Room. Our major exhibitions for spring 2026 are 'Beryl Cook: Pride and Joy' (24 January-31 May) which celebrates the career and legacy of artist Beryl Cook and 'Journeys of Mai' (14 February-14 June) which includes Sir Joshua Reynolds' famous portrait of Mai - the first Polynesian to visit Britain, historic works of art plus contemporary responses by Lisa Reihana, Hinatea Colombani and Mohini Chandra.

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  • Archaeology Collection

    The archaeological collection includes locally excavated objects from the City of Plymouth, West Devon and the South Hams. Items include prehistoric artefacts from Dartmoor as well as important Bronze Age and Iron Age material.

  • Natural History Collection

    The natural history collection includes an estimated 90,000 insects, 10,000 minerals, 10,000 plants, 3000 jars of wet-preserved specimens, plus hundreds of birds, mammals, eggs, shell, corals, skeletons, fossils and rocks.

  • Ethnographic Collection

    The world cultures, or ethnography, collection consists of around 3,700 objects that have been collected from Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Americas, as well as some items from Europe. It includes weaponry, tools and utensils, games, clothing and ceremonial artefacts.

  • Fine Art Collection

    Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery has a large and important fine art collection. With over 800 paintings, 3000 watercolours and drawings, over 5000 prints and small collections of sculpture and miniatures, it represents the largest fine art collection in Devon and Cornwall.

  • Decorative Art Collection

    The decorative art collection contains ceramics, glass, furniture, costume and textiles, silver and contemporary craft. It also includes one of the most extensive collections of the historically important Plymouth and Bristol porcelain.

Admission & prices

Opening hours
Tue – Sun 10am – 5pm
Selected Bank Holidays 10am – 5pm

The Box Kitchen & Bar
Tue – Sun 10am – 5pm
Selected Bank Holidays 10am – 5pm
Last food orders at 4pm

Free entry

For more information visit https://www.theboxplymouth.com

Find us

The Box is a five-minute walk from Drake Circus and Plymouth city centre and a ten-minute walk from the train and coach stations. Many buses stop nearby on North Hill and Coburg Street. Visit https://www.theboxplymouth.com/getting-here

Museum news

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Information

  • Toilets On-Site
  • Wheelchair access
  • Cafe on-site
  • Childrens activities
  • Gift Shop

For more information visit:
https://www.theboxplymouth.com/plan-your-visit
https://www.theboxplymouth.com/access
https://www.theboxplymouth.com/food-and-drink

Tavistock Place
Plymouth
PL4 8AX

T: 01752 304774
E: TheBoxEnquiries@plymouth.gov.uk

Exhibitions and Projects

Upcoming events

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The Box, Plymouth

Tavistock Place
Plymouth, DEVON PL4 8AX