The Secret Museum Postponed until 2021
Torquay Museum
When: 20 June 2020 to 05 September 2020
Where: Pengelly Hall
Time: 10.00 am - 4.30 pm
Cost: Free with a Museum Entry Ticket
Suitable for: Any age
There's more hidden away than there is on display...
Torquay Museum has exceptionally large and varied collections for a town museum. 175 years of collecting has created an enormous resource of specimens and objects, some local, some national and many items from all over the world.
The stores are a secret museum where 99% of the collections are preserved, held in trust for future generations to study and enjoy. There are many reasons why the Museum cannot and sometimes does not display the items it holds. The Museum does not have space to display everything, some items are too large or are difficult to move, some are too fragile and require expensive conservation, some are too valuable and can cause security problems and others have ethical issues which require careful consideration. These reasons and many others create a resource in storage, often only seen by staff and visiting researchers.
This exhibition has been largely curated by the local community. Many local people have accessed the stores and chosen little known and forgotten objects for display. Sometimes they have researched these items or written interpretation based on what their choice meant to them. So delve into our Secret Museum and find treasures that will hopefully fascinate and inspire you.
Exhibitions & Projects
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Politics and Protest
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
24 February 2024 to 06 April 2024
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Friends Annual Open Exhibition
The Burton at Bideford Art Gallery and Museum
24 February 2024 to 07 April 2024
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Annual Schools Exhibition
The Burton at Bideford Art Gallery and Museum
01 March 2024 to 07 April 2024
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Documentary Photography Open 2024 Speaking Out: Changing Times
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
10 February 2024 to 13 April 2024
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The Museum is delighted to announce that a collection of Shaldon handmade lace over 100 years old has been acquired
Teign Heritage Centre Home to Teignmouth and Shaldon Museum
09 May 2023 to 09 May 2024
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John Akomfrah: Arcadia
The Box, Plymouth
30 November 2023 to 02 June 2024
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ARTIST ROOMS Bill Viola
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
27 January 2024 to 02 June 2024
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Beyond the Page: South Asian Miniature Painting and Britain, 1600 to Now
The Box, Plymouth
30 November 2023 to 02 June 2024
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Yinka Shonibare CBE RA: End of Empire
The Box, Plymouth
12 October 2023 to 23 June 2024
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Devonian Monsters
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
27 April 2024 to 06 July 2024
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Katy Lee Going on Taw
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
18 May 2024 to 06 July 2024
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What Do You Collect Picturing a collection
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
30 January 2024 to 14 July 2024
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D Day 80 Exhibition
Torquay Museum
19 March 2024 to 21 September 2024
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Are we nearly there yet A History of Transport
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
15 June 2024 to 29 September 2024
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The Michelangelo Trail: A Delve Into LGBTQ Histories
Torquay Museum
01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024
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Exciting new Museum displays about kite ballooning in 1917, and the Church Rocks Wreck
Teign Heritage Centre Home to Teignmouth and Shaldon Museum
04 July 2023 to 31 December 2024
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Planet Ocean
The Box, Plymouth
16 March 2024 to 23 February 2025