The Secret Museum Postponed until 2021

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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  • Friends Annual Open Exhibition

    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

    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

    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

    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

    John Akomfrah: Arcadia

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    30 November 2023 to 02 June 2024

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  • ARTIST ROOMS Bill Viola

    ARTIST ROOMS Bill Viola

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    27 January 2024 to 02 June 2024

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  • Beyond the Page: South Asian Miniature Painting and Britain, 1600 to Now

    Beyond the Page: South Asian Miniature Painting and Britain, 1600 to Now

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    30 November 2023 to 02 June 2024

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  • Yinka Shonibare CBE RA: End of Empire

    Yinka Shonibare CBE RA: End of Empire

    The Box, Plymouth

    12 October 2023 to 23 June 2024

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  • Devonian Monsters

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    Planet Ocean

    The Box, Plymouth

    16 March 2024 to 23 February 2025

    View details