The Secret Museum
Torquay Museum
When: 12 June 2021 to 05 September 2021
Where: Torquay Museum Pengelly Hall
Time: 10.00 am - 4.00 pm
Cost: Admission Charges Apply
Suitable for: Any age
'The Secret Museum' is our 175th anniversary exhibition and will be a unique opportunity for some of the huge range of collections held at the Museum to be showcased. Torquay Museum has exceptionally large and varied collections for a town museum. Our stores are a ‘Secret Museum’ full of wondrous objects, some of international importance, some of huge local significance, but many just curious and interesting with fascinating histories. The stores are 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 and it certainly does not have space to display everything. This has created a treasure trove often only seen by staff and visiting researchers.
This exhibition has been largely curated by the local community who have chosen over 100 little known and forgotten objects from the stores. There will be 175 objects will be on display, one for each year the Museum has been in existence. In many cases the individuals choosing objects 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.
There are FREE 32 page exhibtion guides while stocks last and a trail for children with prizes from the Museum Shop.
The Exhibition and Guide Book were supported by grant funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Exhibition Gallery
Exhibitions & Projects
-
Politics and Protest
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
24 February 2024 to 06 April 2024
-
Friends Annual Open Exhibition
The Burton at Bideford Art Gallery and Museum
24 February 2024 to 07 April 2024
-
Annual Schools Exhibition
The Burton at Bideford Art Gallery and Museum
01 March 2024 to 07 April 2024
-
Documentary Photography Open 2024 Speaking Out: Changing Times
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
10 February 2024 to 13 April 2024
-
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
-
John Akomfrah: Arcadia
The Box, Plymouth
30 November 2023 to 02 June 2024
-
ARTIST ROOMS Bill Viola
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
27 January 2024 to 02 June 2024
-
Beyond the Page: South Asian Miniature Painting and Britain, 1600 to Now
The Box, Plymouth
30 November 2023 to 02 June 2024
-
Yinka Shonibare CBE RA: End of Empire
The Box, Plymouth
12 October 2023 to 23 June 2024
-
Devonian Monsters
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
27 April 2024 to 06 July 2024
-
Katy Lee Going on Taw
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
18 May 2024 to 06 July 2024
-
What Do You Collect Picturing a collection
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
30 January 2024 to 14 July 2024
-
D Day 80 Exhibition
Torquay Museum
19 March 2024 to 21 September 2024
-
Are we nearly there yet A History of Transport
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
15 June 2024 to 29 September 2024
-
The Michelangelo Trail: A Delve Into LGBTQ Histories
Torquay Museum
01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024
-
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
-
Planet Ocean
The Box, Plymouth
16 March 2024 to 23 February 2025