The museum is free to enter, and all visitors receive a warm and friendly greeting from staff.  The Museum is a great resource for learning with over 4,000 objects on display, including dinosaur bones, historical paintings and even one of the world’s first lawnmowers, there is something to spark the interest of all visitors!

Check out About Your Visit for information to help you plan a visit. We have a Welcome video (hosted on You Tube) which contains some text displayed as subtitles and is set to music, we also have a video (hosted on You Tube) which introduces the collections on display.

The museum endeavours to provide the best quality service to all our visitors.  You can read more information about access on our website. Your views matter to us, so please do tell us your feedback.

Things to see and do:

Explore the permanent displays in the mansion using our top tips:

  • Look closely at the objects and talk about them together.

  • Find out more by reading the written labels and Object Spotlight information cards in each room.

  • Look in the identification folders stored in each room. These contain details of each object in each display case. Find the picture of the display you are looking at, then use the number to of each object to read more information.

  • Choose a trail to provide a focus when looking at the objects on display. Free family trails are available at the reception desk and printed on A4 paper. Trails are provided with a clipboard and pencil for you to use and are designed to encourage adults and children to explore together.

  • Speak to our staff and volunteers. We love talking about the objects on display! You can even find out what our own favourite objects are by looking in the folder kept in Staircase Hall.

  • If you still want to know more about the objects in the collection, please complete an enquiry form, and we’ll pass it on to our collections team.

Important information:

  • Please let us know if there are more than 10 people in your group. Please Contact Us to pre-book, so that we can make sure the museum spaces don’t get overcrowded and that you have any important updates ahead of your visit.

Focus on a particular curriculum topic:

  • Ask about the trails made to support school groups as part of our learning programme. Contact our Learning Officer to discuss whether one of these trails will suit your learning needs.

    Current learning trails feature the following themes:

  • Prehistory from the Stone Age to the Iron Age

  • Local History: The Growth of Stroud

  • Local History: The Cloth-Making Industry of the Stroud Valleys

  • Local History: Canals, Railways and Transport in Stroud

  • Toys & Games of the Past

  • Homes of the Past

  • Making a Museum

Discover our temporary exhibitions and displays in Gallery 1, Gallery 2, and the Foyer in the modern extension:

  • See our What’s On calendar to learn more about our temporary displays. What’s On will also help you find out about special events and drop-in activities for families during the holidays and at weekends.

Support us through our free-to-join membership.