Museums

Nottingham’s rich history, fabulous collection of historical homes, and art galleries amount to a brilliant assortment of museums to explore in the county. For a day of educational fun there is a lot to do and see, and with free entry to lots of attractions, you won’t break the bank.

City Centre Museums

You don’t need to travel far to get satisfy your curiosity in the city centre. The ‘jewel in Nottingham’s crown’, Nottingham Castle is the first stop for many tourists, offering excellent views over the city, a wide selection of art, plus an in-depth look into the city’s history. Nestled into the cliff on which the castle stands you can find Brewhouse Yard, home to the Museum of Nottingham Life.

Due to a fantastic £29.8m Heritage Lottery Funded grant, Nottingham Castle has recently undergone a 2-year redevelopment, with some fantastic new features added to the Castle and its grounds including a land train, adventure playground, new exhibitions and cave openings, and a visitor centre. While you're there, don't forget to visit the Robin Hood Statue and stop by the excellent Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem for a cave tour and lunch.

The National Justice Museum is an 800-year-old gaol and courtroom in Nottingham’s historic Lace Market. Once the site of dramatic trials and grisly executions, today you can discover the history of crime and punishment in Victorian England, descend into the cave-cells beneath, and attend a range of events from murder mystery nights to vintage sales.

If you want to get the most for your money, pick up a joint ticket to National Justice Museum and City of Caves. At this curious attraction you can venture underground and learn about Nottingham’s 850+ caves, which were hollowed out of the soft sandstone on which the city rests over the past 900 years.

Stroll the beautiful deer park and admire the stunning Wollaton Hall before checking out the free Natural History Museum which is housed there. Next door in the stables, Nottingham Industrial Museum showcases the impressive industries which Nottingham was once famous for.

Not far from Wollaton Hall and a short trip outside of the city centre is Nottingham Lakeside Arts. The University of Nottingham's unique public arts centre and museum, they present an eclectic programme of music, dance, theatre, visual art, special collections and family events all year round. Based in the idyllic grounds of Highfields Park with two excellent cafés and a gallery shop with craft cabinets selling original works by leading craftmakers, there’s a varied programme including free events and workshops for both families and individuals.

Museums Further Afield

Further afield in Nottinghamshire, there are more museums dedicated to the history of the area. The National Civil War Centre celebrates Newark’s links to the English Civil War, and along with housing some excellent exhibitions and displays, events such as historical re-enactments are always worth checking out. You can also find the National Holocaust Centre in Newark, a vibrant memorial, a place of testimony and a centre of learning for communities of all faiths, and none, across the UK. 

In the nearby Market Town of Southwell, you can take the kids along to The Workhouse, a National Trust museum that gives a taste of what life was like for the poor and destitute during the Victorian era. In Ruddington, you can explore The Framework Knitters Museum - one of the only places left in the country where you’ll find the working and living conditions of this important, contentious and dangerous industry perfectly preserved for you to experience and explore. You will lean about the 400 year history of framework knitting, from its role in the Industrial Revolution to the infamous Luddite riots of the 1800s, and how framework knitting gave birth to the Nottingham lace industry.

The Bilsthorpe Heritage Museum recounts the history of how coal mining arrived in Bilsthorpe in the 1920s and considerably changed the landscape and social development of the village. Bilsthorpe Heritage Society began after the mine closed and was formed by a handful of residents who had the foresight to collect artefacts and memoribilia from the local mine and surrounding area before it was lost in time. This was so the history of mining not just in Bilsthorpe but across the industry could be preserved for future generations.

The Museum of the Horse in Tuxford showcases one of the UK’s most extensive collections of equestrian artefacts, with items dating from ancient times to the 20th century across multiple themed rooms. Housed in a historic coaching inn, highlights include rare saddlery, bits and spurs, and a remarkable original mail coach. The museum offers fascinating insight into the role of horses in transport, agriculture, military life and everyday history.

Clipstone Headstocks Museum offers visitors a unique experience, taking visitors on a journey back in time, beginning in 1885 when the world famous Raleigh bicycle manufacturer started production. The museum also celebrates Nottinghamshire's renowned inventions - The world's first traffic lights, the invention of the MRI scanner, Ibruprofen, the world's first tarmac road, Raleigh bicycles from 1885, Campion and Sun motorcycles & the first British speed trials on Clipstone Drive! 

The journey progresses to 1914, where visitors step into the Clipstone Camp display, showcasing the largest army training camp in Britain, which accommodated 30,000 troops at a time. Exhibits include the huts where soldiers stayed, remnants of their time there, the artillery they used, and even a Model T Ford featuring genuine bullet holes in its door. The wartime theme continues into 1939 with an exhibit displaying equipment, vehicles, and a gallery detailing Nottinghamshire’s significant role in World War II. The Cold War period is then represented by an extensive collection of unusual military vehicles. Guided tours run every Friday at 11am and take approx 1 hour. £8 each. 

Several more unusual museums exist in the north of the county, and are certainly worth the trip if you want to see something different. Creswell Crags was the most northerly point reached by Ice Age man, and within this beautiful limestone gorge and its surrounding caves, there have been several important archaeological discoveries, including woolly mammoth bones and hyena remains.

Interested in aviation? Newark Air Museum is made up of two aircraft display halls that house more than 48 aircraft and helicopters, along with a superb selection of aircraft and cockpit sections and lots of historical information.

Make sure you leave an hour to nip into the Museum of Timekeeping, home to a plethora of gorgeously intricate timepieces, including the General Post Office’s first Speaking Clock and the watch worn by Captain Scott on his ill-fated polar expedition of 1912. 

Set your sights on great heights in a cable car and cave adventure at the Heights of Abraham. Towering over the pretty town of Matlock Bath, just over 25 miles out of the city, this award-winning attraction provides spectacular views over the Peak District, with a visitor centre, adventure playground and restaurant to enjoy after your climb.

The Portland Collection, alongside The Harley Gallery, displays works of art from Welbeck’s significant historic collection, which has been amassed over more than 400 years by the Dukes of Portland and their families. It showcases treasures ranging from full-length oil paintings by great masters to one of the largest privately-owned collections of miniatures. The collection also includes books, letters, silverware, ceramics and furniture.

Among other notable activities and attractions, Thoresby Park is home to the Queens Royal Lancers and Nottinghamshire Yeomany Museum. Thoresby Park, within the heart of Nottinghamshire, is a lovely place to visit all year round with a range of attractions for all the family no matter how young or old. The extensive grounds cover over 1000 acres of rich unspoilt English countryside, with a range of facilities and attractions open to the public all year round.

Museums Dedicated to People
 

Some fascinating people have hailed from Nottingham and called it home, and their legacy lives on in historic houses now dedicated to their lives and work. Just a stone’s throw from the city centre in Sneinton, you’ll find the Birthplace Museum of William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army. In this gorgeous Regency era terrace building you will find the reconstructed home of Booth complete with personal belongings and information on the beginnings of the Salvation Army.

A few minutes’ walk away is Green’s Windmill, a science and learning centre dedicated to self-taught scientist and mathematician George Green. A treasure of the city, this working mill still produces flour, and holds fun and educational events for families in the centre and grounds.

Head up to Worksop in North Nottinghamshire and discover a home that has been preserved as a 1920s time capsule. Mr Straw’s House is a National Trust property that gives a compelling eye into the family home of the local grocer. Virtually unchanged since the Straws moved in 1923, you’ll find vintage items, treasured possessions and a lovely garden to explore.

Finally, if you’re a fan of literature then you will adore the drastically different homes of our world-famous writers. Situated in Eastwood, the D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum gives you an eye into an authentically-recreated miner’s cottage, along with displaying Lawrence’s watercolour paintings and personal items. Over at Newstead Abbey, the ancestral home of Lord Byron, you can discover more about the ‘mad, bad, and dangerous to know’ poet. Check out his infamous skull goblet, roam the extensive gorgeous grounds, or relax by the lake with a picnic and watch the peacocks strut their stuff.