St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery

Three generations explore the St Barbe Museum

The St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery hosts a collection of over 18,000 artefacts relating to the local history of the Lymington area and is home to one of the finest art galleries on the south coast. The museum and gallery offer a fascinating insight into the history of Lymington for both visitors and residents alike.

Museum Collections

The museum covers the coastal region at the southern fringe of the New Forest along the Solent Coast, encompassing the towns of Lymington, Barton-on-Sea, and New Milton, as well as the surrounding parishes. Exhibits show how Lymington developed as a port and a historic market town. Learn about the role played by boat-builders, salt-makers, and, of course, smugglers.

Displays cover life in the region from prehistoric times to the present day, with themes such as daily life, agriculture, fishing, industry, leisure, holidays, and the war. The 'Sea to Land' exhibit tells the story of the sub-tropical sea that once covered the area and how it helped create the fossils that line the cliffs at Barton.

A chance to learn about local history

The museum also boasts a large archive of old photographs and other documentary material suitable for historical research.

Children will enjoy a wide range of hands-on activities and interactive displays. Try on historical costumes, handle replica objects and try your hand at steering a pilot boat.

Art Gallery

The St Barbe Galleries opened in 1998 and have since developed a reputation for hosting one of the finest programmes of art exhibitions in southern England. The galleries regularly host touring exhibitions from national museums and galleries such as the Tate, British Museum, National Maritime Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Imperial War Museum, to name just a few.

In addition to these touring exhibitions, the galleries showcase some of the finest local and regional artists in a regularly changing programme of exhibitions. There is also an annual Open Exhibition where regional artists compete to display their best works.

The museum is also home to a local tourist information point with brochures and advice to tourists and local residents by a team of knowledgeable volunteers.