Worcester City Museum and Art Gallery

HISTORY

The museum was established in 1833 by the Worcestershire Natural History Society and had its first home in temporary quarters on Angel Street. The first collections must have been an odd lot; they were described by one of the early museum curators as 'miscellaneous'.

The early 19th-century foundation date makes this one of the oldest regional museums in England. A purpose-built home was opened on Foregate Street in 1835, and the museum was called the Hastings Museum in honour of Charles Hastings, a prominent physician and founder of the British Medical Association.

The later 19th century was not kind to the City Museum; it suffered from neglect and by the 1860s the collections were described as being covered in dust. Things picked up after the Free Libraries Act of 1879 was enacted, and the museum, art gallery, and town library were combined and given joint funding to develop.

In 1894 the foundation stone was laid for a new building to house all three venues, and the current building was opened to the public in 1896.

What to see
Collections on view include natural history, geology, ethnology, archaeology, social history, and art. Also within the museum are special displays on the Worcestershire Regiment and the Worcestershire Yeomanry Cavalry. See an authentic early 20th century chemist shop, including all the original furnishings and fittings. Find out how Worcestershire Sauce is made, and how Romans made pottery and worked metal here.

Entry:
Free