Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery

Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery - Bringing the heritage of the area to life There are some amazing objects and interactive displays for all ages.
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Located in one of the city's most historic buildings, Peterborough Museum has a wealth of stories to fascinate and enthral all the family. Set in a historic building, you can learn its story: from private house, to hospital and museum, and see inside the original Victorian Operating Theatre to learn about the grisly history of surgery. The collections comprise over 200,000 items of great national

and international importance, and you can find out about the story of Peterborough from prehistory to the present. See which creatures swam in the seas over 150 million years ago, discover the Bronze Age, Roman and Saxon treasures of the city, learn the story of the first prisoner of war camp in the UK, right up to the changes seen over the 20th century in Peterborough.

Join us on Saturday 19 September as we celebrate with a day of FREE experiences, not always open to the public.There’s...
10/09/2026

Join us on Saturday 19 September as we celebrate with a day of FREE experiences, not always open to the public.

There’s plenty to discover:

Priestgate Vaults taster tours – venture beneath the Museum into its historic cellars. Free, but spaces are limited, so booking is recommended.

Museum Garden open for viewing – take a peek inside our usually hidden garden and meet the wonderful volunteers who care for it.

Must Farm – meet our Museum Archaeologist and discover how 3,000-year-old rubbish can reveal fascinating stories about everyday life at the Bronze Age settlement known as the “Pompeii of the Fens”.

And there’s more heritage to explore as part of Heritage Share: A World of Stories, bringing together the rich cultures, traditions and community histories of people across Peterborough.

Come and discover Peterborough Museum.

👉 Find out more and plan your visit: https://peterboroughmuseum.org.uk/events/heritage-open-days

👻 SCREAM IF YOU WANT TICKETS! Halloween is calling… and our legendary walks and tours are sure to sell out!👻 Peterboroug...
09/09/2026

👻 SCREAM IF YOU WANT TICKETS!

Halloween is calling… and our legendary walks and tours are sure to sell out!

👻 Peterborough Ghost Walk
Step beyond the Museum walls and uncover some of the city’s darkest tales and spookiest locations.

🕯️ Candlelit Tours
Explore one of Peterborough’s most haunted buildings by candlelight, hearing stories of those who lived.... and died, within its walls.

🍷 Candlelit Tour with Wine
For a little Dutch courage, enjoy a glass of wine and some ghostly chat before your costumed candlelit tour begins!

🗝 Priestgate Vaults Tours
Venture beneath the Museum into its 500-year-old cellars, where Tudor features, digital projections and hidden history await.

🌙 Evening Priestgate Vaults Tours
Explore the vaults after dark as ghosts from the past tell their stories…

⚠️ These are some of our most popular Halloween events and they regularly SELL OUT!

Don’t leave it until the last minute… book your tickets now if you dare!
https://peterboroughmuseum.org.uk/events/halloween

We’re incredibly proud to announce that our Prehistoric Archaeology Collections have been awarded Designated status by A...
08/09/2026

We’re incredibly proud to announce that our Prehistoric Archaeology Collections have been awarded Designated status by Arts Council England , recognising their outstanding national importance.

Spanning thousands of years of human history, the collections reveal the remarkable story of prehistoric life in Peterborough and the surrounding Lower Nene and Lower Welland valleys – from some of the earliest inhabitants of the region to the Iron Age.

This prestigious recognition celebrates the significance of the collections – and the generations of archaeologists, researchers, volunteers and local communities who have helped care for and share them.

👉 Read more: https://peterboroughmuseum.org.uk/news/peterboroughs-prehistoric-archaeology-collections-achieve-prestigious-national-designation-status

For today’s , let’s take a look at etchings! Etching is a form of print making where a design is scratched into a layer...
08/09/2026

For today’s , let’s take a look at etchings!

Etching is a form of print making where a design is scratched into a layer of wax covering a metal plate, exposing the metal underneath. Once the design is complete, the plate is dipped in acid to create clean, sharp lines in the exposed metal. Then, ink is applied to the entire plate and wiped off again leaving behind ink in the grooves of the design which is then transferred onto paper. Etching can be a time consuming process but can create incredible images full of depth and feeling.

What do you think of these intricate prints by Sir Alfred East?

Images: “Longpre Sur Somme” and “Storm in the Country” by Sir Alfred East.

Life & Observational Drawing is back!Our popular Life & Observational Drawing classes return this Thursday, led by Lead ...
02/09/2026

Life & Observational Drawing is back!

Our popular Life & Observational Drawing classes return this Thursday, led by Lead by artist, Jim Tovey. Whether you’re developing your skills or simply enjoy drawing from life, come along and work at your own pace.

Looking to take your portrait skills further? Join our special full-day Portrait & Figure Drawing Workshop, where you’ll explore the form and structure of the human head, work towards achieving a good likeness and get to grips with anatomy.

Two great opportunities to sharpen your drawing skills – which will you choose?

Find out more and book your space online: https://peterboroughmuseum.org.uk/events

What does it mean for a painting to be made “en plein air”? For this , let’s look at a painting from our collection: ‘S...
01/09/2026

What does it mean for a painting to be made “en plein air”?

For this , let’s look at a painting from our collection: ‘Southern Town’ by Mark Fisher. Popularised by the impressionist movement, “en plein air”, or “in open air”, simply means to paint outside! With the introduction of tubes of paint and portable watercolour palettes, artists could now paint anywhere from the garden to the seaside, or even a busy street.

Here, Fisher uses quick, loose brushstrokes to capture the breeze through the trees and a crowd of people going about their day. The “en plein air” technique was favoured by many notable artists including Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and John Singer Sargent.

Have you ever tried painting outside? Why not give it a go?

Great work everyone 👏🏼
29/08/2026

Great work everyone 👏🏼

27/08/2026

The Victorian Operating Theatre and Vaults are currently closed. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

VOLUNTEER WITH USWe’re looking for enthusiastic and confident volunteers to join our team as Exhibition Stewards and hel...
26/08/2026

VOLUNTEER WITH US

We’re looking for enthusiastic and confident volunteers to join our team as Exhibition Stewards and help welcome visitors to our upcoming major exhibition.

If you enjoy meeting people, have an interest in culture and heritage, and would love to play a part in an exciting exhibition, we’d love to hear from you!

Exhibition Steward Volunteers will help create a warm and welcoming experience for our visitors while supporting the exhibition team.

Interested in finding out more? Find our full role profile online:
https://peterboroughmuseum.org.uk/volunteer
Or, contact [email protected]

Come and be part of something exciting at Peterborough Museum! 💜

Jurassic Pliosaur skull on the move!One of the museum's heaviest Jurassic fossils, the mighty skull of a large pliosaur ...
25/08/2026

Jurassic Pliosaur skull on the move!

One of the museum's heaviest Jurassic fossils, the mighty skull of a large pliosaur Simolestis vorax has been removed from display for professional conservation.

This pliosaur skull has been a favourite with visitors old and young alike with its amazing 3D preservation and the size of its skull and teeth. A recent condition check of the specimen showed it had some cracks forming across the rock, which meant it needed professional conservation.

The skull is being conserved by professional palaeontological conservator Nigel Larkin, Natural History Conservation. Nigel visited the museum this week to collect the heavy beast of a specimen, no easy task! The skull was first fully documented, then securely wrapped on its existing mount. Its weight was supported by a purpose-built wooden crate, with a trolley designed to take the weight of the skull and mount as it was being moved. Once out of the case, the skull was boxed in further to make it ready for transport to the conservation studios.

The Simolestis vorax skull was originally discovered by chance at a Peterborough landfill site in 1990, and is one of the largest skulls ever to be found in the Peterborough Jurassic Oxford Clay. At the top of the Jurassic ocean food chain, Simolestis would have used its powerful jaw and teeth to kill plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs.

We look forward to welcoming it back on display in the new year 🙏

Address

Priestgate
Peterborough
PE11LF

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+441733864663

Website

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