Museums in Cambridge
Cambridge is a beautiful city, full of knowledge and creativity, and what better way to witness this combination than to visit some of her famous museums? There is definitely an abundance of museums in Cambridge. That’s why we have collected all the information you need to know about them.
The Scott Polar Museum
The Scott Polar Museum was inspired by notes and reports that chartered the course of Polar exploration since 1920.
Within the museum you can view early polar photography, notes, equipment, instruments, clothing and examples of food they would have eaten!
Heong Gallery
The Heong Gallery is located within Downing college and the gallery is focused on modern and contemporary artwork. The Heong Gallery was only built in 2016, and was designed by Caruso St John Architects who were winners of the RIBA Stirling Prize 2016.
Subsequently, the Gallery itself won the RIBA East Award in 2017 and is known for its exclusive and unique exhibitions.
Kettle’s Yard Gallery
Kettle’s Yard is a combination of the gallery and the house. The gallery focuses on modern art exhibitions and also hosts creative workshops all year round.
And whilst the gallery hosts major contemporary art exhibitions the house is also a piece of art within itself. The decor and furniture will give you an insight into the styles of the past.
The Kettle’s Yard Gallery is open from 11 am – 5 pm Tuesday to Sunday and they recommend that you book a free ticket in advance to secure access to the house as well as the gallery.
Cambridge Museum of Technology
The Cambridge Museum of Technology houses our industrial heritage and displays it in a way that is engaging for all. With the Museum’s displays being interactive, with no do not touch signs, you and your family are free to explore to your heart’s content.
With activities specifically aimed at families:
- Family trails and explorer boxes
- Activity stations
- Push-button operated machinery
- Dressing up
- Interactive pumping station model
The Cambridge Museum of Technology will provide you all with a brilliant day out.
Head here to book your visit now!
Sedgwick Museum
The Sedgwick Museum of Earth Science has free entry for everyone! The Museum has dinosaurs on display, including the skull of a tyrannosaurus rex named ‘Stan’.
The museum also has an exhibit on women in geology. With documents pertaining to women’s experiences in geology in the late nineteenth century, you can learn more about women’s experiences in STEM and these archives will inspire further research.
There is also an exhibition on Deep Earth Explorers that is interactive and allows the viewer to explore the depths of the earth!
So head on over to the Sedgwick Museum to learn about all the wonderful things of our past.
Museum of Archeology and Anthropology
The Museum of Archeology and Anthropology (MAA) is a part of the University of Cambridge and is full of several collections:
Archaeology – The MAA have artefacts from all over the globe, ranging from early hominid tools to post-medieval sights from right here in Cambridge
World Cultures – The MAA has art and artefacts from Asia, Africa, Oceana, Native America and pieces that represent European folklore.
Photography – The MAA stores over 220,000 photographic objects and is one of the largest collections in Britain of anthropology and archaeology.
Modern & Contemporary Art – containing sculptures, paintings, prints, and digital installations
Archives – The archives in the MAA are as historic as the other collections as they contain the development of the disciplines of archaeology and anthropology.
The MAA has such a wide range of history that there is a little something for everyone, so get your tickets now! But don’t worry, they’re free! You just need to book a time slot.
Museum of Zoology
The Museum of zoology is another museum that is part of Cambridge University. The museum is divided up into different storerooms, that are acclimated to store the organisms in their optimum conditions.
There is The Vertebrate Store, The Invertebrate Store, The Insect Room, The Bird Room, and The Spirit Store.
Your tickets do need to be booked in advance, and they are only released once a week so get planning your day out in Cambridge.
Whipple Museum of the History of Science
The Whipple Museum of the History of Science is divided into 5 sections, each with its own wonders.
The Main Gallery houses the larger instruments, such as the 18th century Grand Orrery. The Main Gallery also contains a number of themed cases that surround the room.
Next up is the Special Exhibition Gallery. The current exhibition in this room is to commemorate the Whipple Museum of the History of Science’s 75th anniversary, and is Robert S. Whipple and the founding of the Whipple Museum.
Then we have the Learning Gallery and this features things that are closely related to studying and learning. With interactive activities to engage the kids whilst educating them, this is the perfect room for the family.
Now we have Globes in the Upper Gallery! This is a stunning exhibition that is there permanently. The globes are displayed in glass cases that allow the viewer a 360°. This room doesn’t just contain globes but also planetaria and other related items.
Finally, we have the Victorian Parlour. This room is a mini-gallery that depicts the parlour of a 19th-century family that was interested in science. You can explore the room, examining the scientific objects that would’ve been in a home like this.
With all the different rooms and layers in the Whipple Museum you can easily immerse yourself in history.
So if you’re interested in science at all then book your free ticket here.
Fitzwilliam Museum
Finally, the Fitzwilliam Museum. Likely to be Cambridge’s largest museum, the Fitzwilliam is a wonderful place to spend the afternoon.
The current main exhibition is Gold of the Great Steppe, and displays what is described as an ‘archaeological sensation’. With hundreds of wondrous gold artefacts that were only recently discovered, you can experience a glimpse at the history of the Saka people of East Kazakhstan.
Full of galleries, depicting portraits, armour, a library and so much more that you can get lost in this wondrous building.
There is so much to see and do, you must book a ticket and dedicate some time to exploring.
So I think we can all agree that Cambridge is full of many wonderful museums to explore and you should check out as many of them as you can!
