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List of museums in Essex facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This list of museums in Essex, England contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit art galleries and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included.

Museums

To use the sortable table, click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order.

Name Image Town/City Region Type Summary
Art Exchange Colchester Colchester Art website, part of the University of Essex, international, contemporary art by established and emerging artists, historic figures who continue to inspire, and group shows
Ashdon Museum Ashdon Uttlesford Local website, local history, trades, agriculture, social history
Audley End House House Audley End cz.jpg Saffron Walden Uttlesford Historic house Operated by English Heritage, early 17th-century country house, finely furnished rooms, masterpieces by Hans Holbein and Canaletto, 1880s period servant's wing, gardens
Aythorpe Roding Windmill Aythorpe Roding Mill - geograph.org.uk - 515645.jpg Aythorpe Roding Uttlesford Mill Late 18th century windmill
Barleylands Farm Museum Billericay Basildon Agriculture Early farm machinery and tractors, tools, household implements, farm and animals
Beecroft Art Gallery Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea Art Collection ranges from 17th-century Dutch paintings to contemporary work
Bocking Windmill Bocking Windmill, Church Street, Bocking, Braintree - geograph.org.uk - 57800.jpg Bocking Braintree Mill Early 18th century windmill
Bourne Mill, Essex Colchester Colchester Mill website, operated by the National Trust, Elizabethan water mill
Boxted Airfield Museum Langham Colchester Military website, history of RAF Boxted in WWII
Bragg's Mill Ashdon Uttlesford Mill Mid 18th century windmill
Braintree Museum Braintree District Museum, Manor Street, Braintree - geograph.org.uk - 59717.jpg Braintree Braintree Multiple website, local history, industry, textiles, ceramics and art, and "The Essex Model House" by St Osyth Mahala Wood
Brentwood Museum Brentwood Brentwood Local website
Brightlingsea Museum Brightlingsea Tendring Local website, local history, Roman life, shipbuilding, oyster industry
Burnham-on-Crouch & District Museum Burnham-on-Crouch Maldon Local Local history, maritime, agricultural, industrial and social history
Canvey Island Heritage Centre Canvey Island Castle Point Local website
Canvey Island Transport Museum Canvey Bus Museum - geograph.org.uk - 107555.jpg Canvey Island Castle Point Transportation website, automobiles, buses, commercial, military and emergency vehicles, public road transport artifacts, model train layout; located in a former bus depot
Cater Museum Billericay Basildon Local website, local history, period rooms
Chelmsford Museum Chelmsford Chelmsford Multiple Local history, art, archaeology, natural history, industry
Coalhouse Fort Coalhouse Fort, Tilbury UK.jpg East Tilbury Thurrock Military 19th century Victorian coastal defence fort open on specified days, includes military museums and vehicles
Coggeshall Grange Barn Coggeshall Colchester Agriculture website, operated by the National Trust, 14th century barn built for Coggeshall Abbey, collection of farm tools and equipment
Coggeshall Museum Coggeshall Colchester Local website, local history, industry, agriculture, culture, lace
Colchester Castle Museum Colchester castle 800.jpg Colchester Colchester History Norman castle with exhibits of local history, archaeology and Roman history
Colne Valley Postal History Museum Halstead Braintree Philatelic website, British Post Office letter boxes, stamp vending machines, documents, postal uniforms and associated artefacts, open by appointment
Colne Valley Railway Sible Hedingham Braintree Railway Heritage railway, 7¼" miniature railway, exhibit centre with history and artefacts, rare breed farm, located at Castle Hedingham Station
Combined Military Services Museum Maldon Maldon Military Combat equipment and weaponry used by the British armed forces from medieval times to the present, lifestyles of the troops, uniforms, Secret Service, artifacts, vehicles
Copped Hall Copped Hall east west 1.jpg Waltham Abbey Epping Forest Historic house Georgian mansion under restoration, gardens
Cressing Temple Cressing Braintree History Medieval barns and well used by temple of the Knights Templar, Tudor walled garden, early 17th-century house, granary and court hall
Duck End Mill Finchingfield post Windmill.jpg Finchingfield Braintree Mill Mid 18th century windmill
Dutch Cottage Museum Dutch Cottage Museum, Canvey Island - geograph.org.uk - 246513.jpg Canvey Island Castle Point Historic house website, operated by the Benfleet and District Historical Society
Earls Colne Heritage Museum Earls Colne Braintree Local website, local history
East Anglian Railway Museum Chappel and Wakes Colne Railway Station, Essex - geograph.org.uk - 42029.jpg Chappel Colchester Railway Heritage railway and museum, includes equipment, station buildings, signal boxes, goods shed and restoration shed
East Essex Aviation Society and Museum Martello Tower at Point Clear 4.jpg St Osyth Tendring Military website, located in a Martello tower, military artifacts, items recovered from local aircraft crash sites
Epping Forest District Museum Waltham Abbey Epping Forest Local website, local history, archaeology, history of the abbey, medieval and Tudor artifacts, Victorian life
Essex Fire Museum Grays Thurrock Firefighting website
Essex Police Museum Chelmsford Chelmsford Law enforcement website, history of Essex Police from 1840 to present day, Victorian jail cell
Essex Regiment Museum Chelmsford Chelmsford Military Regimental history and memorabilia, located at the Chelmsford Museum
Feering and Kelvedon Local History Museum Kelvedon Braintree Local website, local history, archaeology, agriculture, trades
Finchingfield Guildhall Finchingfield Guildhall.jpg Finchingfield Braintree Local website, 15th century guildhall under restoration, houses the Finchingfield Heritage Center and Finchingfield Library
Firstsite Colchester Colchester Art Contemporary visual arts centre and gallery
Frinton's Crossing Cottage, Garden and Railway Museum Frinton-on-Sea Tendring Local website, operated by the Frinton & Walton Heritage Trust, local and area railroad history
Fry Art Gallery Saffron Walden Uttlesford Art Emphasis on local artists, includes paintings, prints, illustrations, wallpapers and decorative designs by artists of the 20th century and the present
Gibberd Gallery Harlow Harlow Art website, changing exhibits and Frederick Gibberd collection of British watercolours and drawings, operated by The Harlow Art Trust
Great Bardfield Cottage Museum Great Bardfield Braintree Local information, local history
Great Dunmow Museum Great Dunmow Uttlesford Local website, local history, industry, culture
Halstead Heritage Museum Halstead Braintree Local website, local history, culture, transport, operated by the Halstead & District Local History Society
Harlow Museum Harlow Harlow Local website, walled gardens, local history, Roman era & artifacts, Tudor life, Victorian household items, toys
Harwich Lifeboat Museum Harwich Tendring Maritime website, operated by the Harwich Society, information, located in a former lifeboat station with exhibits about sea rescues
Harwich Maritime Museum Harwich Tendring Maritime website, operated by the Harwich Society, located in a decommissioned lighthouse, nautical artifacts, information
Harwich Redoubt Harwich Redoubt 01 - general view.JPG Harwich Tendring Military Napoleonic fort, operated by the Harwich Society
Hedingham Castle The Keep at Castle Hedingham - geograph.org.uk - 30510.jpg Castle Hedingham Braintree Historic house Medieval Norman keep and grounds
Hill Hall Epping Epping Forest Historic house Operated by English Heritage, Elizabethan mansion, tours by appointment
Hollytrees Museum Hollytrees museum, Colchester - geograph.org.uk - 189300.jpg Colchester Colchester Local Local history, toys, costumes
Hylands House Hylands house.jpg Chelmsford Chelmsford Historic house Restored 18th century Queen Anne style house, park and gardens
Ingatestone Hall IngatestoneHall(JohnSTurner)May2003.jpg Ingatestone Brentwood Historic house 16th century Tudor house and grounds
John Webb's Mill Thaxted Windmill and Church - geograph.org.uk - 158193.jpg Thaxted Uttlesford Mill Early 19th century windmill
Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker Entrance to Kelvedon Hatch Nuclear Bunker.jpg Kelvedon Hatch Brentwood Military Underground bunker used during the Cold War as a regional government headquarters
Langdon Visitor Centre & Haven Plotlands Museum Basildon Basildon Multiple Natural history of the nature reserve, also Haven Plotlands Museum, a 1930s period bungalow country getaway
Layer Marney Tower Layer marney2.jpg Colchester Colchester Historic house 16th century Tudor palace and gardens
Little Baddow History Centre Little Baddow Chelmsford Local website
Maeldune Centre Maldon Maldon Local Local history, art, modern large embroidery about the Battle of Maldon
Maldon District Agricultural & Domestic Museum The Maldon and District Agricultural and Domestic Museum, Goldhanger, Essex - geograph.org.uk - 172860.jpg Maldon Maldon History information, vintage farm machinery and equipment, agriculture tools, household items
Maldon Museum Maldon Maldon Local website, also known as Museum in the Park, located in a park keeper's lodge
Mangapps Railway Museum Mangaps03.jpg Burnham-on-Crouch Maldon Railway Heritage railway and museum, includes rolling equipment, memorabilia, buildings
Manningtree Museum Manningtree Tendring Local website, local history
Mersea Island Museum Mersea Island Colchester Local website, fishing, oystering, wild fowling, boat building, local history, natural history, geology
Minories Art Gallery Colchester Colchester Art Part of the Colchester Institute
Mountnessing Windmill Mountnessing windmill.jpg Mountnessing Brentwood Mill Early 19th century windmill
Munnings Art Museum Dedham Colchester Art Home and works of Sir Alfred Munnings, located in Castle House
Museum of Power Langford Maldon Technology Located in a water pumping station, features working examples of steam engines, machinery, equipment and tools, miniature railway
Natural History Museum, Colchester Colchester Colchester Natural history website, natural heritage of north-east Essex
Naze Tower Walton-on-the-Naze Tendring Natural history Tower with viewing platform, museum about the ecology and environment of the Naze headland, art gallery
Nazeing Glass Museum of 20th Century British Domestic Glass Nazeing Epping Forest Art website, works and history of Nazeing Glass Works and other British glass manufacturers in the 20th century
North Weald Airfield Museum North Weald Bassett Epping Forest Military History of the former military airfield
Nottage Maritime Institute Wivenhoe Colchester Maritime website, maritime paintings, photographs, models and artifacts
Paycocke's Coggeshall Colchester Historic house website, operated by the National Trust, early 16th-century house with elaborate paneling and woodcarving, garden
Peter Edwards Museum & Library Chelmsford Chelmsford Sports website, history and memorabilia of the Essex County Cricket Club, located at County Cricket Ground
Prittlewell Priory Prior's Chamber and Crowstone - geograph.org.uk - 1929931.jpg Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea Religious Medieval priory
Purfleet Heritage & Military Centre Purfleet Thurrock Military website, located in a former Royal magazine for gunpowder, artifacts and memorabilia from all the armed forces
Rayleigh Town Museum Rayleigh Town Museum 190916.jpg Rayleigh Rochford Local website, Rayleigh, its people, places and heritage, oldest secular Building in town
Rayleigh Windmill Rayleigh windmill - geograph.org.uk - 211121.jpg Rayleigh Rochford Mill Early 19th century windmill
Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative Museum Ridgewell Braintree Military website, uniforms, artifacts, medals, memorabilia of the World War II airfield, the 381st Bomb Group and the No. 90 Squadron RAF
Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey Epping Forest Multiple Complex includes science of gunpowder exhibits, history of the site, exhibits of weapons and military artifacts, transportation, rockets, 1940s street scene, history of the Gunpowder Plot, narrow gauge railway, woodlands
Saffron Walden Museum Saffron Walden Uttlesford Multiple website, local history, natural history, Ancient Egypt, archaeology, decorative arts, costumes, ethnographic artifacts
Sandford Mill Chelmsford Chelmsford Science website, area industrial history and the science involved, part of Chelmsford Museums
Southchurch Hall Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea Historic house Early 14th century half-timbered medieval manor house with period rooms depicting life in different centuries
Southend Central Museum Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea Multiple Local history, natural history, planetarium
Southend Pier Museum Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea Amusement History of the Southend Pier, working penny slot machines
Stansted Mountfitchet Windmill Stansted Mountfitchet mill.jpg Stansted Mountfitchet Uttlesford Mill Late 18th century windmill
Stock Windmill Stock mill.jpg Stock Chelmsford Mill Early 19th century windmill
Thaxted Guildhall Thaxted guildhall.JPG Thaxted Uttlesford Historic house website, 14th century guild hall
The Time Machine Harlow Harlow Science website, hands-on science and technology exhibits
Thurrock Museum Grays Thurrock Local website, local history, culture, archaeology, industry, culture, social history
Tilbury Fort Tilbury fort water gate.jpg Tilbury Thurrock Military Operated by English Heritage, 17th century artillery fort
Walton Maritime Museum Walton Maritime Museum, Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex - geograph.org.uk - 195823.jpg Walton-on-the-Naze Tendring Maritime website, former lifeboat station with maritime artifacts, local history, natural history, restore James Stevens 14 lifeboat, operated by the Frinton & Walton Heritage Trust
Warner Textile Archive Braintree Braintree Textile Archive of some 100,000 items relating to the textile industry in Braintree, in particular the legacy of Warner and Sons
Wilkin & Sons Visitor Centre Tiptree Colchester Food Tearoom, shop and museum of Wilkin & Sons jams and jam-making

Defunct museums

  • Motorboat Museum, Basildon; closed December 2009
  • Southend Historic Aircraft Museum, Southend-on-Sea; closed May, 1983 [2]
  • Tymperleys Clock Museum, Colchester, closed in 2010, clocks now at Hollytrees Museum
  • Walton Hall Museum, Stanford-le-Hope, closed in 2010

See also

  • Visitor attractions in Essex
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