Banbury Museum facts for kids

Banbury Museum, a great place to learn about local history.

A view of the Oxford Canal and Castle Quay Shopping Centre, with Banbury Museum in the background.

You can see the Oxford Canal and Castle Quay Shopping Centre from the museum cafe.

The Banbury Museum & Gallery is a fun and interesting museum in the town of Banbury, located in north Oxfordshire, England. It shows off many cool exhibits about the history of Banbury.

What Can You See at the Museum?

The museum is right in the middle of Banbury, next to the Oxford Canal. It has lots of displays that tell the story of the town.

Exploring Banbury's Past

You can learn about different times in Banbury's history. For example, there are exhibits about the English Civil War, which was a big conflict in England long ago. You can also see what Banbury was like as a busy market town during the Victorian era, which was from 1837 to 1901.

The Oxford Canal and Tooley's Boatyard

The museum also teaches you about the Oxford Canal, which was very important for moving goods in the past. Right next to the museum is Tooley's Boatyard. This boatyard is a very old and special place, protected as a scheduled ancient monument. You can even take a guided tour to see how boats were built and repaired there!

Special Collections and Library

The museum has some unique items, like costumes from the 1600s. It also has the Rosemarie Higham Library, which opened in 2022. This library has about 1,000 books all about Banbury's history. It's managed by the Banbury Historical Society, a group that helps keep the town's history alive.

How the Museum Started

The Banbury Museum & Gallery is managed by the Banbury Museum Trust. The first museum in Banbury began in the 1940s. Its collection was first kept in the town's library.

Moving to a New Home

Later, the collection moved to Banbury Cross, where it stayed from 1980 to 1999. The museum you see today is in a special building that was built just for it. This new building is near Spiceball Park.

Designing the New Museum

Cherwell District Council and RIBA Competitions held a contest to design the new museum building. ECD Architects of London won the competition. The new museum building opened its doors in 2002.

Getting to the Museum

You can get to the museum by walking over a bridge from the Castle Quay Shopping Centre. You can also reach it from Spiceball Park Road. The town's tourist information centre is located right at the museum's entrance in the Castle Quay Shopping Centre. This is a handy place to get information about visiting Banbury.