List of museums in Derbyshire facts for kids
A museum is a special place where cool and interesting things from the past and present are kept and shown to people. These things can be anything from old toys and clothes to giant machines and amazing artworks! In Derbyshire, England, there are many different kinds of museums. They help us learn about history, science, art, and how people used to live. Some museums are in old houses, some are about trains, and others show off beautiful pottery.
Contents
- Museums to Explore
- Bakewell Old House Museum
- Barrow Hill Roundhouse
- Belper Heritage Centre
- Bolsover Castle
- Buxton Museum and Art Gallery
- Calke Abbey
- Carnfield Hall
- Casterne Hall
- Chatsworth House
- Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery
- Creswell Crags Museum
- Crich Tramway Village
- Cromford Mill
- David Mellor Visitor Centre
- Denby Pottery Visitor's Centre
- Derby Gaol
- Derby Museum and Art Gallery
- Derby Silk Mill (Museum of Making)
- Derbyshire Police Museum
- Derwent Valley Mills
- Erewash Museum
- Eyam Hall
- Eyam Museum
- Haddon Hall
- Hardwick Hall
- Heage Windmill
- High Peak Junction
- Hope House Costume Museum
- John King Workshop Museum
- Kedleston Hall
- Leawood Pump House
- Life in a Lens Museum of Photography & Old Times
- Little Chester Heritage Centre
- M & C Collection of Historic Motorcycles
- Masson Mills Working Textile Museum
- Melbourne Hall
- Middleton Top Engine House
- Midland Railway – Butterley
- Moorland Centre
- National Stone Centre
- National Tramway Museum
- National Trust Museum of Childhood
- New Mills Heritage and Information Centre
- Old Manor (Norbury Manor)
- Peak District Lead Mining Museum
- Peak District National Park Visitor Centre - Bakewell
- Peak District National Park Visitor Centre - Castleton
- Peak District National Park Visitor Centre - Upper Derwent
- Pickford's House Museum
- Red House Stables Carriage Museum
- Renishaw Hall
- Revolution House
- Royal Crown Derby Visitor Centre
- Shardlow Heritage Centre
- Sharpe's Pottery Museum
- Sir Richard Arkwright's Masson Mills
- Stainsby Mill
- Strutt's North Mill, Belper
- Sudbury Hall
- Tissington Hall
- Wirksworth Heritage Centre
- Images for kids
- See also
Museums to Explore
Bakewell Old House Museum
This museum is inside a really old Tudor house. You can see rooms set up as they would have looked long ago. There are also displays of old textiles, toys, and even how mill workers lived in Victorian times. It's a great way to step back in time!
Barrow Hill Roundhouse
If you love trains, this is the place for you! It's a preserved roundhouse, which is a special building where trains used to be stored and repaired. You can see old locomotives here.
Belper Heritage Centre
Also known as St. John's Chapel Heritage Centre, this museum tells the story of Belper. You can learn about the local history of this interesting town.
Bolsover Castle
This isn't just a castle; it's also a historic house managed by English Heritage. You can explore its grand rooms and learn about its past.
Buxton Museum and Art Gallery
This museum has a bit of everything! You can discover local history, ancient tools, fossils, minerals, and even art. It's free to enter and has cool exhibits like "Wonders of the Peak," showing items from the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Roman times. The museum has been in an old hotel building since 1928.
Calke Abbey
Calke Abbey is a beautiful Baroque country house with lovely gardens. It's looked after by the National Trust, a charity that cares for historic places.
Carnfield Hall
This country house and park is open for guided tours. It's a chance to see a historic home and its grounds.
Casterne Hall
Casterne Hall is an 18th-century manor house with interesting outbuildings.
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House is a very famous historic house. It's home to the Dukes of Devonshire and has amazing collections of paintings, furniture, sculptures, and old books. The gardens are also incredible!
Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery
This museum is free to visit and tells the story of Chesterfield. You can learn about its history from Roman times, through the Middle Ages, and up to the Industrial Revolution.
Creswell Crags Museum
At Creswell Crags, you can see amazing artifacts from the Ice Age and Stone Age. Many of these prehistoric objects were found in the caves and gorge right there! There is an admission charge to enter.
Crich Tramway Village
This is a restored old village and home to the National Tramway Museum. You can ride on old trams and see a collection of over 80 trams from 1873 to 1982. There's an admission charge, which includes a tram ride!
Cromford Mill
Cromford Mill is a very important place for industrial history. It was one of the first water-powered cotton spinning mills, built in 1771 by Richard Arkwright. It's part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can see old machinery and learn how cotton was spun. There's an admission charge.
David Mellor Visitor Centre
This centre has a museum dedicated to the cutlery designs of David Mellor. You can also visit the factory and shop.
Denby Pottery Visitor's Centre
Here you'll find a small museum showing beautiful china and porcelain art from the Denby Pottery Company. You can also take factory tours.
Derby Gaol
This is an 18th-century prison, offering a glimpse into what life was like for prisoners long ago.
Derby Museum and Art Gallery
Opened in 1879, this museum has a wide range of collections. You can see fine art, beautiful porcelain, local history items, and even natural history exhibits. It has many paintings by Joseph Wright of Derby and Royal Crown Derby porcelain.
Derby Silk Mill (Museum of Making)
This museum focuses on local industries, railways, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) exhibits. It's located in Lombe's Silk Mill, which was one of the first modern factories. It was previously called Derby Industrial Museum.
Derbyshire Police Museum
This museum has exhibits about the history of the Derbyshire Constabulary, the local police force.
Derwent Valley Mills
This is a huge World Heritage Site that includes over 15 historic places spread across 15 miles. It tells the story of the birth of the factory system.
Erewash Museum
Located in a Georgian mansion, this museum shares the history of Erewash. It has period rooms and art, showing what Victorian life was like and the story of Stanton Ironworks.
Eyam Hall
Eyam Hall is a Jacobean manor house with interesting displays of old costumes, needlework, and family portraits. It also has lovely gardens.
Eyam Museum
This museum tells the unique and moving story of Eyam, especially how the Bubonic Plague affected the village in 1665. It opened in 1994 in an old Methodist chapel. There is an admission charge.
Haddon Hall
Haddon Hall is a beautiful medieval manor house with charming gardens.
Hardwick Hall
Managed by the National Trust, Hardwick Hall is an important Elizabethan country house. It has a fantastic collection of embroideries and beautiful gardens. Stainsby Mill is also on its grounds.
Heage Windmill
This is a working windmill that was built in 1797. You can learn how windmills work and see it in action.
High Peak Junction
Part of the Derwent Valley Mills, this site has workshops from the old Cromford and High Peak Railway. It's near the Cromford Canal.
Hope House Costume Museum
This museum has a collection of costumes and accessories from 1790 all the way up to the 1970s.
John King Workshop Museum
This museum focuses on local industry, including Pinxton Porcelain and the Mansfield and Pinxton Railway. It also tells the story of John King, who invented a special hook for mine cages.
Kedleston Hall
Kedleston Hall is an 18th-century Neoclassical country house managed by the National Trust. It has a huge collection of paintings, sculptures, and original furniture, plus a museum with art and items from Asia.
Leawood Pump House
Also part of the Derwent Valley Mills, this pump house has a preserved steam engine that used to pump water for the canal.
Life in a Lens Museum of Photography & Old Times
This museum explores the history of photography, with displays of old cameras and photographic equipment.
Little Chester Heritage Centre
Located in St Paul's Church, this centre focuses on the local history of Little Chester.
M & C Collection of Historic Motorcycles
This collection features historic motorcycles and related memorabilia.
Masson Mills Working Textile Museum
This museum shows how cotton mill machinery and textiles were made. It's located in Richard Arkwright's Masson Mills, built in 1783, and is part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. There is an admission charge.
Melbourne Hall
Melbourne Hall is a country house with beautiful gardens to explore.
Middleton Top Engine House
This site has a preserved beam engine, which is a type of steam engine. You can learn how it worked.
Midland Railway – Butterley
This is a heritage railway and museum, previously known as Midland Railway Centre. You can enjoy steam train rides and learn about railway history. There is an admission charge.
Moorland Centre
This centre teaches you about the geology, wildlife, plants, and importance of the moorland and the Peak District.
National Stone Centre
At the National Stone Centre, you can learn all about geology, earth science, mining, and how rocks and minerals are used. It's located at old limestone quarries and has an outdoor fossil trail.
National Tramway Museum
Located within Crich Tramway Village, this museum has a large collection of working trams that you can see and ride.
National Trust Museum of Childhood
This museum, run by the National Trust, is located at Sudbury Hall. It has a historical collection of toys, games, and dolls. There is an admission charge.
New Mills Heritage and Information Centre
This centre focuses on the local history of New Mills.
Old Manor (Norbury Manor)
This medieval hall is managed by the National Trust.
Peak District Lead Mining Museum
This museum teaches you about lead mining and what life was like for mining families. It even has a mock-up of a lead mine inside the Grand Pavilion! There is an admission charge.
Peak District National Park Visitor Centre - Bakewell
This visitor centre for the Peak District National Park includes a photography gallery.
Peak District National Park Visitor Centre - Castleton
This visitor centre includes the Castleton Village Museum.
Peak District National Park Visitor Centre - Upper Derwent
This centre provides exhibits and information about the Peak District National Park.
Pickford's House Museum
This is a late 18th-century Georgian townhouse, which was the family home of architect Joseph Pickford. It has displays of 18th and 19th-century costumes and toys.
Red House Stables Carriage Museum
This museum used to display original horse-drawn vehicles and equipment, but it closed permanently on December 31, 2017.
Renishaw Hall
Renishaw Hall is a country house belonging to the Sitwell family, with lovely gardens.
Revolution House
This 17th-century alehouse has connections to the Glorious Revolution of 1688, a very important event in English history.
Royal Crown Derby Visitor Centre
Here you can see beautiful china and porcelain decorative art made by Royal Crown Derby.
Shardlow Heritage Centre
This centre focuses on the local history of Shardlow.
Sharpe's Pottery Museum
This museum is all about china and porcelain decorative art.
Sir Richard Arkwright's Masson Mills
This is a water-powered cotton spinning mill that includes the Masson Mills Working Textile Museum. It's part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
Stainsby Mill
Managed by the National Trust, this 19th-century flour watermill is located on the grounds of Hardwick Hall.
Strutt's North Mill, Belper
Part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, this was a former water-powered cotton spinning mill. It also has the Derwent Valley Visitor's Centre. You can see exhibits about cotton spinning and hosiery. It was built in 1804 by William Strutt. There is an admission charge.
Sudbury Hall
This 17th-century mansion is managed by the National Trust and is home to the National Trust Museum of Childhood.
Tissington Hall
Tissington Hall is an early 17th-century Jacobean mansion house.
Wirksworth Heritage Centre
This centre has an exhibition about the history, industries, and people of Wirksworth, a historic market town in the Peak District.