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List of museums in Derbyshire facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

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

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The historic 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

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Locomotives inside the 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

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The building housing the 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

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Bolsover Castle, a historic English Heritage site.

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

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The entrance to 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

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Calke Abbey, a grand Baroque country house.

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

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Carnfield Hall and its surrounding park.

This country house and park is open for guided tours. It's a chance to see a historic home and its grounds.

Casterne Hall

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Casterne Hall, an 18th-century manor house.

Casterne Hall is an 18th-century manor house with interesting outbuildings.

Chatsworth House

Chatsworth House
The magnificent 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

Chesterfield Museum
The 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

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The Creswell Crags Museum and Heritage Centre.

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

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A tram at 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

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Richard Arkwright's 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

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The Denby Pottery building.

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

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The historic 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

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Inside the 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)

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The historic Derby Silk Mill.

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

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Workers' cottages near Cromford Mill, part of the 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

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A ladle from Stanton Ironworks at 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

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Eyam Hall, a Jacobean manor house.

Eyam Hall is a Jacobean manor house with interesting displays of old costumes, needlework, and family portraits. It also has lovely gardens.

Eyam Museum

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The Eyam Museum building.

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

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Haddon Hall, a medieval manor house.

Haddon Hall is a beautiful medieval manor house with charming gardens.

Hardwick Hall

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The impressive East Front of 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

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Heage Windmill, a working 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

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Workshops at 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

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Kedleston Hall, an 18th-century Neoclassical country house.

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

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The 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

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Masson Mills, a historic textile mill.

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

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Melbourne Hall and its gardens.

Melbourne Hall is a country house with beautiful gardens to explore.

Middleton Top Engine House

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The preserved beam engine at Middleton Top.

This site has a preserved beam engine, which is a type of steam engine. You can learn how it worked.

Midland Railway – Butterley

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A train at 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

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The 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

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An old tram at the 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

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Sudbury Hall, home to the 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)

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Norbury church and the Old Manor.

This medieval hall is managed by the National Trust.

Peak District Lead Mining Museum

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The Matlock 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

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Inside 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

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Renishaw Hall.

Renishaw Hall is a country house belonging to the Sitwell family, with lovely gardens.

Revolution House

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Revolution House in Old Whittington.

This 17th-century alehouse has connections to the Glorious Revolution of 1688, a very important event in English history.

Royal Crown Derby Visitor Centre

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Royal Crown Derby porcelain.

Here you can see beautiful china and porcelain decorative art made by Royal Crown Derby.

Shardlow Heritage Centre

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The Shardlow Heritage Centre.

This centre focuses on the local history of Shardlow.

Sharpe's Pottery Museum

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Sharpe's Pottery Museum.

This museum is all about china and porcelain decorative art.

Sir Richard Arkwright's Masson Mills

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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

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Stainsby Mill, a 19th-century flour watermill.

Managed by the National Trust, this 19th-century flour watermill is located on the grounds of Hardwick Hall.

Strutt's North Mill, Belper

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A hank winder inside Belper North Mill Museum.

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

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The south front of Sudbury Hall.

This 17th-century mansion is managed by the National Trust and is home to the National Trust Museum of Childhood.

Tissington Hall

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Tissington Hall, an early 17th-century mansion.

Tissington Hall is an early 17th-century Jacobean mansion house.

Wirksworth Heritage Centre

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The Wirksworth Heritage Centre.

This centre has an exhibition about the history, industries, and people of Wirksworth, a historic market town in the Peak District.

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List of museums in Derbyshire Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.