List of museums in Essex facts for kids

Welcome to the amazing world of museums in Essex, England! A museum is a special place where cool objects from the past, art, science, and history are kept safe and shown to everyone. Think of it like a giant treasure chest filled with stories! In Essex, you can find all sorts of museums, including art galleries that display beautiful paintings and sculptures. This list will help you discover some of the best places to explore and learn. We won't be looking at museums that only exist online, though – these are all real places you can visit!

Awesome Museums to Explore

Essex is packed with fantastic museums, each offering a unique adventure. From ancient castles to old windmills and even secret bunkers, there's something for every curious mind. Get ready to step back in time, discover amazing art, and learn about the history of this fascinating county!

Name	Image	Town/City	Type	What You'll Find There
Art Exchange		Colchester	Art	This gallery is part of the University of Essex. It shows modern art from artists all over the world, including famous ones and new talents.
Ashdon Museum		Ashdon	Local History	Learn about the history of the local area, old jobs, farming, and how people used to live.
Audley End House	Audley End House	Saffron Walden	Historic House	This huge country house from the 1600s is run by English Heritage. You can see beautifully decorated rooms, famous paintings, and even the servants' area from the 1880s. Don't forget the lovely gardens!
Aythorpe Roding Windmill	Aythorpe Roding Windmill	Aythorpe Roding	Mill	Check out this old windmill that was built in the late 1700s.
Barleylands Farm Museum		Billericay	Agriculture	See old farm machines, tractors, tools, and household items. You can also meet farm animals!
Beecroft Art Gallery		Southend-on-Sea	Art	This gallery has a wide range of art, from Dutch paintings made in the 1600s to modern artworks.
Bocking Windmill	Bocking Windmill	Bocking	Mill	Explore this windmill that dates back to the early 1700s.
Bourne Mill, Essex		Colchester	Mill	Run by the National Trust, this is an Elizabethan water mill from the 1500s.
Boxted Airfield Museum		Langham	Military	Discover the history of RAF Boxted during World War II.
Bragg's Mill		Ashdon	Mill	Another historic windmill, built in the mid-1700s.
Braintree Museum	Braintree Museum	Braintree	Multiple Topics	Learn about local history, industries, textiles, pottery, and art. It also features "The Essex Model House".
Brentwood Museum		Brentwood	Local History	Explore the history of the Brentwood area.
Brightlingsea Museum		Brightlingsea	Local History	Find out about local history, Roman times, shipbuilding, and the oyster industry.
Burnham-on-Crouch & District Museum		Burnham-on-Crouch	Local History	Discover the local, sea, farming, industry, and social history of the area.
Canvey Island Heritage Centre		Canvey Island	Local History	Learn about the heritage of Canvey Island.
Canvey Island Transport Museum	Canvey Island Transport Museum	Canvey Island	Transportation	See old cars, buses, military vehicles, and a model train set. It's located in an old bus garage!
Cater Museum		Billericay	Local History	Explore local history and rooms decorated to look like different time periods.
Chelmsford Museum		Chelmsford	Multiple Topics	This museum covers local history, art, archaeology, nature, and industry.
Coalhouse Fort	Coalhouse Fort	East Tilbury	Military	This 19th-century fort was built to defend the coast. It's open on certain days and has military exhibits and vehicles.
Coggeshall Grange Barn		Coggeshall	Agriculture	Run by the National Trust, this huge barn from the 1300s was built for Coggeshall Abbey. It has a collection of old farm tools.
Coggeshall Museum		Coggeshall	Local History	Learn about local history, industries, farming, culture, and lace-making.
Colchester Castle Museum	Colchester Castle Museum	Colchester	History	This Norman castle has exhibits about local history, archaeology, and the Roman era.
Colne Valley Postal History Museum		Halstead	Philatelic	See old British Post Office letter boxes, stamp machines, documents, and uniforms. You need to book an appointment to visit.
Colne Valley Railway		Sible Hedingham	Railway	Ride a heritage railway and see a miniature railway. There's also an exhibit centre with history and artifacts, plus a rare breed farm.
Combined Military Services Museum		Maldon	Military	Discover combat gear and weapons used by British forces from medieval times to today. Learn about soldiers' lives, uniforms, and even the Secret Service.
Copped Hall	Copped Hall	Waltham Abbey	Historic House	This Georgian mansion is being restored. You can visit the house and gardens.
Cressing Temple		Cressing	History	Explore medieval barns and a well used by the Knights Templar. There's also a Tudor garden and a 17th-century house.
Duck End Mill	Duck End Mill	Finchingfield	Mill	This windmill was built in the mid-1700s.
Dutch Cottage Museum	Dutch Cottage Museum	Canvey Island	Historic House	This unique cottage is run by the Benfleet and District Historical Society.
Earls Colne Heritage Museum		Earls Colne	Local History	Learn about the history of Earls Colne.
East Anglian Railway Museum	East Anglian Railway Museum	Chappel	Railway	This museum has a heritage railway, old train equipment, station buildings, and signal boxes.
East Essex Aviation Society and Museum	East Essex Aviation Society and Museum	St Osyth	Military	Located in a Martello tower, this museum has military artifacts and items found from local plane crashes.
Epping Forest District Museum		Waltham Abbey	Local History	Discover local history, archaeology, the history of the abbey, and medieval and Victorian artifacts.
Essex Fire Museum		Grays	Firefighting	Learn about the history of firefighting in Essex.
Essex Police Museum		Chelmsford	Law Enforcement	Explore the history of Essex Police from 1840 to today, including a Victorian jail cell.
Essex Regiment Museum		Chelmsford	Military	This museum, located at the Chelmsford Museum, tells the story of the Essex Regiment and displays their memorabilia.
Feering and Kelvedon Local History Museum		Kelvedon	Local History	Learn about local history, archaeology, farming, and old trades.
Finchingfield Guildhall	Finchingfield Guildhall	Finchingfield	Local History	This 15th-century guildhall is being restored and houses the Finchingfield Heritage Center.
Firstsite		Colchester	Art	A modern art centre and gallery that shows exciting visual arts.
Frinton's Crossing Cottage, Garden and Railway Museum		Frinton-on-Sea	Local History	Run by the Frinton & Walton Heritage Trust, this museum focuses on local and railway history.
Fry Art Gallery		Saffron Walden	Art	This gallery focuses on local artists, showing paintings, prints, and designs from the 20th century and today.
Gibberd Gallery		Harlow	Art	This gallery has changing art shows and a collection of British watercolours and drawings by Frederick Gibberd.
Great Bardfield Cottage Museum		Great Bardfield	Local History	Learn about the local history of Great Bardfield.
Great Dunmow Museum		Great Dunmow	Local History	Discover local history, industries, and culture.
Halstead Heritage Museum		Halstead	Local History	Run by the Halstead & District Local History Society, this museum covers local history, culture, and transport.
Harlow Museum		Harlow	Local History	Explore walled gardens and learn about local history, Roman artifacts, Tudor life, and Victorian household items and toys.
Harwich Lifeboat Museum		Harwich	Maritime	Run by the Harwich Society, this museum is in an old lifeboat station and tells stories of sea rescues.
Harwich Maritime Museum		Harwich	Maritime	Also run by the Harwich Society, this museum is in an old lighthouse. It displays nautical artifacts.
Harwich Redoubt	Harwich Redoubt	Harwich	Military	This Napoleonic fort is run by the Harwich Society.
Hedingham Castle	Hedingham Castle	Castle Hedingham	Historic House	Explore this medieval Norman castle and its grounds.
Hill Hall		Epping	Historic House	This Elizabethan mansion is run by English Heritage. You can take tours by appointment.
Hollytrees Museum	Hollytrees Museum	Colchester	Local History	Learn about local history and see collections of toys and costumes.
Hylands House	Hylands House	Chelmsford	Historic House	This beautiful 18th-century house has been restored, and you can visit its park and gardens.
Ingatestone Hall	Ingatestone Hall	Ingatestone	Historic House	A 16th-century Tudor house with lovely grounds.
John Webb's Mill	John Webb's Mill	Thaxted	Mill	This windmill was built in the early 1800s.
Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker	Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker	Kelvedon Hatch	Military	Go underground into this bunker used during the Cold War as a government headquarters.
Langdon Visitor Centre & Haven Plotlands Museum		Basildon	Multiple Topics	Learn about the nature reserve and visit the Haven Plotlands Museum, which is a 1930s bungalow showing how people used to escape to the countryside.
Layer Marney Tower	Layer Marney Tower	Colchester	Historic House	A 16th-century Tudor palace with beautiful gardens.
Little Baddow History Centre		Little Baddow	Local History	Discover the history of Little Baddow.
Maeldune Centre		Maldon	Local History	Learn about local history and see a large, modern embroidery about the Battle of Maldon.
Maldon District Agricultural & Domestic Museum	Maldon District Agricultural & Domestic Museum	Maldon	History	See vintage farm machines, tools, and old household items.
Maldon Museum		Maldon	Local History	Also known as Museum in the Park, it's located in an old park keeper's lodge.
Mangapps Railway Museum	Mangapps Railway Museum	Burnham-on-Crouch	Railway	A heritage railway and museum with old train equipment, memorabilia, and buildings.
Manningtree Museum		Manningtree	Local History	Learn about the history of Manningtree.
Mersea Island Museum		Mersea Island	Local History	Discover fishing, oystering, boat building, local history, nature, and geology.
Minories Art Gallery		Colchester	Art	This art gallery is part of the Colchester Institute.
Mountnessing Windmill	Mountnessing Windmill	Mountnessing	Mill	An early 19th-century windmill.
Munnings Art Museum		Dedham	Art	Visit the home of Sir Alfred Munnings and see his artworks.
Museum of Power		Langford	Technology	Located in an old water pumping station, this museum has working steam engines, machinery, and a miniature railway.
Natural History Museum, Colchester		Colchester	Natural History	Explore the natural world and wildlife of north-east Essex.
Naze Tower		Walton-on-the-Naze	Natural History	Climb this tower for amazing views. It has a museum about the environment of the Naze headland and an art gallery.
Nazeing Glass Museum of 20th Century British Domestic Glass		Nazeing	Art	Learn about the history and works of Nazeing Glass Works and other British glass makers from the 1900s.
North Weald Airfield Museum		North Weald Bassett	Military	Discover the history of this former military airfield.
Nottage Maritime Institute		Wivenhoe	Maritime	See maritime paintings, photos, models, and artifacts.
Paycocke's		Coggeshall	Historic House	Run by the National Trust, this early 16th-century house has amazing woodcarvings and a lovely garden.
Peter Edwards Museum & Library		Chelmsford	Sports	Learn about the history and see memorabilia of the Essex County Cricket Club. It's located at the County Cricket Ground.
Prittlewell Priory	Prittlewell Priory	Southend-on-Sea	Religious History	Explore this medieval priory.
Purfleet Heritage & Military Centre		Purfleet	Military	Located in an old Royal magazine for gunpowder, this centre has artifacts and memorabilia from all the armed forces.
Rayleigh Town Museum	Rayleigh Town Museum	Rayleigh	Local History	Learn about Rayleigh, its people, places, and heritage. It's in the oldest non-religious building in town.
Rayleigh Windmill	Rayleigh Windmill	Rayleigh	Mill	An early 19th-century windmill.
Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative Museum		Ridgewell	Military	See uniforms, artifacts, medals, and memorabilia from the World War II airfield, the 381st Bomb Group, and the No. 90 Squadron RAF.
Royal Gunpowder Mills		Waltham Abbey	Multiple Topics	This huge site has exhibits on the science of gunpowder, the history of the area, weapons, rockets, a 1940s street scene, and a narrow gauge railway.
Saffron Walden Museum		Saffron Walden	Multiple Topics	Discover local history, natural history, Ancient Egypt, archaeology, decorative arts, costumes, and artifacts from different cultures.
Sandford Mill		Chelmsford	Science	Learn about local industrial history and the science behind it. It's part of Chelmsford Museums.
Southchurch Hall		Southend-on-Sea	Historic House	This medieval manor house from the early 1300s has rooms showing life in different centuries.
Southend Central Museum		Southend-on-Sea	Multiple Topics	Explore local history, natural history, and visit a planetarium.
Southend Pier Museum		Southend-on-Sea	Amusement	Learn about the history of Southend Pier and play on old penny slot machines.
Stansted Mountfitchet Windmill	Stansted Mountfitchet Windmill	Stansted Mountfitchet	Mill	This windmill was built in the late 1700s.
Stock Windmill	Stock Windmill	Stock	Mill	An early 19th-century windmill.
Thaxted Guildhall	Thaxted Guildhall	Thaxted	Historic House	A 14th-century guild hall.
The Time Machine		Harlow	Science	Enjoy hands-on science and technology exhibits.
Thurrock Museum		Grays	Local History	Discover local history, culture, archaeology, and social history.
Tilbury Fort	Tilbury Fort	Tilbury	Military	Run by English Heritage, this 17th-century fort was built for artillery.
Walton Maritime Museum	Walton Maritime Museum	Walton-on-the-Naze	Maritime	This museum is in an old lifeboat station. It has maritime artifacts, local history, natural history, and a restored James Stevens 14 lifeboat.
Warner Textile Archive		Braintree	Textile	See a huge collection of items related to the textile industry in Braintree, especially from Warner and Sons.
Wilkin & Sons Visitor Centre		Tiptree	Food	Visit a tearoom, shop, and museum about Wilkin & Sons jams and how they are made.

Museums That Are No Longer Open

Sometimes, museums close down. Here are a few that used to be in Essex:

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

See Also

• Fun Places to Visit in Essex