List of museums in Suffolk facts for kids
Suffolk is a county in England with many interesting places to visit, especially museums! A museum is a special place where cool objects from the past or about nature, art, and science are kept and shown to people. It's like a treasure chest of history and amazing facts. This list will help you discover some of the best museums in Suffolk.
Contents
- Awesome Museums to Explore
- Aldeburgh Museum
- Alfred Corry Lifeboat Museum
- Amber Shop and Museum
- The Apex
- Bardwell Windmill
- Bawdsey Manor
- Beccles & District Museum
- Bentwaters Cold War Museum
- Brandon Heritage Centre
- Bungay Museum
- Buttrum's Mill
- Christchurch Mansion
- Clare Ancient House Museum
- Clifford Road Tunnels
- Dunwich Museum
- East Anglia Transport Museum
- Easton Farm Park
- Euston Hall
- Felixstowe Museum
- Flatford: Bridge Cottage
- Framlingham Castle
- Gainsborough's House
- Greene King Visitor Centre
- Halesworth Museum
- Haverhill Local History Centre
- Herringfleet Windmill
- HMS Ganges Museum
- Ickworth House, Park & Garden
- Ipswich Art School Gallery
- Ipswich Maritime Trust Window Museum
- Ipswich Museum
- Ipswich Transport Museum
- Kentwell Hall
- Landguard Fort
- Lanman Museum
- Lavenham Guildhall
- Laxfield & District Museum
- Little Hall Lavenham
- Long Shop Museum
- Lowestoft Maritime Museum
- Lowestoft Museum
- Lowestoft War Memorial Museum
- Martlesham Heath Control Tower Museum
- Mechanical Music Museum at Cotton
- Melford Hall
- Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Museum
- Mildenhall Museum
- Mincarlo
- Moyse's Hall Museum
- Museum of East Anglian Life
- Museum of Knots and Sailors' Ropework
- National Horseracing Museum
- Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum
- Orford Castle
- Pakenham Windmill
- Parham Airfield Museum
- Rougham Control Tower Museum
- Royal Naval Patrol Service Museum
- Saxmundham Museum
- Saxtead Green Post Windmill
- Smith's Row
- Somerleyton Hall
- Southwold Lighthouse
- Southwold Museum
- Southwold Sailors' Reading Room
- St Edmundsbury Cathedral
- Sudbury Heritage Centre & Museum
- Suffolk Regiment Museum
- Suffolk Underwater Studies Museum
- Sutton Hoo
- Thelnetham Windmill
- Upthorpe Mill
- West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village
- Woodbridge Museum
- Woodbridge Tide Mill
- Woolpit Museum
- Museums That Are No Longer Open
- See also
Awesome Museums to Explore
Aldeburgh Museum
Located in Aldeburgh, this museum is inside a really old building called a moot hall from the 1500s. It tells the story of local history, culture, and how people used to work and live in the area.
Alfred Corry Lifeboat Museum
In Southwold, you can find the "Alfred Corry" lifeboat, which was once used to save lives at sea. This museum shows you what life was like for brave lifeboat crews and shares stories of maritime history.
Amber Shop and Museum
Also in Southwold, this unique museum is all about amber. Amber is fossilized tree resin, often with ancient insects trapped inside! You can see beautiful amber carvings, jewelry, and learn how it's formed.
The Apex
Found in Bury St Edmunds, The Apex is a place for performing arts. It also has the Apex Art Gallery, where you can see modern art exhibitions.
Bardwell Windmill
Visit Bardwell to see an old tower windmill from the early 1800s. It's a great way to imagine how people used wind power long ago.
Bawdsey Manor
In Bawdsey, this manor has a special "Transmitter Block" and "Magic Ear" exhibit. It teaches you about RAF Bawdsey and how radar was used during World War II and the Cold War.
Beccles & District Museum
This museum in Beccles shares the local history and culture of the area.
Bentwaters Cold War Museum
Near Woodbridge, this museum tells the story of RAF Bentwaters during World War II and the Cold War. It's a fascinating look at military history.
Brandon Heritage Centre
In Brandon, this centre focuses on the local history and culture of the town.
Bungay Museum
The museum in Bungay explores the local history and culture of the area.
Buttrum's Mill
Located in Woodbridge, Buttrum's Mill is a tower windmill from the mid-1800s.
Christchurch Mansion
This grand house in Ipswich is a museum with beautiful art, fancy decorations, and rooms set up to look like they did in different time periods. It also has collections of old toys and dolls.
Clare Ancient House Museum
In Clare, this house from the 1300s-1400s shows local history and amazing archaeological finds.
Clifford Road Tunnels
These underground air raid shelters in Ipswich were used during World War II. You can see how people lived during air raids with period supplies and artifacts.
Dunwich Museum
The museum in Dunwich tells the sad but interesting story of how the town slowly disappeared due to coastal erosion. It also covers local history and culture.
East Anglia Transport Museum
In Carlton Colville, this museum has historic public transport vehicles like buses, trams, and trolleybuses. It even has a small railway!
Easton Farm Park
Located in Easton, this is a farm where you can learn about farm life and animals.
Euston Hall
In Euston, this 17th-century manor house has a collection of fine art. Its beautiful park was designed by famous landscape artists.
Felixstowe Museum
This museum in Felixstowe is inside Landguard Fort. It covers the military and social history of the area.
Flatford: Bridge Cottage
Operated by the National Trust, this 16th-century thatched cottage in Flatford has exhibits about the famous painter John Constable and his artworks of the area.
Framlingham Castle
Managed by English Heritage, this 12th-century fortress in Framlingham has fascinating exhibits about its long history.
Gainsborough's House
This is the birthplace of the famous artist Thomas Gainsborough in Sudbury. You can see his paintings, drawings, and prints, plus other art exhibitions.
Greene King Visitor Centre
In Bury St Edmunds, you can learn about the history of the Greene King brewery.
Halesworth Museum
Located in the old Halesworth railway station, this museum in Halesworth shares local history.
Haverhill Local History Centre
Found in the Haverhill Arts Centre in Haverhill, this centre focuses on local history.
Herringfleet Windmill
This early 19th-century smock windmill is located in Herringfleet.
HMS Ganges Museum
In Bures, this museum has items and stories from the training ships connected to the naval base HMS Ganges.
Ickworth House, Park & Garden
Run by the National Trust near Bury St Edmunds, this country house has amazing collections of paintings, furniture, and silver. It also has beautiful gardens and a park.
Ipswich Art School Gallery
This gallery in Ipswich showcases art.
Ipswich Maritime Trust Window Museum
In Ipswich, this museum has window displays that show the town's maritime history.
Ipswich Museum
The Ipswich Museum has collections on archaeology, including Roman Britain and Ancient Egypt. It also covers local history, natural history, and cultures from around the world.
Ipswich Transport Museum
This museum in Ipswich tells the story of transportation in the area. It has buses, trams, fire engines, bicycles, and even old prams and wheelchairs, many made locally.
Kentwell Hall
In Long Melford, Kentwell Hall is an Elizabethan stately home with old buildings, a rare breeds farm, and lovely gardens.
Landguard Fort
This historic fort in Felixstowe was used from the 1500s until the 1950s. It also houses the Felixstowe Museum.
Lanman Museum
Located at Framlingham Castle, this museum in Framlingham covers local history, the castle's past, farming, and social history.
Lavenham Guildhall
Run by the National Trust in Lavenham, this medieval guild hall has exhibits about the local cloth industry and farming.
Laxfield & District Museum
This museum in Laxfield focuses on military history.
Little Hall Lavenham
This 14th-century Tudor house in Lavenham is a historic house museum.
Long Shop Museum
In Leiston, this museum tells the story of Richard Garrett & Sons, a company that made farm machines, steam engines, and trolleybuses.
Lowestoft Maritime Museum
This museum in Lowestoft has maritime artifacts, ship models, and art. It covers fishing, the Royal Navy in WW II, and tools used by shipbuilders.
Lowestoft Museum
In Lowestoft, this museum covers local history, including 18th-century Lowestoft Porcelain, fossils, maritime heritage, and local industries.
Lowestoft War Memorial Museum
This museum in Lowestoft focuses on the area's military history during World War I and World War II.
Martlesham Heath Control Tower Museum
Near Woodbridge, this museum tells the history of RAF Martlesham Heath.
Mechanical Music Museum at Cotton
In Cotton, this museum has a collection of automatic musical instruments and old cinema items.
Melford Hall
Operated by the National Trust in Long Melford, this stately home shows what family life was like over two centuries. It also has connections to the author Beatrix Potter.
Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Museum
Near Wetheringsett, this museum has a heritage railway with old locomotives and railway artifacts.
Mildenhall Museum
In Mildenhall, this museum covers local history, wildlife, the history of RAF Mildenhall, and replicas of the famous Mildenhall Treasure.
Mincarlo
This is a sidewinder fishing trawler in Lowestoft that you can explore as a museum ship.
Moyse's Hall Museum
In Bury St Edmunds, this museum has local history, old clocks and watches, costumes, art, and a gallery dedicated to the Suffolk Regiment.
Museum of East Anglian Life
Located in Stowmarket, this open-air museum shows the history of farming in East Anglia. It has old farm machinery, shops from the 1950s, a Victorian schoolroom, and even a working watermill.
Museum of Knots and Sailors' Ropework
In Ipswich, this museum (open by appointment) celebrates the art and skill of ropeworking.
National Horseracing Museum
In Newmarket, this museum tells the history of horse racing in Britain. It includes the British Horseracing Hall of Fame and a gallery of British sporting art.
Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum
In Flixton, this museum has historic aircraft and tells the story of RAF Bungay and aviation in the area, especially during World War II.
Orford Castle
Run by English Heritage in Orford, this medieval castle keep houses exhibits of local archaeological finds and the castle's history.
Pakenham Windmill
In Pakenham, this is a tower windmill from the mid-1800s.
Parham Airfield Museum
Near Framlingham, this museum tells the story of the airfield's role in World War II, especially with the 390th Bombardment Group.
Rougham Control Tower Museum
In Bury St Edmunds, this museum has a restored World War II control tower and a Quonset hut with exhibits and items from RAF Bury St Edmunds.
In Lowestoft, this museum covers the history of the Royal Naval Patrol Service and their activities in the area during World War II.
Saxmundham Museum
This museum in Saxmundham shares local history, with replicas of old shops and even a jail cell.
Saxtead Green Post Windmill
Operated by English Heritage near Framlingham, this is a 19th-century post windmill.
Smith's Row
In Bury St Edmunds, Smith's Row is a gallery for modern art.
Somerleyton Hall
Somerleyton is home to this beautiful Tudor-Jacobean stately home with lovely gardens.
Southwold Lighthouse
This lighthouse in Southwold is also a museum where you can learn about its history.
Southwold Museum
In Southwold, this museum covers local history, natural history, geology, industries, the railway, and maritime heritage.
Southwold Sailors' Reading Room
This unique place in Southwold has marine art, photos, models, and other items from local fishermen and sailors.
St Edmundsbury Cathedral
In Bury St Edmunds, this historic cathedral includes the Edmund Gallery for art and exhibits of religious treasures.
Sudbury Heritage Centre & Museum
This centre in Sudbury focuses on local history.
Suffolk Regiment Museum
In Bury St Edmunds, this museum displays uniforms, weapons, and items from the Suffolk Regiment.
Suffolk Underwater Studies Museum
In Orford, this museum focuses on marine archaeology, showing items found underwater.
Sutton Hoo
Operated by the National Trust near Woodbridge, Sutton Hoo is an amazing archaeological site. It has artifacts from the ship burial of an Anglo-Saxon king and his treasures.
Thelnetham Windmill
In Thelnetham, this is an early 19th-century tower windmill.
Upthorpe Mill
In Stanton, Upthorpe Mill is a post windmill from the mid-1700s.
West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village
In West Stow, this is an open-air museum with a recreated Anglo-Saxon village. You can see archaeological finds and learn about Anglo-Saxon life.
Woodbridge Museum
In Woodbridge, this museum covers local history, archaeology, trade, and how people lived, worshipped, and learned in the past.
Woodbridge Tide Mill
This is an old tide mill in Woodbridge that still works!
Woolpit Museum
Located in a 17th-century cottage in Woolpit, this museum shares local history, including the story of brickmaking.
Museums That Are No Longer Open
Sometimes museums close down. Here are a few that used to be in Suffolk:
- Sue Ryder Foundation Museum in Cavendish, which told the story of Sue Ryder.
- Suffolk Heavy Horse Museum in Woodbridge, which focused on the Suffolk Punch horse breed.
- William Clowes Printing Museum in Beccles.
See also
- Category:Tourist attractions in Suffolk