Museum of Cambridge facts for kids
The Museum of Cambridge is a cool place to visit in Cambridge, England. It used to be called the Cambridge & County Folk Museum. You can find it on Castle Street in the middle of the city.
Contents
Discover the Museum of Cambridge!
What You'll Find Inside
The museum is in a really old building! It was once a pub called the White Horse Inn, built way back in the 1500s. It's a special old building, meaning it's protected because of its history. The pub closed in 1934, and then it became a museum.
Inside, you can learn all about the people who lived in Cambridge and the nearby areas. The museum shows what life was like from the 1700s until today. It has over 20,000 items! These include old clothes, coins, toys, and even tools. You can also see paintings by local artists like Mary Charlotte Greene.
The museum is run by a group of people who care about history. It's a charity, which means it relies on support to keep going. They also help run a website called Capturing Cambridge. This website collects stories and memories from people all over Cambridge.
A Look at the Museum's Past
The museum first opened its doors in 1936. This happened after a special exhibition in 1933 that showed off old items from the area. A very important visitor, Queen Mary, came to the museum in 1938. She even gave two items to the collection the next year! By 1939, the museum had more than 1,900 items.
In 1947, a famous expert on Cambridgeshire history, Enid Porter, became the museum's Curator. She worked there until 1976 and helped collect many important stories.
Like many museums, it has faced challenges. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum needed help. It started a special fundraising campaign. Many people supported it, including Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner. Thanks to this support, the museum successfully raised the money it needed. It was able to re-open to the public in May 2021.
See also
- Enid Porter
