Museum of Richmond facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Museum of Richmond

Established	1988; 37 years ago (1988)
Location	Old Town Hall, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond, London
Type	Local history museum
Collection size	More than 5000 objects
Founder	John Cloake
Public transit access	Richmond

The museum is located at the Old Town Hall, Richmond.

A model of Richmond Palace is on permanent display at the museum.

This window glass fragment from Richmond Palace is in the museum's permanent display.

One of the museum's highlights is The Terrace and View from Richmond Hill, Surrey by Dutch draughtsman and painter Leonard Knyff (1650–1722).

The Museum of Richmond is a cool place to learn about the history of Richmond. It's in the Old Town Hall, right near Richmond Bridge. Queen Elizabeth II herself officially opened the museum on 28 October 1988.

This museum is an independent charity. It gets help from the Richmond upon Thames Borough Council. Dr Nicola Mann leads the museum's board, and Gary Enstone is the Curator.

The museum has lots of interesting things on display. You can see items from medieval times right up to today. These exhibits tell the story of Richmond, Kew, Petersham, and Ham. These areas were once part of the old Borough of Richmond.

The museum also has special temporary shows. Plus, they offer fun activities and events for families and kids. Some cool things you can see include:

• Glass from Richmond Palace that is over 400 years old.
• A detailed model of Richmond Palace.
• A famous painting called The Terrace and View from Richmond Hill, Surrey by Leonard Knyff.

The museum also hosts talks about local history. It's open from Tuesday to Saturday, and the best part is, it's free to get in!

History of the Museum

The Museum of Richmond was started in 1983. Local people, led by historian John Cloake, worked together to create it. John Cloake was also the museum's first chairman. Kate Thaxton was the first curator from 1987 to 1989.

Awesome Exhibitions

The museum often has special exhibitions. These shows focus on different parts of Richmond's past.

Current and Recent Exhibitions

• Artificial Silk: From Kew to the World opened on 20 June 2023. It explores the history of artificial silk.
• Richmond Remembers: 100 Years of the Poppy Factory was shown in 2022–23. It celebrated a century of the Poppy Factory.
• OT50 – Fifty Years of The Orange Tree Theatre ran in 2021–22. This exhibition looked at the history of a local theatre.
• The King's Observatory: Richmond's Science Story was a 2021 exhibition. It taught visitors about the King's Observatory in Old Deer Park.
• Queen's Road: 500 Years of History was shown in 2020–21. It was about Queen's Road, Richmond, a historic road.

Museum Patrons

The museum has special supporters called patrons. Princess Alexandra is the museum's Royal Patron. Other famous patrons include:

• Anita Anand, an author and broadcaster.
• Sir David Attenborough, a famous naturalist.
• Julian Fellowes, an actor and writer.
• Lady Annabel Goldsmith.
• Lord Watson of Richmond, a broadcaster and politician.

See also

In Spanish: Museo de Richmond para niños

• John Cloake
• Orleans House Gallery
• Richmond Local History Society
• Twickenham Museum

Images for kids

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  Self-portrait of the artist Arthur Hughes

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  The Poppy Factory's headquarters in Richmond

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  Self-portrait of the artist Spencer Gore

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  French painter Camille Pissarro's impression of Kew Green in 1892

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  Princess Alexandra, the museum's Royal Patron