Museum of the Home Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Museum of the Home
Museum façade
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Established	1914; 111 years ago (1914)
Location	Geffrye Almshouses 136 Kingsland Road London, E2 United Kingdom
Visitors	120,000 (annually)
Public transit access	Hoxton

The Museum of the Home, once known as the Geffrye Museum, is a special place in Shoreditch, London. It helps us understand what home life has been like for people in England over the last 400 years, from the 1600s right up to today. The museum shows this through rooms set up like they would have been in different time periods.

About the Museum
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About the Museum

The Museum of the Home is located in beautiful old buildings called the Geffrye Almshouses. These buildings were made in 1714. They are very important historical structures, known as Grade I listed buildings. This means they are protected because of their special history and architecture.

The almshouses were originally built thanks to a gift from Sir Robert Geffrye. He was a rich merchant and slave trader who had been the Lord Mayor of London. He also led a group called the Ironmongers' Company.

How the Museum Started

In 1900, a group called the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association helped buy the almshouses and their garden. They wanted to turn the area into a public space. A landscape gardener named Fanny Wilkinson designed the garden at that time.

In 1911, the Ironmongers' Company sold the buildings to the London County Council. The council then opened the museum in 1914. When the museum opened, Fanny Wilkinson's garden design was changed.

Later, in 1992, a new herb garden was created on a piece of land next to the museum. This garden also received an award. The museum became a charity in 1991.

The Museum's Buildings

Many parts of the museum are protected historical sites. The main museum building is a Grade I listed building. This is the highest level of protection for historical buildings in England.

Other parts, like a special niche in the front courtyard and the courtyard wall, gates, and railings, are also listed. Even two old red telephone boxes outside the museum are listed as Grade II historical items.

What You Can See

In January 2018, the museum closed for a big renovation project. It reopened in 2021. Before this closure, the main exhibits showed different rooms from various time periods. These rooms were decorated and furnished to look like real homes from the past. They showed how homes and daily life changed over the centuries. This reflected changes in society, people's habits, and popular styles. The museum announced its new name, Museum of the Home, in 2019.

The Statue of Robert Geffrye

Above the museum's entrance, there is a statue of Robert Geffrye. This statue is a copy of the original one, which was taken down in 1912.

In July 2020, the museum asked the public what they thought about removing the statue. Most people wanted it removed. However, the museum's board decided to keep the statue in its place. Instead, they chose to "reinterpret and contextualise" it. This means they will explain more about Robert Geffrye's history, including his involvement in the slave trade. This decision was made after discussions with the Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden.