Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery facts for kids
Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery at night
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| Established | 1835 |
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| Location | The Square, Shrewsbury, England |
| Type | Local Authority museum |
| Collection size | approx. 300,000 objects |
| Visitors | 300,000-350,000 expected per annum |
The Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery is a cool place to explore history and art in Shrewsbury, England. It first opened its doors in 1835. Over the years, its amazing collections have moved to different buildings.
Today, the museum is located in the historic Music Hall Complex. This special site includes the ancient Vaughan's Mansion. The museum shares the story of Shrewsbury and its people through thousands of interesting objects.
Contents
Discover the Museum's History
The Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery has a long and interesting past. It started way back in 1835. Back then, it was called the Museum of the Shropshire and North Wales Natural History and Antiquarian Society. It was first located in a place called Dogpole in Shrewsbury.
Early Homes and Growth
In 1853, the museum's collections moved to Vaughan's Mansion. This building is on College Hill. It then became known as the Shropshire and North Wales Museum.
In 1877, the museum joined forces with the Shropshire Archaeological Society. This new group was called the Shropshire Archaeological and Natural History Society. That same year, the museum received a huge collection of items. These items were found during digs at an ancient Roman town called Wroxeter.
A New Public Home
The museum celebrated its 50th birthday in 1885. At this time, the museum and its library moved into the old Shrewsbury School building. This building had just become empty. The museum also became publicly owned by the Corporation of Shrewsbury. It was then known as the Shrewsbury Museum and Free Library.
Rowley's House and Roman Finds
In 1931, a building called 'Rowley's House' was bought. It was meant to hold all the amazing archaeological finds from the Roman site of Viroconium Cornoviorum near Wroxeter. This building opened to the public seven years later. It became known as the Uriconium or Roman Museum.
In 1974, some local government changes happened. The museum's collections were moved to Rowley's House and other buildings. Later, in 1981, Rowley’s Mansion opened. It had been bought and fixed up to make the Roman Museum even bigger. This allowed it to show even more collections.
Today, the museum is managed by Shropshire Council's Shropshire Museums. It is one of seven museum sites across the county.
The Museum's Current Home: The Music Hall
The museum's current home is the Music Hall. This is a large Victorian building. It is located right in the center of Shrewsbury. The Music Hall used to be a theatre. But in 2009, it started being changed into the new Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery.
A Building Full of History
The Music Hall is a special group of buildings. It includes the Grade II* listed Vaughan's Mansion. This mansion dates back to the 13th century. It is one of the few very old defensive hall houses still standing in the UK.
The main part of the site is the 19th-century Music Hall and Assembly Rooms. These were designed in 1835. The complex also has a medieval 'shut'. This is a narrow passageway common in Shrewsbury. There are even 19th-century police holding cells! These cells were used for people waiting for trial.
The Music Hall site itself tells a lot about Shrewsbury's history. It even used to be where the town's fire service was located. That's why the passage through the Music Hall is called Fire Office Passage.
Opening the New Museum
The buildings were carefully restored. This helped to show off their long history. The museum's collections were also moved here. Many came from the old Rowley's House location. The new museum opened to visitors in 2014. It was officially opened on September 17, 2015, by the Duke of Gloucester.
In 2019, the museum added a beautiful new stained glass window. It was made by a local artist. The window was inspired by the museum’s Hall of Rocks and Minerals.
What Can You See? The Collections
The museum has a huge collection of objects. When the museum first started in 1835, its goal was to show the natural history of the area. This included things like rocks, minerals, animals, and plants. It also wanted to be a place for ancient objects found in the area.
Amazing Donations and Discoveries
Many important local people gave items to the museum. Even famous scientists like Charles Darwin donated things!
Today, the collections are part of Shropshire Council's Shropshire Museums. The museum is especially strong in its collections of Late Prehistoric and Roman archaeology. It also has great geology collections. Some of the most important items include:
- The Hadrianic Forum Inscription from Wroxeter
- The Wroxeter Roman Mirror
- The Guilsfield Bronze Age Hoard
- The Condover Mammoths
- The Grinshill Rhynchosaur
- Two paintings of Coalbrookdale by William Williams
- A great auk specimen prepared by Henry Shaw
The museum also has a fantastic collection of Caughley porcelain. This is one of the best in the UK. In recent years, the museum has added the Shrewsbury Hoard. This is a collection of ancient coins and jewelry. It also acquired a watercolor painting of the town by Michael Angelo Rooker.
Images for kids
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Unveiling of the Darwin Statue outside the Shrewsbury Museum in 1897
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Shrewsbury Museum and Free Library in the former Shrewsbury School building
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The former Music Hall is the museum's present home.
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The Shropshire Gallery is home to a large part of the museum's collection.
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The Shrewsbury Hoard is on permanent display in the museum.
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See also
- Listed buildings in Shrewsbury (southeast central area)
