Totnes Museum facts for kids
Totnes Museum is a super interesting place in the town of Totnes, located in beautiful south Devon, England. It used to be called the Totnes Elizabethan House and Museum.
The museum is inside an amazing old house built around 1575 for the Kelland family. This house is a special Grade I listed building, meaning it's very important historically. It still has many of its original features from the Elizabethan era! In 1958, the Totnes Town Council bought the house and carefully fixed it up. Then, in 1961, it opened its doors to everyone as Totnes Museum. Today, a charity called Totnes Museum Trust runs the museum, and guess what? It's completely free to visit!
Totnes Museum is quite big, spreading across two buildings and three floors. It has twelve different rooms to explore, plus a lovely courtyard and a special herb garden. At the back of the museum, you'll find the Totnes Archive.
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What You Can See Inside
The museum's collections are like a time capsule, showing things from 5000 BC all the way up to today! You can see really old archaeological finds, coins made in Totnes during Saxon times, cool Elizabethan objects, and even items from the Victorian era. The museum wants to make learning fun while teaching you all about Totnes's history, how people lived, and how the town grew.
Exploring the Galleries
As you walk through the museum, you'll discover different galleries. There's the Forehall, a Kitchen exhibition, and the famous Babbage Room. This room tells the story of Charles Babbage, a brilliant mathematician from the Victorian times. He invented the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine, which were like early versions of today's computers! Babbage spent his childhood in Totnes and went to King Edward VI Grammar School there.
Totnes Archive
At the back of the museum building, you'll find the Totnes Archive. This is a special place filled with information about Totnes, South Devon, and related topics. It has books, old records, photos, and local newspapers dating back to 1860! It's super helpful if you're looking for details about Totnes's history, its old buildings, or even your own family's connections to the area. The Totnes Archive is open for visitors on Thursdays and Fridays.
Totnes Museum's Garden
Totnes Museum also has a beautiful garden that you can visit all year round. It's located behind the museum. This garden is special because it has many herbs that were common in gardens during the Elizabethan period, along with other interesting plants. Volunteers lovingly take care of Totnes Museum's garden.
Is Totnes Museum Haunted?
Some visitors to Totnes Museum have reported strange experiences, making some people wonder if it's haunted! For example, some have felt a weird "seasickness" feeling near the spiral stairs, which are made from an old ship's mast. People have also reported seeing different ghosts, including cats, an angry man, a little boy, and a little girl. Because of these stories, people sometimes do paranormal investigations at the museum to try and find out more!
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Devon
- List of museums in Devon
- Totnes Castle
- Totnes Guildhall
Gallery
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Totnes Museum from the front.
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Image of Totnes Museum's Garden taken from a museum window.
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68 & 70 Fore Street, Totnes. Totnes Museum is 70 Fore Street
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Totnes Elizabethan House Museum looking down Fore Street
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Stumbels turret clock on display in Totnes Museum.
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Central Hall, once known as the Victorian Nursery, of Totnes Museum
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An image of Totnes Archive from the Garden of Totnes Museum
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An image of Totnes Museum's Courtyard from the direction of Fore Street
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