Your Visit

Opening times

Open 10am - 5pm Tuesday - Sunday & Open Bank Holiday Mondays

(Closed Good Friday and Christmas Day)

We are proud to be a ‘Welcome to Excellence’ - trained organisation and the whole team are committed to improving access to the museum and its collections.

Please support us

Entry to the museum is FREE, but we do ask you to make a donation on your visit. We ask for a donation of at least £3 to help us take care of this treasured heritage site. Cash donations can be made in the donation boxes or at the information desk. Card donations can be made at the information desk.

Please Gift Aid your donation if you are a UK tax payer. Please complete the Gift Aid form with your donation.

We welcome group visits which are booked in advance.

For enquiries or to make a group booking, please contact us on:

+44 (0)1202 451858

(during opening hours)

+ 44 (0)1202 451800

(24-hour answer-phone)

or e-mail... 

Educational visits

Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Wheelchairs - manual and electric

Most of the museum has lift access, except for the upper-ground floor of East Cliff Hall.

This is because East Cliff Hall is a Grade II* Listed building and because it was designed as a domestic building, rather than a public building.

Please note that East Cliff Promenade is a pedestrian area and quite a steep gradient and may be an issue for some wheelchair users or those with other mobility issues.

The museum has a manual wheelchair for visitors' use (subject to availability). Please ask at the information desk upon arrival.

Electric vehicles/scooters

Due to limited space, electric scooters need to park outside. Electric wheelchairs are welcome.

The museum has a manual wheelchair for visitors' use (subject to availability). Please ask at the information desk upon arrival.

Assistance dogs are welcome

Assistance dogs are welcome (when they are on-duty). We will be happy to provide drinking water for them - please ask upon arrival.

Or please let us know in advance of your visit how else we can be of help to you. Tel. 01202 451858 or email here.

Bicycles

Bicycle racks are located on East Cliff Promenade by the entrance. Bicycles are not permitted in the museum's historic garden.

Buggies and pushchairs

As a Grade II* Listed historic property and an accredited museum, we have a duty to balance visitor access with caring for the building and its collections, so that they can continue to be enjoyed by future generations.

Buggies & pushchairs present us with a challenge as the historic property was not designed to accommodate them. Providing access can result in damage to the building’s fragile historic fabric and the collections, many of which are on open-display.

At present, we have a policy that allows buggies and pushchairs to be stored at the buggy-rack by the entrance. Alternatively, these can be parked in the museum garden.

We understand that this can sometimes provide challenges and we adopt a flexible approach to cater for particular or exceptional circumstances. 

Please be aware that you leave your belongings at your own risk and the museum is unable to accept responsibility for any loss or damage.
 

Bags and luggage

As a Grade II* Listed historic property and an accredited museum, we have a duty to balance visitor access with caring for the building and its collections, so that they can continue to be enjoyed by future generations.

Small (one litre) rucksacks should be carried at the front to protect the collections, many of which are on open-display.

As in many historic houses, large bags and luggage cannot be accommodated in the museum. Lockers are provided for them by the entrance (subject to availability).

Please be aware that you leave your belongings at your own risk and the museum is unable to accept responsibility for any loss or damage.

Food and drink

Food and drink can be enjoyed in the Cafe at the Russell-Cotes but in no other areas within the museum.

The Cafe at the Russell-Cotes sells freshly-prepared picnic lunches to be enjoyed in the museum garden.

Alcohol may only be consumed in the Cafe at the Russell-Cotes.

Filming and photography

Due to collections care and intellectual property rights issues, NO FILMING OR PHOTOGRAPHY is permitted, unless by prior arrangement for commercial purposes.

The Russell-Cotes Shop sells a great selection of postcards featuring the museum's interiors, as well as reproductions of paintings and sculptures. Most postcards are priced at around 60 pence.

No smoking

No smoking is allowed in the museum or museum garden.

Pets

Please note that pets, with the exception of assistance animals, are not allowed in the museum garden or in the museum. 

CCTV

Please note that closed circuit television (CCTV) is in operation at the museum.