List of museums in Essex

This list of museums in Essex, England contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit art galleries and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included.

Museums

Name Image Town/City Region Type Summary
Art ExchangeColchesterColchesterArtwebsite, part of the University of Essex, international, contemporary art by established and emerging artists, historic figures who continue to inspire, and group shows
Ashdon MuseumAshdonUttlesfordLocalwebsite, local history, trades, agriculture, social history
Audley End HouseSaffron WaldenUttlesfordHistoric houseOperated by English Heritage, early 17th-century country house, finely furnished rooms, masterpieces by Hans Holbein and Canaletto, 1880s period servant's wing, gardens
Aythorpe Roding WindmillAythorpe RodingUttlesfordMillLate 18th century windmill
Barleylands Farm MuseumBillericayBasildonAgricultureEarly farm machinery and tractors, tools, household implements, farm and animals
Beecroft Art GallerySouthend-on-SeaSouthend-on-SeaArtCollection ranges from 17th-century Dutch paintings to contemporary work
Bocking WindmillBockingBraintreeMillEarly 18th century windmill
Bourne Mill, EssexColchesterColchesterMillwebsite, operated by the National Trust, Elizabethan water mill
Boxted Airfield MuseumLanghamColchesterMilitarywebsite, history of RAF Boxted in WWII
Bragg's MillAshdonUttlesfordMillMid 18th century windmill
Braintree MuseumBraintreeBraintreeMultiplewebsite, local history, industry, textiles, ceramics and art, and "The Essex Model House" by St Osyth Mahala Wood
Brentwood MuseumBrentwoodBrentwoodLocalwebsite
Brightlingsea MuseumBrightlingseaTendringLocalwebsite, local history, Roman life, shipbuilding, oyster industry
Burnham-on-Crouch & District MuseumBurnham-on-CrouchMaldonLocalLocal history, maritime, agricultural, industrial and social history
Canvey Island Heritage CentreCanvey IslandCastle PointLocalwebsite
Canvey Island Transport MuseumCanvey IslandCastle PointTransportationwebsite, automobiles, buses, commercial, military and emergency vehicles, public road transport artifacts, model train layout; located in a former bus depot
Cater MuseumBillericayBasildonLocalwebsite, local history, period rooms
Chelmsford MuseumChelmsfordChelmsfordMultipleLocal history, art, archaeology, natural history, industry
Coalhouse FortEast TilburyThurrockMilitary19th century Victorian coastal defence fort open on specified days, includes military museums and vehicles
Coggeshall Grange BarnCoggeshallColchesterAgriculturewebsite, operated by the National Trust, 14th century barn built for Coggeshall Abbey, collection of farm tools and equipment
Coggeshall MuseumCoggeshallColchesterLocalwebsite, local history, industry, agriculture, culture, lace
Colchester Castle MuseumColchesterColchesterHistoryNorman castle with exhibits of local history, archaeology and Roman history
Colne Valley Postal History MuseumHalsteadBraintreePhilatelicwebsite, British Post Office letter boxes, stamp vending machines, documents, postal uniforms and associated artefacts, open by appointment
Colne Valley RailwaySible HedinghamBraintreeRailwayHeritage railway, 7ΒΌ" miniature railway, exhibit centre with history and artefacts, rare breed farm, located at Castle Hedingham Station
Combined Military Services MuseumMaldonMaldonMilitaryCombat equipment and weaponry used by the British armed forces from medieval times to the present, lifestyles of the troops, uniforms, Secret Service, artifacts, vehicles
Copped HallWaltham AbbeyEpping ForestHistoric houseGeorgian mansion under restoration, gardens
Cressing TempleCressingBraintreeHistoryMedieval barns and well used by temple of the Knights Templar, Tudor walled garden, early 17th-century house, granary and court hall
Duck End MillFinchingfieldBraintreeMillMid 18th century windmill
Dutch Cottage MuseumCanvey IslandCastle PointHistoric housewebsite, operated by the Benfleet and District Historical Society
Earls Colne Heritage MuseumEarls ColneBraintreeLocalwebsite, local history
East Anglian Railway MuseumChappelColchesterRailwayHeritage railway and museum, includes equipment, station buildings, signal boxes, goods shed and restoration shed
East Essex Aviation Society and MuseumSt OsythTendringMilitarywebsite, located in a Martello tower, military artifacts, items recovered from local aircraft crash sites
Epping Forest District MuseumWaltham AbbeyEpping ForestLocalwebsite, local history, archaeology, history of the abbey, medieval and Tudor artifacts, Victorian life
Essex Fire MuseumGraysThurrockFirefightingwebsite
Essex Police MuseumChelmsfordChelmsfordLaw enforcementwebsite, history of Essex Police from 1840 to present day, Victorian jail cell
Essex Regiment MuseumChelmsfordChelmsfordMilitaryRegimental history and memorabilia, located at the Chelmsford Museum
Feering and Kelvedon Local History MuseumKelvedonBraintreeLocalwebsite, local history, archaeology, agriculture, trades
Finchingfield GuildhallFinchingfieldBraintreeLocalwebsite, 15th century guildhall under restoration, houses the Finchingfield Heritage Center and Finchingfield Library
FirstsiteColchesterColchesterArtContemporary visual arts centre and gallery
Frinton's Crossing Cottage, Garden and Railway MuseumFrinton-on-SeaTendringLocalwebsite, operated by the Frinton & Walton Heritage Trust, local and area railroad history
Fry Art GallerySaffron WaldenUttlesfordArtEmphasis on local artists, includes paintings, prints, illustrations, wallpapers and decorative designs by artists of the 20th century and the present
Gibberd GalleryHarlowHarlowArtwebsite, changing exhibits and Frederick Gibberd collection of British watercolours and drawings, operated by The Harlow Art Trust
Great Bardfield Cottage MuseumGreat BardfieldBraintreeLocalinformation, local history
Great Dunmow MuseumGreat DunmowUttlesfordLocalwebsite, local history, industry, culture
Halstead Heritage MuseumHalsteadBraintreeLocalwebsite, local history, culture, transport, operated by the Halstead & District Local History Society
Harlow MuseumHarlowHarlowLocalwebsite, walled gardens, local history, Roman era & artifacts, Tudor life, Victorian household items, toys
Harwich Lifeboat MuseumHarwichTendringMaritimewebsite, operated by the Harwich Society, information, located in a former lifeboat station with exhibits about sea rescues
Harwich Maritime MuseumHarwichTendringMaritimewebsite, operated by the Harwich Society, located in a decommissioned lighthouse, nautical artifacts, information
Harwich RedoubtHarwichTendringMilitaryNapoleonic fort, operated by the Harwich Society
Hedingham CastleCastle HedinghamBraintreeHistoric houseMedieval Norman keep and grounds
Hill HallEppingEpping ForestHistoric houseOperated by English Heritage, Elizabethan mansion, tours by appointment
Hollytrees MuseumColchesterColchesterLocalLocal history, toys, costumes
Hylands HouseChelmsfordChelmsfordHistoric houseRestored 18th century Queen Anne style house, park and gardens
Ingatestone HallIngatestoneBrentwoodHistoric house16th century Tudor house and grounds
John Webb's MillThaxtedUttlesfordMillEarly 19th century windmill
Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear BunkerKelvedon HatchBrentwoodMilitaryUnderground bunker used during the Cold War as a regional government headquarters
Langdon Visitor Centre & Haven Plotlands MuseumBasildonBasildonMultipleNatural history of the nature reserve, also Haven Plotlands Museum, a 1930s period bungalow country getaway
Layer Marney TowerColchesterColchesterHistoric house16th century Tudor palace and gardens
Little Baddow History CentreLittle BaddowChelmsfordLocalwebsite
Maeldune CentreMaldonMaldonLocalLocal history, art, modern large embroidery about the Battle of Maldon
Maldon District Agricultural & Domestic MuseumMaldonMaldonHistoryinformation, vintage farm machinery and equipment, agriculture tools, household items
Maldon MuseumMaldonMaldonLocalwebsite, also known as Museum in the Park, located in a park keeper's lodge
Mangapps Railway MuseumBurnham-on-CrouchMaldonRailwayHeritage railway and museum, includes rolling equipment, memorabilia, buildings
Manningtree MuseumManningtreeTendringLocalwebsite, local history
Mersea Island MuseumMersea IslandColchesterLocalwebsite, fishing, oystering, wild fowling, boat building, local history, natural history, geology
Minories Art GalleryColchesterColchesterArtPart of the Colchester Institute
Mountnessing WindmillMountnessingBrentwoodMillEarly 19th century windmill
Munnings Art MuseumDedhamColchesterArtHome and works of Sir Alfred Munnings, located in Castle House
Museum of PowerLangfordMaldonTechnologyLocated in a water pumping station, features working examples of steam engines, machinery, equipment and tools, miniature railway
Natural History Museum, ColchesterColchesterColchesterNatural historywebsite, natural heritage of north-east Essex
Naze TowerWalton-on-the-NazeTendringNatural historyTower with viewing platform, museum about the ecology and environment of the Naze headland, art gallery
Nazeing Glass Museum of 20th Century British Domestic GlassNazeingEpping ForestArtwebsite, works and history of Nazeing Glass Works and other British glass manufacturers in the 20th century
North Weald Airfield MuseumNorth Weald BassettEpping ForestMilitaryHistory of the former military airfield
Nottage Maritime InstituteWivenhoeColchesterMaritimewebsite, maritime paintings, photographs, models and artifacts
Paycocke'sCoggeshallColchesterHistoric housewebsite, operated by the National Trust, early 16th-century house with elaborate paneling and woodcarving, garden
Peter Edwards Museum & LibraryChelmsfordChelmsfordSportswebsite, history and memorabilia of the Essex County Cricket Club, located at County Cricket Ground
Prittlewell PriorySouthend-on-SeaSouthend-on-SeaReligiousMedieval priory
Purfleet Heritage & Military CentrePurfleetThurrockMilitarywebsite, located in a former Royal magazine for gunpowder, artifacts and memorabilia from all the armed forces
Rayleigh Town MuseumRayleighRochfordLocalwebsite, Rayleigh, its people, places and heritage, oldest secular Building in town
Rayleigh WindmillRayleighRochfordMillEarly 19th century windmill
Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative MuseumRidgewellBraintreeMilitarywebsite, uniforms, artifacts, medals, memorabilia of the World War II airfield, the 381st Bomb Group and the No. 90 Squadron RAF
Royal Gunpowder MillsWaltham AbbeyEpping ForestMultipleComplex includes science of gunpowder exhibits, history of the site, exhibits of weapons and military artifacts, transportation, rockets, 1940s street scene, history of the Gunpowder Plot, narrow gauge railway, woodlands
Saffron Walden MuseumSaffron WaldenUttlesfordMultiplewebsite, local history, natural history, Ancient Egypt, archaeology, decorative arts, costumes, ethnographic artifacts
Sandford MillChelmsfordChelmsfordSciencewebsite, area industrial history and the science involved, part of Chelmsford Museums
Southchurch HallSouthend-on-SeaSouthend-on-SeaHistoric houseEarly 14th century half-timbered medieval manor house with period rooms depicting life in different centuries
Southend Central MuseumSouthend-on-SeaSouthend-on-SeaMultipleLocal history, natural history, planetarium
Southend Pier MuseumSouthend-on-SeaSouthend-on-SeaAmusementHistory of the Southend Pier, working penny slot machines
Stansted Mountfitchet WindmillStansted MountfitchetUttlesfordMillLate 18th century windmill
Stock WindmillStockChelmsfordMillEarly 19th century windmill
Thaxted GuildhallThaxtedUttlesfordHistoric housewebsite, 14th century guild hall
The Time MachineHarlowHarlowSciencewebsite, hands-on science and technology exhibits
Thurrock MuseumGraysThurrockLocalwebsite, local history, culture, archaeology, industry, culture, social history
Tilbury FortTilburyThurrockMilitaryOperated by English Heritage, 17th century artillery fort
Walton Maritime MuseumWalton-on-the-NazeTendringMaritimewebsite, former lifeboat station with maritime artifacts, local history, natural history, restore James Stevens 14 lifeboat, operated by the Frinton & Walton Heritage Trust
Warner Textile ArchiveBraintreeBraintreeTextileArchive of some 100,000 items relating to the textile industry in Braintree, in particular the legacy of Warner and Sons
Wilkin & Sons Visitor CentreTiptreeColchesterFoodTearoom, shop and museum of Wilkin & Sons jams and jam-making

Defunct museums
  • Motorboat Museum, Basildon; closed December 2009[1]
  • Southend Historic Aircraft Museum, Southend-on-Sea; closed May, 1983 [2]
  • Tymperleys Clock Museum, Colchester, closed in 2010, clocks now at Hollytrees Museum[2]
  • Walton Hall Museum, Stanford-le-Hope, closed in 2010[3]

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-08-09. Retrieved 2010-03-31.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Motorboat Museum
  2. "Tymperleys' time is coming again". Daily Gazette. January 10, 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  3. "Walton Hall Museum shuts its doors after more than 18 years". Thurrock Gazette. November 23, 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2015.

See also
  • Visitor attractions in Essex
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