Grosvenor Museum

27 Grosvenor Street, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 2DD

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TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 776 reviews776 reviews

Add Grosvenor Museum to your Itinerary

Grosvenor Museum, Art Gallery
  • Grosvenor Museum, Art Gallery
  • Grosvenor Museum, Silver Gallery
  • Grosvenor Museum, Chester
  • Grosvenor Museum, Victorian Kitchen
  • Grosvenor Museum, Stories in Stone

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Bring the family, dial your curiosity all the way up to eleven, and come and find out about the history, places and people of West Cheshire.

To find our opening times please visit our website.

If you need any assistance ahead of your visit, please ring us on  01244 972197 above or email us and we will be happy to help. Please do not email us unless you need assistance and are unable to ring us.

Information on our other museums can be found on the West Cheshire Museums' homepage.

Following current restrictions please note that face coverings must be worn in our museums at all times, unless you are exempt.
 

The Grosvenor Museum is full of surprises which tell the stories of Cheshire from pre-history to the 20th century.  Some of the surprises of the collections and displays are:

- Trace fossils of a Chirotherium which wasn’t a dinosaur, but one of their ancestors. No skeletons have ever been found and these trace fossil footprints and tail marks are the only remains we have of this animal.

- The kermadec petrel is a tropical seabird of the southern oceans. This was the first recorded kermadec petrel in Cheshire. It was found dead at Tarporley on April 1 1908. Nobody knows if this bird flew from the tropics by itself, or if it escaped or was released from captivity in this country.

- A skeleton was discovered in the well of a Roman mansio just behind the museum. He was between 18 and 25 years old when he died signs on his upper arm bones show that he engaged in extreme physical activity from an early age, possibly as young as 12, which was the start of working life for Romans.

- The Roman tombstones of the Sarmation horseman who wears a tall conical helmet with his cloak streaming behind him. He holds up a dragon standard which would have caught the wind in the dragon’s mouth and made a terrifying shrieking sound.

- The Roman galleries explore Roman life  and death in the Roman fortress of Deva and display the largest group of Roman memorial stones from a single site in Britain.  The Museum contains 2 artistic references to the Ancient Greek myth of Actaeon – come & see if you can find both.

- Nine room-sets illustrate changing fashions in domestic interiors from the 17th century to the 1920s.  One of our staff members says:  I love the Edwardian shower because every time I look at it I just imagine what it would have been like to use it.

- Natural Cheshire has been designed with younger visitors in mind to explore area’s rich natural history. The Museum geology collection contains over 4,000 specimens including rocks, minerals & fossils!

- The paintings and sculpture in the Art Gallery span half a millennium of art in Cheshire. ‘By a Mountain Stream, North Wales’ by William Huggins 1880. This painting contains a number of sheep... but how many? Staff and visitors alike are undecided!

- Silver Gallery presents the definitive collection of Chester silver.  The bowl from this silver ‘coconut cup’ is made from a polished coconut shell… Amazing!

The galleries have a range of interactive models, screens, dressing up and activities to make the visit enjoyable for all interests.

There is an active programme of special exhibitions and events. See website for more information.

Wheelchair access to the ground floor, including Exhibition Gallery One, Lecture Theatre and accessible toilet.  No lift to Art Gallery, Costume Gallery or Exhibition Gallery Two on first floor.

There is a small café at the museum offering hot and cold drinks, and small snacks. For something more substantial there are many cafes, restaurants and pubs nearby. You are welcome to eat your packed lunch in the Kings Arms Kitchen, however please note there is no disabled access. The Kings Arms Kitchen is used by schools over lunch periods during term time.

The Grosvenor Museum is a stone’s throw from the heart of the city and en route to the city walls.

Book Tickets

Guide Prices

FREE

Opening Times

All year, 2024 (2 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024)
DayTimes
MondayClosed
Tuesday - Saturday10:30 - 17:00

* Closed Good Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day
Opening times may change at short notice, please check this website before planning a visit.

Awards

  • Visit EnglandVAQAS Accredited VAQAS Accredited 2019

Directions

Road Directions

27 Grosvenor Street, Chester CH1 2DD. From the inner ring road, turn into Grosvenor Street and the museum is located on the right hand side.

Public Transport Directions

Only 10 minutes walk from Chester Town Hall; 25 minutes from Chester Railway Station

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

4 of 5 stars
    • Excellent
      308
    • Very Good
      296
    • Average
      135
    • Poor
      27
    • Terrible
      10

    Recent Reviews:

    • jennifero68
      redcar
      Good museum
      4 of 5 stars
      Saturday, 26th August 2023
      The museum is like a tardis it just goes on forever with a good mix of different things to see from Roman ruins to an amazing collection of silver. Read full review
    • Tim V
      Chorleywood, United Kingdom
      Definitely worth visiting.
      5 of 5 stars
      Thursday, 12th October 2023
      Very varied exhibits, well laid out. Obviously lots of Roman, mainly tombstones with very clear translations of the inscriptions. Other galleries displaying silverware / paintings of local scenes... Read full review
    • Michael N
      Cheadle Hulme, United Kingdom
      First visit
      3 of 5 stars
      Sunday, 22nd October 2023
      This free to visit museum is largely geared up for schoolchildren. However the various displays were quite interesting and helped increase our knowledge of Chester. Disappointing to see the nice old... Read full review

    Facilities

    Accessibility

    • Facilities for Hearing Impaired Visitors
    • Ramp / Level Access
    • Some Areas Accessible to Disabled Visitors 

    Parking & Transport

    • Parking (charge) - The nearest public car park is The Little Roodee Coach and Car Park on Castle Drive a 5 minute walk away from the museum. There is a disabled parking bay outside the museum.

    Payment Methods

    • Maestro accepted
    • MasterCard accepted
    • Visa accepted

    Provider Facilities

    • Event Venue
    • Toilets

    Provider Features

    • In town/city centre
    • Indoor Attraction
    • Marketing Cheshire Member

    Tours and Demonstrations

    • Demonstrations Given
    • Educational Visits Accepted

    Contact Us

    Tel: 01244 972197

    Tel: 01244 972197

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