Grosvenor Museum

About Us

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.