Barnet Museum
Free, volunteer-run local history museum in an early Georgian house in Chipping Barnet, with Battle of Barnet material and a local archive.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Barnet Museum grew out of the Barnet Record Society, founded in 1927 to record and protect the history of Barnet. As the society’s collection grew, a permanent home was needed, and the museum opened to the public in March 1938. Today the society is known as Barnet Museum and Local History Society and runs the museum as a registered charity.
The museum occupies an early Georgian house in the centre of Chipping Barnet, within the Wood Street conservation area. It is staffed by volunteers, is an accredited museum and is free to enter. Displays are spread over three floors of the historic house.
The collection holds hundreds of objects, photographs, paintings, documents, maps and books that reflect life in Barnet, East Barnet, New Barnet, Hadley and nearby districts, from the Bronze Age to the present day. Material linked to the Battle of Barnet of 1471, including the banners associated with it, is a particular strength. The museum also keeps a large archive and serves as a centre for local and family history research.
The museum also looks after the Barnet Physic Well, a mineral spring once believed to have healing properties and popular from the later seventeenth century. Volunteers open the well to the public once a month.
Highlights
- Local history objects from the Bronze Age to today
- Material about the Battle of Barnet, including banners
- Early Georgian house in the Wood Street conservation area
- Archive and research centre for local and family history
- Barnet Physic Well, opened to visitors monthly by volunteers
- Founded
- 1938
- Operated by
- Barnet Museum and Local History Society
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission is free. Monthly talks in a nearby church are free for members and cost £3 for non-members.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: not available
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The displays are spread over three floors reached by stairs. The museum has no public toilet.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
Free children’s quizzes are available in the museum. The museum runs holiday activities and children’s workshops, such as Battle of Barnet crafts, and offers a free Key Stage 2 learning project and a toy loan box for schools.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Several local bus routes stop within easy walking distance, including a stop directly outside the museum.
By car
Parking available
There is a multi-storey car park in The Spires Shopping Centre and a small public car park behind the museum in Court House Gardens, reached via Manor Close.
The museum also runs a small exhibition unit in The Spires Shopping Centre.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
The shop sells books, cards, postcards, historic maps and gifts. There is no public toilet.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Group visits for adults and children can be booked outside normal opening hours by email. Schools and youth groups are welcome and can book talks and workshops adapted to the age group. Copies from the archive can usually be made for a small charge. |
