Buxton Museum and Art Gallery
Derbyshire County Council museum with collections on the geology, archaeology, art and history of Buxton and the Peak District, now moving to a temporary home.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Buxton's museum has its roots in a free public library that opened in the Town Hall in 1889, together with displays of archaeological finds made by local enthusiasts. Library and museum soon outgrew their rooms and moved to the former Peak Hydropathic Hotel on Terrace Road, opening to the public in 1928. In 1979 the museum appointed its first professional curator and opened an art gallery.
The collections cover geology, archaeology, fine and decorative art and social history, mostly from Derbyshire and the Peak District. They include Peak District fossils and Ice Age bones, Blue John and other minerals, the Randolph Douglas House of Wonders collection from Castleton, a collection of Ashford Black Marble objects, historic photographs of Buxton and 19th and 20th century paintings and prints. The Wonders of the Peak gallery, which first opened in 1988 and was rebuilt in 2017, was the museum's most popular display.
In 2023 Derbyshire County Council closed the Terrace Road building because of concerns about its structure. The museum has since begun moving to a temporary home in a building next to Buxton Library on Kents Bank Road, where it is preparing displays for reopening. The council is working with High Peak Borough Council on a permanent site in the centre of town.
Highlights
- Peak District fossils and Ice Age animal bones
- Blue John and other mineral collections
- Ashford Black Marble objects and tools
- Randolph Douglas House of Wonders collection from Castleton
- Fine art collection including works by Brangwyn and Chagall
- Interactive public microscope from the Wonders of the Peak gallery
- Operated by
- Derbyshire County Council
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
The council says admission will remain free.
Accessibility
The museum is closed while it prepares a temporary home on Kents Bank Road, next to Buxton Library. No reopening date has been announced.
Kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
The museum runs free family craft days and trails, sometimes in Buxton Library, and the interactive public microscope from the Wonders of the Peak gallery is returning.
Getting there & parking
The temporary home is on Kents Bank Road next to Buxton Library (SK17 9HW). Coordinates refer to the library.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
A gift shop is planned for the temporary building.
Events & venue rental
The museum is closed while it prepares a temporary home on Kents Bank Road, next to Buxton Library. No reopening date has been announced.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | While the museum is closed, collections can be seen by appointment for research enquiries by email or phone. An activity room is planned for the temporary building. |
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