Clifton Park Museum

About the museum

Clifton House was built in 1783 for the Walker family, who ran the Rotherham ironworks, and its grounds are now Clifton Park. The house was opened to the public as a museum in 1893. Since then the museum has been collecting objects connected with the borough, and it now looks after more than 75,000 of them, from natural science and archaeology to fine and applied art and social and industrial history.

The galleries in the old house follow Rotherham from its geological beginnings through the prehistoric, Roman and medieval periods to the English Civil War. Two former family rooms, the Drawing Room and the Walker Kitchen, have been turned into spaces for art and short films. A ceramics gallery presents the Rockingham Works at Swinton, and the museum holds one of the largest public collections of Rockingham pottery in the world. Its star piece is the Rhinoceros vase, 1.2 metres high and weighing more than 50 kilograms. The council also manages the Waterloo Kiln, where the pottery was made.

Other displays include the York and Lancaster Regimental Gallery, which tells the story of the regiment and the 65th and 84th Regiments of Foot that preceded it, and the Lion's Den, a gallery for young children built around Nelson the Lion, a favourite object in the collection. Changing exhibitions use the museum's collections to tell the town's stories, and the Archives and Local Studies service is based in the building.

Highlights

• Rhinoceros vase and the Rockingham pottery collection in the Ceramics Gallery
• Nelson the Lion and the Lion's Den gallery for young children
• Early Rotherham galleries from prehistory to the English Civil War
• York and Lancaster Regimental Gallery
• The Walker family's Drawing Room and kitchen in the Georgian house
• Walker Café with a terrace overlooking Clifton Park

Permanent exhibitions

• Early Rotherham – Galleries on the development of Rotherham from its geological foundations to the English Civil War, covering the prehistoric, Roman and medieval periods.
• Ceramics Gallery – The story of the Rockingham Works at Swinton, with one of the largest public collections of Rockingham pottery and the 1.2 metre Rhinoceros vase.
• York and Lancaster Regimental Gallery – The 210-year history of the regiment and its predecessors, the 65th and 84th Regiments of Foot, told through objects and documents.

Founded

1893

Operated by

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (Rotherham Museums, Arts and Heritage)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the museum is free. The two car parks in Clifton Park are pay and display (see arrival information).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Both floors of the museum are accessible to wheelchair users, with a lift near the main entrance serving the second floor. Access from the car park is level with a slight slope towards the entrance. A wheelchair can be borrowed free of charge inside the museum (booking in advance is advised), and mobility scooters can be hired from the garden building for a returnable deposit. A Changing Places toilet on the ground floor at the end of the Early Rotherham gallery, and an accessible toilet next to the gift shop, both need a RADAR key. A portable hearing loop is available in the gift shop and the Archives and Local Studies search room, and media screens in the galleries aim to have subtitles and sound. Sensory backpacks with ear defenders and visual timetable packs can be borrowed, and quieter times are weekdays after opening or after 3pm. Assistance dogs are welcome throughout the museum and park. There is no pram park, but pushchairs can be taken around.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

The Lion's Den gallery was created for the youngest visitors, with a baobab tree to crawl through and activities. Families can borrow Nelson's Cub Club backpacks, and activities are offered in the galleries and during school holidays. Baby changing is available in all toilets, and the café has highchairs inside and outside and bottle warming; children under 3 may eat their own snacks while adults buy food.

Getting there & parking

The museum can be reached from junctions 33, 34 or 35 of the M1 or junction 1 of the M18. What3words location: today.stages.shine.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Walker Café serves breakfast, light lunches, coffee and cake indoors or on a terrace overlooking the park, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. The café gift shop sells locally made gifts, books and toys. Toilets with baby changing are on the ground floor next to the shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit