Corinium Museum

About the museum

The Corinium Museum shows the archaeology and local history of Cirencester, which began as a Roman fort and grew into Corinium, the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Prima. Finds from the town and its surrounding countryside were collected by local families from the nineteenth century onwards, and some were first displayed in a small museum built in 1856.

In 1938 two private collections were combined in a new museum in the grounds of Abberley House, a Grade II listed building whose older part dates from the eighteenth century. The site was given to the local council. In 1974 the museum passed to Cotswold District Council, which still owns the building and the collections. A major refurbishment funded partly by a Heritage Lottery grant was completed in the early 2000s, and the early galleries were redeveloped in 2018 to 2020 as the "Stone Age to Corinium" displays with National Lottery Heritage Fund support.

Today the galleries run from prehistory to the present day. The collection is best known for Roman mosaics, of which the museum says it holds more than ninety from the town and its surroundings, including the Hunting Dogs and Orpheus mosaics. Visitors also see a reconstructed Roman column, sculpture, Anglo-Saxon grave goods and medieval stonework, as well as displays on agriculture, costume and social history. The museum is managed by Freedom Leisure in partnership with the council and also serves as the town's visitor information centre.

Highlights

• Roman mosaics from Cirencester, including the Hunting Dogs and Orpheus mosaics
• Galleries from the Stone Age to Roman Corinium
• Anglo-Saxon grave goods and medieval sculpture
• Reconstructed Roman column and stone sculpture
• Children's trail and school workshops, including a gladiator school session

Permanent exhibition

• Permanent galleries: Stone Age to Roman Corinium and beyond – Galleries from prehistory to the present day, centred on the Roman town of Corinium with its mosaics, sculpture and everyday objects, followed by Anglo-Saxon and medieval Cirencester.

Founded

1938

Operated by

Cotswold District Council (managed by Freedom Leisure)

Admission & discounts

Visitors who arrive by train, bus, bicycle or on foot can get reduced entry on showing proof of travel, such as a ticket or a bicycle.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• 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 museum describes itself as fully accessible. A wheelchair can be borrowed, quiet spaces for rest or breastfeeding are available on request, and coloured reading overlays can be borrowed from the front of house team. Short guides are available in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. An external AccessAble guide gives more detail with 3D images of reception, the shop and the galleries.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Baby changing facilities

A children's trail asks families to find animals in the galleries to win a prize, and family events are listed on the website. Baby changing is available. School sessions cover workshops, loan boxes and the gladiator school.

Getting there & parking

Follow the brown Corinium Museum signs to the car parks, then the pedestrian signs. National Cycle Network routes 48 and 45 pass through Cirencester.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check

Jack's Cirencester Tea Room & Kitchen adjoins the museum, with its entrance on Black Jack Street. The museum shop also serves as Cirencester visitor information centre and has an online shop. Bicycles can be left in the unlocked cloakroom at the owner's risk.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Hire options include the Corinium Cinema for parties, corporate hire, and spaces for dinners, drinks receptions, screenings and launches. Room details and capacities are not published on the overview page.

Plan your visit