Folkestone Museum

About the museum

Folkestone Museum is housed in the Town Hall in Guildhall Street, a Victorian building of Portland stone that opened in 1861. The first museum collection grew out of fossils given to the town council after an auction in 1857. A natural history society formed in 1868 to press for proper premises, and a library, reading room and museum opened at Grace Hill in 1888.

Later gifts added Anglo-Saxon finds, Roman villa material and Bronze Age objects, as well as a donation of old master drawings and engravings in 1924. Care of the collection became uneven after the Second World War and the museum lost its official registration in 2007. A working group then campaigned for a new museum, Kent County Council passed the old collection to the town council in 2013, and the new museum opened to the public in spring 2017 with Heritage Lottery Fund support.

Today the displays follow the history of the town from its coastal beginnings to its time as a fashionable resort. The collections are grouped under the themes Ancient, Fashionable, Frontline, Maritime and Natural, and include butterflies, shells and fossils of national and international significance. The Town Hall itself is part of the visit.

Highlights

• Victorian Town Hall of Portland stone, opened 1861
• Natural history collection of butterflies, shells and fossils
• Displays on ancient, maritime and frontline Folkestone
• Folkestone as a fashionable seaside resort
• Free entry, with a gift shop in the building

Permanent exhibition

• Permanent collection galleries – Displays on ancient Folkestone, the fashionable resort, wartime and maritime history and the natural world, arranged in a Victorian Town Hall.

Founded

1868

Operated by

Folkestone Town Council

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free. Donations are welcome, with donation boxes at both Town Hall entrances.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• 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 is fully wheelchair accessible, with ramped entrances on the Ground and Lower Ground floors. The rear exterior is cobbled, so the front entrance is recommended. The lift has audio announcements and Braille button labels. Mobile induction loops are available at reception and large print resources can be requested in advance. Drop-off points are on Rendezvous Street, about 100 metres uphill, and at the Shellons Street taxi rank, about 150 metres away on flat ground. Accessible toilets are on the Lower Ground Floor.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

Baby changing is available in the visitor toilets on the Lower Ground Floor. The museum runs learning sessions for schools, nurseries and under-5s, home educators and young people.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the Town Hall at the bottom of Sandgate Road, about 10 minutes' walk from the harbour and 5 minutes from the Leas. It is in a pedestrianised area, so satnavs may need guidance. By car it is about 10 to 15 minutes from Junction 13 of the M20. Coaches cannot reach the museum; the nearest coach park is at Folkestone Harbour.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The gift shop sells books, cards, stationery, homeware and children's gifts. Visitor toilets are on the Lower Ground Floor.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit