Frome Museum

About the museum

Frome Museum has its roots in the Frome Historical Exhibition of 1956, which led to the founding of the Frome Society in 1958 and to a museum run by local people. The museum is a registered charity and has been an accredited museum since 1985. In 2026 it is celebrating its sixtieth anniversary.

It occupies the former Frome Literary and Scientific Institution, a building that opened in 1869 on the corner of North Parade and Bridge Street in the centre of the town. The museum owns the building. It has no regular outside funding and relies almost entirely on donations and on the work of its volunteers, so admission is free.

The museum has two exhibition galleries. The first shows the permanent collection on the history of Frome and the surrounding villages, and the second is used for temporary exhibitions. The collections cover archaeological and historical objects, material on local life and industry, and a large library of documents, maps and photographs, among them thousands of glass plate negatives by the local photographer J. W. Singer. Much of the archive is catalogued online, and researchers can use the library and archive by appointment throughout the year.

Highlights

• Permanent gallery on the history of Frome
• Temporary exhibitions in a second gallery
• Website pages on the wool trade, printing and the Singer foundry
• J. W. Singer glass plate negatives, digitised online
• Library and archive for research by appointment
• Free entry

Permanent exhibition

• Permanent gallery: history of Frome – The first gallery shows the permanent collection on Frome and the surrounding villages, from archaeology to local industry and everyday life.

Operated by

Frome Museum (registered charity, volunteer-run)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free; donations are appreciated because the museum is run by volunteers.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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

Access details are not published on the visit page; the museum refers to the council's accessibility information.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The website has a books for sale page; a museum shop is not described in more detail.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit