National Gas Museum

About the museum

The collection of the National Gas Museum was started by gas engineers during the conversion of Britain from town gas to natural gas in the 1970s. While removing old appliances they found many fine historic pieces and decided to preserve them. The collection first stood in the corner of a warehouse until John Doran, chairman of the East Midlands Gas Board, saw it and had a museum created that was open to everyone. It was originally named the John Doran Museum in his honour.

After the gas industry was privatised the museum became a charitable trust, set up in 1997 to care for the historic objects gathered by Britain's nationalised gas industry. It later took in the collection of the London Gas Museum and that of the South West Gas Historical Society, and now holds around 4,000 objects from several former regions of British Gas. It keeps friendly links with the National Gas Archive in Warrington, which concentrates on documents while the museum concentrates on objects.

The museum is itself part of the story. It occupies a listed Victorian building under a red brick clock tower dating from 1878, when town gas was first made on the Aylestone Road site in Leicester. The building was the gatehouse of the gas works. The displays follow the story of gas from its early days to the natural gas era, including how gas was made from coal, gas lighting, cooking, heating, hot water and curiosities such as the gas radio and the gas hair dryer.

Highlights

• Collection of about 4,000 objects on the history of the gas industry, with over 500 exhibits on show
• Vintage working gas lights
• Gas cookers, fires, irons and unusual gadgets such as a gas radio and a gas hair dryer
• Displays on how gas was made from coal
• Victorian gatehouse with a clock tower from 1878

Permanent exhibition

• History of gas – Appliances and objects showing how gas was made, distributed and used for lighting, cooking, heating and hot water over two centuries.

Founded

1977

Operated by

National Gas Museum Trust (charity)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• 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

The museum is on two floors, and the upper floor, which the museum calls the second floor, is not accessible to visitors with mobility problems.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum is about 1 mile from Leicester city centre on the A426 Aylestone Road, and is recognisable by its red brick clock tower.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available

There is no cafe and no gift shop, but a small selection of gifts is sold in the main office. Toilets are available.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit