National Waterways Museum Gloucester

About the museum

The museum is housed in Llanthony Warehouse, a Grade II listed former grain warehouse in Gloucester Docks. It tells the story of the docks and the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal over about 200 years, and of the people who lived and worked around them.

The building was renovated and the museum relaunched with more than £1 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and from the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund. It is run by the Canal & River Trust, the charity that looks after most of the canals and rivers in England and Wales, and is now called the National Waterways Museum Gloucester.

Visitors find two floors of exhibitions with interactive displays, a wildlife trail around the docks and four historic vessels on the quayside. There is also a small indoor play area and a series of children’s trails. The museum has a tea room and cafe and a gift shop, offers group and school visits, and hires out the historic barge Sabrina 5 and other spaces for meetings and events. Boat trips are not currently running because the trip boat needs major repairs.

Highlights

• Two floors of exhibitions on 200 years of Gloucester Docks and the canal
• Four historic vessels on the quayside
• Interactive displays and children’s trails, including the Dockside Detectives trail
• Small indoor play area
• Tea room, cafe and gift shop in a listed warehouse

Permanent exhibitions

• Gloucester Docks and the canal – Two floors of interactive exhibitions on about 200 years of the docks, the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and the communities around them.
• Historic vessels on the quayside – Four historic boats moored alongside the museum, which visitors can see from the quay.

Founded

1976

Operated by

Canal & River Trust

Admission & discounts

Day ticket prices are the standard prices without a voluntary donation; with a donation the adult ticket is £11, the child ticket £7, the concession £10 and the family ticket £27.50. Children under 4 are admitted free. Gift Aid can be claimed on donations.

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

The main warehouse is fully accessible for wheelchair users through a wide double-fronted entrance, and lifts serve all floors. The floors are uneven and worn in places, and the quayside can be slippery when wet or icy. An accessible toilet and baby changing room is on the ground floor. A limited number of wheelchairs can be borrowed. Hearing, guide and assistance dogs are welcome. Pay-and-display car parks nearby have Blue Badge spaces, and a few Blue Badge spaces are at the top of Orchard Square. Some exhibits are noisy, and visitors can email to ask about quieter times or to have noisy exhibits switched off.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

There are always children’s trails, including the Dockside Detectives trail, as well as interactive exhibits and a small indoor play area. Free Let’s Create arts and crafts afternoons and other activities run in school holidays. The play zone can be noisy and busy at weekends and in summer holidays.

Getting there & parking

A park and ride service runs from Monday to Saturday from Waterwells, Quedgeley, near M5 junction 12.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

A tea room and cafe and a museum gift shop are on site. Toilets are inside the museum, and the shop also sells dog ice cream.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties

The historic barge Sabrina 5 holds about 20 to 25 people and can be hired for meetings, learning and parties (£200 for a day, £100 for a half day). The whole museum and the open Level 2 warehouse space can be hired for exclusive events, and the cafe atrium can be reserved by local groups.

Plan your visit