Herbert Art Gallery & Museum
Coventry museum and art gallery beside the cathedral, with galleries on the city's history, Lady Godiva and peace and reconciliation, and an art collection.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum is named after Sir Alfred Herbert, a Coventry industrialist who gave £100,000 in 1938 for a new gallery and museum in the city. Building began in 1939, but the Second World War and the destruction of Coventry in the Blitz interrupted it, and the museum and art gallery was finally opened by Lady Herbert on 9 March 1960. Before that, the city's collections had been kept in several separate buildings.
The building was expanded and refurbished in two phases, finished in 2008 at a cost of £14 million, which added a new entrance on Bayley Lane and a glass-covered court. Today the Herbert is run by CV Life, a charity, and combines a museum, an art gallery, archives, learning spaces and a studio under one roof. It is next to the cathedral in the centre of Coventry.
The permanent galleries show objects from the social history, archaeology and art collections. The History Gallery tells the story of Coventry from the medieval period to today, including its watchmaking and ribbon-weaving industries and the effects of the Second World War. Other galleries explore the legend of Lady Godiva and Coventry's role in peace and reconciliation. Upstairs the art collection includes Luca Giordano's large painting Bacchus and Ariadne.
Highlights
- History Gallery on Coventry from medieval times to the present
- Discover Godiva, a family-friendly interactive gallery on the Lady Godiva legend
- Peace and Reconciliation gallery on the Blitz and Coventry's later work for peace
- Luca Giordano's large painting Bacchus and Ariadne
- Dippy the Diplodocus cast, on loan from the Natural History Museum until February 2027
- Medieval undercroft beneath the building
Permanent exhibitions
- History Gallery – The story of Coventry and its people from medieval times to today, including watchmaking, ribbon weaving, the Second World War and the 1950s and 1960s.
- Discover Godiva – A family-friendly interactive exploration of the Lady Godiva story with the museum's paintings of her.
- Peace and Reconciliation – Coventry's role in promoting peace and reconciliation, from the 1940 Blitz onwards, told through objects, artworks and oral history.
- Founded
- 1960
- Operated by
- CV Life
- Visitors per year
- approx. 300,000
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £5.40 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £3.60Seniors aged 60 and over, students with a valid TOTUM card, and Museums Association members |
| Children & teens | £2.50free up to age 4 · Children aged 5 to 15 pay £2.50; children aged 0 to 4 are free. |
| Seniors | £3.60Visitors aged 60 and over. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Essential carers enter free. |
| Students & apprentices | £3.60Students need a valid TOTUM card. |
| Groups (12+ people) | £3 per personGroups of 12 or more pay £3 per person; the coach driver enters free, and a highlights tour costs £5 per person. |
| Annual pass, adult | £10.80Valid for one year; Go CV card holders pay £6. |
| Annual pass, child aged 5 to 15 | £4.20 |
| Annual pass, concession | £8.40Seniors, students and Museums Association members. |
These are the day-pass prices for visitors without a Go CV card. Coventry residents with a Go CV card pay less (adult £3.60, child £1.20, concession £2.40), and Go CV+ cardholders enter free. Holders of a National Art Pass enter free. Some children's activities, such as half-term events, charge separately. The CV Life Attractions Pass combines the Herbert, Coventry Transport Museum and visits to The Wave waterpark.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- 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
There is level access to each gallery floor and a lift between floors, and accessible toilets on the ground and first floors. Blue Badge parking is on Bayley Lane opposite the entrance. Visitors can share their access needs in advance through the WelcoMe service. Gallery text panels and printed information are designed to be easy to read, lighting varies between areas, and sensory backpacks and a guide are available at reception. The nearest Changing Places toilets are at Coventry Central Library on Smithford Way and at The Wave.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Baby changing facilities
Discover Godiva is a family-friendly interactive gallery. Baby-changing facilities are on the ground floor, and the museum is breastfeeding friendly. Children aged 0 to 4 enter free. Children's activities such as half-term events and early years sessions, some of which charge a fee.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Pool Meadow bus station · 5-min walk
Most buses stop at Pool Meadow bus station, about a 5-minute walk away, and others stop around the city centre about 10 minutes away. From Coventry railway station it is a 10 to 15 minute walk into the city centre.
By car
Paid parking
There are several pay and display car parks within walking distance, such as White Street, Cox Street and Lower Precinct. Blue Badge parking is on Bayley Lane opposite the entrance, and coach groups can park free in White Street coach park. A park and ride runs from War Memorial Park on Kenilworth Road.
- Accessible parking
The museum is next to the cathedral in the city centre. From the inner ring road, leave at junction 3 or 5 and follow the brown signs; the sat-nav postcode is CV1 5QP. There are bike racks outside and on University Square, and cycle hire docks on Earl Street.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
Baxter Baristas, the on-site coffee shop, is open to the public through the courtyard on Jordan Well, even without a museum ticket. The museum shop can be visited without admission through the box office.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Corporate events
Up to 250 guests.
Hireable spaces include the Covered Court with the Dippy cast (up to 250), the Studio (200), the Long Gallery (90) and two learning spaces, and a medieval undercroft can be used for tours and dinners.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Group visits can include a paid highlights tour. School groups can buy goody bags, and learning sessions are offered. Coventry Archives is in the same building and is free to visit by appointment, through a separate entrance on Cathedral Square. |
