Horsham Museum and Art Gallery
Local history museum in the medieval Causeway House in Horsham, with galleries on archaeology, costume, the town's gaol and the poet Shelley.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Horsham Museum was founded in August 1893 by volunteers from the town's Free Christian (now Unitarian) church, who began collecting objects relating to Horsham and its surrounding district. The collections were first kept in the basement of a house in North Street. Since 1941 the museum has been based in Causeway House on The Causeway, a Grade II* listed building with parts dating back to the 15th century. It has been run by Horsham District Council since 1974 and is supported by the Friends of Horsham Museum.
The displays are spread over galleries on the ground and first floors, plus a walled garden. They cover the archaeology of the district, including the bones of the Horsham Iguanodon and the medieval Horsham Hoard, the town's pioneering gaol of 1775, local industries, the Napoleonic Wars, the Second World War and the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was born nearby. The museum also holds more than 3,000 garments from the 1670s to 2000, a large photographic archive, the William Albery poster collection and a growing collection of local art, including watercolours and etchings by Dr Geoffrey Sparrow.
In 2026 the museum announced a temporary closure from 7 September 2026 so that specialist contractors could repair stonework on the historic roof. While it is closed, three galleries are being refurbished, including a new costume gallery and a new introductory space.
Highlights
- Bones of the Horsham Iguanodon and the medieval Horsham Hoard
- Display on the world's first revolutionary gaol, built in Horsham in 1775
- Costume collection of more than 3,000 garments from the 1670s to 2000
- Books and memorabilia linked to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley
- Cabinet of curiosities and a walled museum garden
- Child-friendly A-Z of History gallery
Permanent exhibitions
- Fossils and Flints – Archaeological finds from Horsham District from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Roman periods, including the bones of the Great Horsham Iguanodon.
- Crime and Punishment – Original windows, door, padlock and keys from the revolutionary gaol built in Horsham in 1775, with stories from the museum's archive.
- Medieval Gallery – Medieval objects found in the district, including items from the Horsham Hoard discovered in West Street in 1867.
- Founded
- 1893
- Operated by
- Horsham District Council
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Visitors can see the collections free of charge. Memory Boxes can be borrowed free of charge.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
There is a ramp at the front entrance, and the ground floor and garden are accessible. Mobility scooters use the side entrance. There is no step-free access to the first floor, where some passages are narrow and there are steps; the main staircase is wide enough for a helper to assist visitors with mobility difficulties. There is an accessible toilet on the ground floor. Assistance dogs are welcome in the museum and garden; other dogs on a lead are allowed in the garden only.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
A children's trail is available from reception, and magnifying glasses can be borrowed to look at objects more closely. The A-Z of History gallery is designed for children. The ground floor can be explored with a pushchair, and staff will store pushchairs while parents visit the first floor. There is a baby change facility in the accessible toilet on the ground floor. The museum runs workshops for school groups.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Horsham bus station
Horsham railway station, served by Southern and Thameslink, is a half-mile walk from the museum. Horsham bus station is less than a quarter of a mile away, with routes run by Compass Bus and Metrobus to nearby villages, Crawley and Gatwick.
By car
The closest car parks are Denne Road and Forum, both run by Horsham District Council; the council website lists the pay and display bays.
The museum is in the town centre on The Causeway. Coaches can drop off and collect school groups at the loading bay in the Carfax next to the bandstand, five minutes' walk from the museum.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
The museum has a shop, which sells publications of the Friends of Horsham Museum. There is no indoor area for eating packed lunches, but picnics are welcome in the museum garden.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | School groups can visit on a free-flow basis and pick up a trail at reception; the museum asks teachers to make a planning visit first, because many galleries are small. Workshops can also be booked in the classroom for early years to Key Stage 2. The museum also offers self-guided heritage trails around Horsham District and a free Memory Box loan service. |
