Keswick Museum and Art Gallery
Local museum and art gallery in Fitz Park with Lake District geology, literature, art and craft collections and an immersive landscape gallery.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Keswick Museum was founded in 1873 by the Keswick Literary and Scientific Society after the town had been without a museum for three years. It first occupied rooms in the Moot Hall, and in 1898 it moved into a purpose-built home in Fitz Park, which was the earliest purpose-built museum in Cumbria. An art gallery extension followed in 1905, and the light fittings made by the Keswick School of Industrial Arts still hang in the building.
The early collections concentrated on the natural history and geology of the district, and they grew through gifts and bequests from local families and from supporters linked to Canon Rawnsley, one of the founders of the National Trust. Flintoft’s large model of the Lake District, bought in 1877, is among the long-standing treasures.
The museum trust is now cared for by Cumberland Council, and a local charitable company has managed the museum since 2007. The building was renovated and extended and reopened in 2014. Today three galleries cover geology, archaeology and Lakeland curiosities, a changing special exhibition room, and a free community gallery.
Highlights
- Keswick School of Industrial Arts collection
- Geology and natural history of the Lake District
- Lakeland literature, including material linked to Robert Southey and Hugh Walpole
- Flintoft’s model of the Lake District
- Musical stones that visitors can play
- Immersive landscape experience Outside In
Permanent exhibitions
- Keswick School of Industrial Arts – Metalwork and other craft made by the Keswick School of Industrial Arts, with touchscreens showing 360-degree views of the pieces.
- Geology and Natural History – Rocks, fossils and natural history specimens from the Lake District, including early survey collections.
- Outside In – An immersive digital experience that combines landscape and stories of Cumbria and the Lakes.
- Founded
- 1873
- Operated by
- Keswick Museum (charitable company, on behalf of Cumberland Council as trustee)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £8.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £6.75Students with a student card |
| Children & teens | £4.75free up to age 4 · Child ticket for ages 5 to 15; under-5s are free with a paying adult. Children aged 15 and under must be accompanied by a responsible adult. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Carers enter free when accompanying the person they support; proof of entitlement may be requested. |
| Students & apprentices | £6.75Valid student card required. |
| Families | £21.50Two adults and up to three children. |
| One-adult family ticket (1 adult and up to 3 children) | £13 |
All tickets are valid for 12 months, allowing free return visits. The community gallery on the lower floor is free.
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
Two entrances (street level and park level) with stepped and ramped access and automatic doors. A platform lift, large enough for a motorised wheelchair, links the two floors. Public areas are accessible by wheelchair, although some older display cases and large objects are harder to reach. A hearing loop is available at reception, and an accessible visitor map of sensory features is available. The accessible toilet, with baby changing, is on the park level and is available during café hours or on request at reception. Three Blue Badge bays are outside the entrance on Station Road with a three-hour limit. Assistance dogs are welcome; other dogs are not allowed inside.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £21.50 · Two adults and up to three children. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
Family events and activities are listed on the What's On pages. The galleries have interactive displays, including playable musical stones. The café has a children’s menu, welcomes breastfeeding and has a microwave for warming baby food. Buggies can be used throughout the museum.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Greta Bank bus stop · 200 m
Bus X4/X5 (Workington to Penrith) and 555 (Lancaster to Keswick) stop on Penrith Road, near Greta Bank stop, about 200 m away; service 87 and other routes stop at Keswick bus station at Booths, Tithebarn Street, about a 15-minute walk. There is no longer a railway station in Keswick; the nearest stations are Penrith and Workington.
By car
Parking available
No dedicated car park. Free disc parking for 2 hours on Station Road outside the museum (discs from lamp post dispensers or reception). Pay and display car parks at the leisure centre (200 m), Otley Road and Bell Close (300 m), and in the town centre.
- Accessible parking
The museum is a 5-minute walk from the Moot Hall on the edge of Fitz Park. Cycle racks are by the lower Fitz Park entrance. The Keswick to Threlkeld Railway Trail is about 150 m away.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
- Wi-Fi
Free wifi throughout the museum and café. Café West, run by West House, has indoor and outdoor seating and is open daily 10:30 to 15:30. There is a museum shop at reception.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
The Crosthwaite Room can be hired for meetings and events, and desk space for co-working is also offered.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Learning programmes for schools and loan boxes are offered; see the Learning pages. The museum can be noisy when school groups visit. |
