Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery

About the museum

Maidstone Museum began with a bequest from a local doctor and antiquarian, Thomas Charles, who left his collection of art and antiquities to the town in 1855. The borough council bought Chillington Manor, an Elizabethan house finished in 1577, to display it, and the Charles Museum opened there on 20 January 1858. It was later renamed Maidstone Museum, and Edward Petty, a friend of Charles, was its first curator.

The museum grew quickly in the late 19th century. Wings were added in 1869 and 1873, the second paid for by the collector Julius Brenchley, whose travel collections are of national importance. The Bentlif Art Gallery opened in 1889 with money from Samuel Bentlif, the Victoria Gallery followed in the late 1890s, and the Bentlif wing was extended in 1923. The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regimental Museum has been housed in the building since 1964.

Today the museum holds more than 600,000 objects, which makes it one of the most wide-ranging regional collections in the South East. Its Ancient Lives gallery contains the largest Egyptian collection in Kent, including the Ta-Kush mummy. Other strengths are Japanese art and prints, Anglo-Saxon and Roman archaeology, fossils such as the Maidstone Iguanodon, natural history, ethnography, costume and textiles, and local history.

Highlights

• Ancient Lives gallery with the Ta-Kush mummy
• Japanese decorative art and prints
• Anglo-Saxon and Roman archaeology from Kent
• Fossils including Iguanodon material
• Julius Brenchley's world ethnography collection
• Lady Godiva sculpture and the Bentlif Art Gallery

Permanent exhibitions

• Ancient Lives – The largest Egyptian collection in Kent, centred on how the ancient Egyptians thought about death, with the Ta-Kush mummy, coffins, amulets and mummified animals.
• Natural History and Biology – Thousands of specimens that show local wildlife and ecosystems from around the world.

Founded

1858

Operated by

Maidstone Borough Council

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry to the museum is free. Some exhibitions, events and activities need a paid ticket.

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

The building has ramps and a flex step that converts from steps into a lift, and most areas can be reached; the ground floor is step-free and a lift serves the first-floor galleries. Mobility scooters cannot use the wheelchair lift because of weight limits. Accessible toilets are on both floors. There are two Blue Badge bays along Brenchley Gardens on Station Road, and more accessible parking at Fremlin Walk, limited to three hours. Assistance dogs are welcome. Audio description is offered for the Lady Godiva sculpture, the Lives in our Landscape gallery and the Oldham gallery. Tours for deaf and hard-of-hearing groups, including groups with their own interpreter, can be booked in advance. Fidget backpacks with ear defenders and a map marking quiet zones can be borrowed free at reception.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Kids’ birthday parties

The museum has family-friendly areas and activities, and baby-changing facilities in the ground-floor accessible toilets. Fidget backpacks and SEND resources are available. Children's parties for up to 10 children are held on Saturdays in a dedicated room, with dinosaur and Egyptian themes for different ages.

Getting there & parking

From the M20 leave at junction 6, follow the signs towards Maidstone town centre and Maidstone East station, then follow the brown heritage signs to the museum.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

There is a museum shop and public toilets. Buggies can be stored at reception, and visitors should take valuables with them.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 150 guests.

Spaces include Godiva Hall (up to 150 people), the Withdrawing Room (up to 60), the Bentlif Library (up to 40), the Glass Room (up to 18), Godiva Courtyard, the exhibition galleries and a children's party room. The whole museum can be hired for an exclusive takeover. Bookings go to venuehire@maidstone.gov.uk.

Plan your visit