Museum of Somerset

About the museum

The Museum of Somerset occupies the 12th-century great hall of Taunton Castle in the centre of Taunton. The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society bought the castle in 1874 and fitted out the great hall as its main museum space in 1899-1900. Its library, the Adam Library, followed in 1908-9. The society still owns the building and leases it to Somerset County Council.

The museum grew from the society's own collections and was known as the Somerset County Museum until 2008. It then closed for a two-year refit funded in part by the Heritage Lottery Fund and reopened under its present name in September 2011. The centrepiece of the new displays is the Tree of Somerset, an oak sculpture that traces the history of the county.

The collections are wide-ranging. Archaeological finds include the Frome Hoard of about 52,500 Roman coins, found near Frome in 2010 and one of the largest hoards ever discovered in Britain, and a Roman mosaic from Low Ham villa showing Dido and Aeneas. Other holdings cover toys, dolls, sculpture, natural history, fossils, silver and pottery, and the site also houses the Somerset Military Museum, which tells the story of the Somerset Light Infantry. The museum is run by the South West Heritage Trust.

Highlights

• Frome Hoard of about 52,500 Roman coins
• Low Ham Roman mosaic showing Dido and Aeneas
• Tree of Somerset, an oak sculpture telling the county's history
• Somerset Military Museum
• Medieval great hall of Taunton Castle
• Cheddar Brooch and other archaeological finds

Permanent exhibitions

• Frome Hoard and archaeology of Somerset – Archaeological finds from the county, including the Frome Hoard of Roman coins and the Low Ham Roman mosaic.
• Somerset Military Museum – The story of the Somerset Light Infantry and its campaigns, shown on the museum site.

Operated by

South West Heritage Trust

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free. The museum is run by a charity and asks visitors to consider a donation of £5 per person. The shop is free to enter.

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 passenger lifts serve almost the whole site, and the Discovery and Singing Galleries are reached by a stair lift with a wheelchair that goes with it. There is level access on each floor, some doors open automatically, and accessible toilets are on the ground floor. Wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge. There is no public parking on site apart from one disabled space, which can be booked by phone, and disabled passengers can be dropped off outside the museum. Assistance dogs are allowed in the galleries; other dogs are not.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Toddler Explorers is a monthly themed session for children aged 1 to 3 with an adult, held from September to March; booking is essential. Toddler Story Time runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays in term time. The museum also stages a hands-on play exhibition for all ages with classic toys and games.

Getting there & parking

The museum is about 10 minutes from Junction 25 of the M5. The what3words location is owner.adopt.hunter.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Courtyard Café can be visited without entering the museum. The ground-floor shop sells Somerset-themed gifts and souvenirs.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The museum offers venue hire for private and corporate events, and private evening views of the galleries for groups of 20 to 250 people.

Plan your visit