Royston Museum

About the museum

Royston has had a museum in some form since 1856, when the Royston Institute Museum was formed and its objects were donated to raise money for a Mechanics Institute, now the Town Hall. By 1884 the museum was described as limited to a few dilapidated specimens, it later closed, and its collection was sold in 1901.

In 1965 the Royston and District Local History Society was formed to establish a new museum for the town and began collecting local items. The museum opened in 1976 in a small room at the back of the Town Hall and later moved to a larger room in the same building. In 1983 Royston Town Council leased the former church school building in Lower King Street, and the museum opened there on 28 April 1984. It is still on this site.

The town council owned and managed the museum while the history society owned the collection. In November 2021 Royston Museum Trust CIO was formed, and it took over ownership and management in March 2022. The collection was donated to the trust in 2025. It holds just under 20,000 objects, including about 7,000 photographs of Royston and the surrounding area.

The displays cover more than 2,000 years of local history, including the Romans, local industry, the Victorians, the two world wars and entertainment. The museum also lends loan boxes to schools, offers workshops and group visits, and hires out rooms.

Highlights

• Displays on more than 2,000 years of Royston’s history, from the Romans to the world wars
• Collection of nearly 20,000 objects, including about 7,000 photographs
• Children’s activities with Corvis the Crow
• School workshops and loan boxes
• Sensory map and social story to prepare visitors

Permanent exhibition

• Royston’s history gallery – Displays on over 2,000 years of Royston’s history, including the Romans, local industry, the Victorians, the world wars and entertainment.

Founded

1976

Operated by

Royston Museum Trust CIO (registered charity 1196386)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free; donations are welcome. Self-led school visits are free with a suggested donation of £1 per pupil.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: not available
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The entrance has a ramp and a low threshold, and the ground floor is accessible. The upper floor, including the research room, community room and gallery, is not accessible. The accessible toilet is to the left of the welcome desk; there is no Changing Places toilet in Royston. Assistance dogs are welcome and a water bowl is available. The museum has no parking or drop-off point, does not lend wheelchairs, and offers a social story and a sensory map. Cushioned seating is provided and a chair is available on request.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

The museum is a Kids in Museums partner. Children’s activities feature Corvis the Crow and are marked with turquoise hands. Buggies are welcome on the ground floor, the accessible toilet has baby changing, and staff can warm bottles in a small kitchen.

Getting there & parking

Royston is at the crossroads of the A505 and A10, about a 15-minute drive from the A1(M) and M11. There are no bike racks, but bicycles can be left in the courtyard.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available

There is no café. Visitors can picnic in the courtyard or in the upstairs community room, which has no step-free access.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 40 guests.

The exhibition hall (up to 40 chairs) is from £20 per hour, and the first-floor community room (up to 10 chairs) from £15 per hour, both for a minimum of two hours. A first-floor gallery is available for exhibitions by local groups. The museum says it can be hired for groups, activities, corporate or community events and meetings, with at least two weeks’ notice.

Plan your visit