Sheringham Museum
Independent seafront museum in Sheringham with lifeboats, fishing boats, photography and local history on three floors.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Sheringham Museum began in the late 1980s as a volunteer project to preserve the story of the Norfolk seaside town, first in a group of former fishermen's cottages. The collection grew too large for those buildings, and it was moved to a purpose-built home on the seafront, known as The Mo, which opened in 2010. The museum is run as an independent charity by volunteers with a professional manager.
The building has three floors and a viewing tower. Its centrepiece is a hall of boats, including lifeboats that served the town from the 1890s onwards and locally built fishing boats. Other displays show a fisherman's cottage, recreated shops, and the town's development as a holiday resort after the railway arrived in the 1880s.
The collections also cover photography, especially the work of the local photographer Olive Edis, the Hewitt glass negatives, paintings and drawings by local artists, and the traditional woollen fishermen's sweaters known as ganseys. Further displays cover the town's wartime experience, local geology and fossils, and the offshore wind farms off the coast. An exhibition programme changes each summer.
Highlights
- Historic Sheringham lifeboats displayed in the boat hall
- Olive Edis gallery and photographer's studio recreation
- Fisherman's cottage and recreated shops
- Gansey collection of fishermen's knitted sweaters
- Windscape visitor centre about the offshore wind farms
- Viewing tower over the town and coast
Permanent exhibitions
- Boat Hall – Lifeboats and fishing boats from Sheringham, with a fisherman's cottage and displays on boat building and local crafts.
- Olive Edis gallery – Photographs and life story of the local photographer Olive Edis, who ran a studio in the town.
- Windscape – Visitor centre about the Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon offshore wind farms.
- Founded
- 2010
- Operated by
- Sheringham Museum Trust (independent charity)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £5.50Concessions: aged 66 and over, students, visitors with disabilities |
| Children & teens | £3free up to age 3 · Children under 16; under 4s are free. |
| Seniors | £5.50Concession for ages 66 and over. |
| Visitors with disabilities | £5.50companion free · Carers and personal assistants are admitted free. |
| Students & apprentices | £5.50 |
| Families | £162 adults and up to 3 children under 16. |
| Family mini ticket (1 adult and up to 3 children under 16) | £11 |
| Annual pass, adult | £22 |
| Annual pass, 2 adults | £38 |
| Annual pass, child (5 to 15) | £12 |
| Annual pass, family (2 adults and up to 3 children aged 5 to 15) | £45 |
| Annual pass, mini family (1 adult and up to 3 children aged 5 to 15) | £35 |
Admission is free for Art Fund and Museums Association members. The museum is an independent charity and is not part of the Norfolk Museums Pass scheme.
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
The main entrance has a permanent ramp and a sliding door, and there is level access to the shop and all three floors, which are served by two platform lifts. Accessible toilets are on the ground and second floors, and a wheelchair can be borrowed from reception on request. Seating is provided throughout, and glass doors have contrast markings. The viewing tower is reached by steep steps and is not accessible. Assistance dogs are welcome when on duty, and a full access guide can be downloaded from the museum website.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 3 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £16 · 2 adults and up to 3 children under 16. |
- Baby changing facilities
Family tickets cover up to three children under 16, and under 4s are free. Baby changing is available in the accessible toilet on the ground floor. Visitors can have their photograph taken in a recreation of the Olive Edis studio.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Sheringham railway station
Buses and trains stop at Sheringham railway station, from where the museum is a short walk along Station Road and High Street to the sea wall.
By car
Paid parking
Pay and display car parks at the railway station and two smaller ones near the museum, one near the beach end of the High Street and one off Cliff Road. Accessible spaces are between the end of the High Street and the steps down to the museum.
- Accessible parking
The station is about 0.4 miles away. For step-free access, turn left at the sea wall and follow the ramp and promenade to the museum; the direct route turns right and uses steps.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Museum shop
There is no café in the building; because tickets are valid all day, visitors can leave and return after eating in the town.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Schools and groups can book visits using the form on the museum website, and the museum offers online learning modules linked to the curriculum. Large collections of objects are kept in storage and can be viewed by arrangement. |
