The Higgins Bedford
Free art gallery and museum in Bedford combining the Cecil Higgins art collection with the story of the town and its people.
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About the museum
The Higgins family settled in Bedford in the 1820s, founded a brewery in Castle Lane and built their home next to it. Cecil Higgins, who ran the business, sold the brewery in the late 1920s so that he could create a museum. The Cecil Higgins Museum opened in the former family home on 25 July 1949 and grew into an art gallery with watercolours, prints, furniture, ceramics and glass.
Bedford Museum has a separate origin. It grew from a school collection given to the town in 1884 and from a town museum that opened in 1962, and it moved into the old brewery buildings in 1981. The two institutions merged in 2005 and both closed for redevelopment, the art gallery in 2007 and the museum in 2010. The combined venue, The Higgins Bedford, reopened in 2013.
The site includes the Hexagonal Gallery, built around 1804 on the earthworks of Bedford Castle, which now holds the William Burges collection of Victorian furniture and decorative art. The Bedford Gallery is a Grade II listed building from the early 1840s. The collections include more than 400 prints, among them twentieth-century works by artists such as Picasso, Lichtenstein and Whistler, and a social history, archaeology and natural history collection tracing Bedford from prehistory to the present.
Highlights
- William Burges collection in the Hexagonal Gallery
- Watercolours, prints and decorative arts of the Cecil Higgins collection
- Prints by artists including Picasso, Lichtenstein and Whistler
- Edward Bawden gallery
- Bedford Museum galleries on local archaeology and social history
- Changing Places toilet and free admission
Permanent exhibitions
- William Burges collection – Victorian furniture and decorative art by William Burges and his circle, displayed in the Hexagonal Gallery.
- Bedford Museum galleries – Displays on the archaeology, social history and natural history of Bedford from prehistory to the present.
- Founded
- 1949
- Operated by
- Bedford Borough Council
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups (10+ people) | £7.75 per personGuided group tours of 1 hour cost £7.75 per person (£6.20 concessions); shorter 30-minute tours cost £3.95 per person (£3.35 concessions). Archive sessions cost £14.60 per person (£11.70 or £11.60 concessions). |
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Entry to the galleries is free and no ticket is needed for a general visit; some events and talks must be booked. Carers or support workers attending ticketed talks, tours or events are not charged.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
There are two wheelchair-accessible toilets in the museum and one in the café, plus a Changing Places toilet with an adult-sized changing bench and hoist at the end of the Settlement Gallery. Two adult wheelchairs can be borrowed if booked in advance. Reception areas and activity rooms have induction loops, large print captions for temporary exhibitions are available on request, and some galleries have QR codes linking to captions online. The museum offers a downloadable guide for autistic visitors on how to get there. A few spaces in front of the courtyard entrance are kept for visitors with limited mobility; the gate is often shut, so visitors should phone 01234 718185 in advance or on arrival.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Baby changing facilities
Puggle Club offers free creative drop-in activities for children aged 2 to 5 with an adult, on one day a month. The ground floor has a baby changing facility.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bedford Bus Station · 6-min walk
Bedford railway station is 0.9 miles away, about a 20-minute walk. Bedford Bus Station is about 6 minutes' walk, and the nearest Stagecoach stop is Newnham Road, served by bus 5 from the bus station. The museum is about 2 minutes' walk from the High Street and the Embankment.
By car
Parking available · 5-min walk to the entrance
The nearest public car park is Lurke Street, about 5 minutes' walk; council town centre car parks offer free parking on Sundays and two hours free on Saturdays. Four Blue Badge spaces are at the entrance of the gallery and museum. There is also a park and ride at Elstow on the A6.
- Accessible parking
From the M1, leave at junction 13 and follow the A421 and town centre signs.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant
- Museum shop
The Higgins Pantry is a café and restaurant in the building serving Italian-style food, with indoor and outdoor seating; it keeps its own hours and asks visitors to book a table online or by phone. The museum also has a shop.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Corporate events
Up to 60 guests.
Daytime hire of the Castle Room, Garden Room, Bailey Room, Barbican Studio (up to 60 people) and Harpur Studio for conferences, workshops and events. Enquiries to thehiggins@bedford.gov.uk.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
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| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Group tours (minimum ten people) run Tuesday to Friday and need at least four weeks' notice by email or phone; options include a one-hour introductory tour, a fine and decorative art tour, and shorter tours of the Burges collection and exhibitions. Schools can book curriculum-linked sessions, such as Romans, Victorians and World War II, and borrow loan boxes of objects. |
