Tullie Museum & Art Gallery
Carlisle museum and art gallery with Roman frontier, Pre-Raphaelite and city history collections in a Jacobean house and new galleries.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Tullie House began as a Jacobean town house in Carlisle. It was converted into a museum and art gallery opened by Carlisle Corporation in 1893. Over the following decades the building was extended, the museum expanded into the neighbouring Guildhall in 1980, and the library moved out in 1986. Major redevelopments took place in 1989–90 and 2000–01.
Since May 2011 the museum has been run by an independent charitable trust. After a large redevelopment it reopened on 26 April 2025 with a new entrance, welcome space, shop, Carlisle Gallery and City Hall Studio. The collection of almost one million objects tells the story of Carlisle and Cumbria, from the earliest human objects, such as the Langdale axes, through the Roman frontier and the Vikings to the border reivers and industrial history.
The art collections include Pre-Raphaelite works shown in the George Howard Gallery in Old Tullie House, together with other twentieth-century British art. The Roman Frontier Gallery lies below ground and uses loans from the British Museum and interactive displays to explain Hadrian’s Wall. The Border Galleries closed in February 2026 for redevelopment and are planned to reopen in summer 2027.
Highlights
- Roman Frontier Gallery on Hadrian’s Wall
- Pre-Raphaelite works in the George Howard Gallery
- Carlisle Gallery on the city’s history, opened 2025
- Langdale axes, Roman hunting pot and medieval betrothal casket
- Garden and Café Tullie
Permanent exhibitions
- Roman Frontier Gallery – Underground gallery on the Roman collection and Hadrian’s Wall, with loans from the British Museum and interactive displays.
- Carlisle Gallery – Ground-floor gallery, new in April 2025, about the history and character of the city.
- Old Tullie House – Historic house with fine and decorative art, including Pre-Raphaelite works in the George Howard Gallery.
- Founded
- 1893
- Operated by
- Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £8.50 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Under-18s are admitted free |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Accompanying carers are admitted free. |
| Groups (8+ people) | £7.50 per personGroup rate for parties of eight or more; a talk and tour with curators costs from £8 per person. |
| Adult annual pass (valid 12 months) | £16 |
The adult day ticket costs £8.50. Special exhibitions may have extra charges. Tickets can be bought online, by telephone or at the front desk. Friends membership starts from £33.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
All spaces in the main museum are level or reached by lifts or ramps; the first floor of Old Tullie House is reached by stairs only. The main entrance is level from Castle Street and the Roman Frontier Gallery is reached by lift. An accessible toilet with baby-changing is in the Welcome Area. There is no Changing Places toilet on site; the nearest is in the Lanes shopping centre (CA3 8NX). An induction loop is at the shop counter. Wheelchairs can be borrowed from the Welcome Desk (first come, first served). Sensory backpacks can be reserved in advance. Assistance dogs are welcome; other dogs are not allowed inside. There is no on-site parking; Blue Badge bays are on Castle Street.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Baby changing facilities
Under-18s enter free. Drop-in craft sessions run in every school holiday, and a monthly Arts Explorers session for ages 12–15 is held on the fourth Saturday. Trail sheets for the museum and gardens are available at reception. Children aged 12 and over can visit without an adult with a free young person’s admission card. Baby changing and breastfeeding-friendly spaces are available.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Market Hall, West Tower Street · 320 m
The museum is about 800 metres from Carlisle Citadel station, mostly through the pedestrianised city centre. The nearest bus stop is Market Hall on West Tower Street, about 320 metres away.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
There is no on-site car park. Castle Car Park on Devonshire Walk (CA3 8AN) is nearby, and Blue Badge bays are on Castle Street.
Entrances on Castle Street and Abbey Street (through the gardens). Bike parking is limited to racks at the Castle end of Castle Street.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
- Wi-Fi
Café Tullie offers free Wi-Fi to its customers and serves Sunday roasts 11:00–15:00 without a museum ticket. The museum has a shop and a free garden.
Events & venue rental
Groups can book a private space for lunch.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Talks and tours with curators can be booked for groups. Schools can use the museum’s school sessions. |
