Wellwood Burns Centre and Museum

About the museum

Wellwood is a five-bedroom house on Eglinton Street in Irvine. John Paterson, a banker, bought a house on the site in 1869, and in 1904 his widow acquired the neighbouring property. The family then built the present house, designed by the Irvine architects J & J Armour, and named it after Wellwood near Muirkirk, where John’s grandfather had farmed.

The Paterson brothers James and Robert left the house to Irvine Burns Club. The club has used the ground floor since 1963, opened the house as its home in 1967 and has been its sole occupant since 1976. From 1975 the house also held the Royal Burgh of Irvine Museum. The club itself was founded in 1826 to celebrate Robert Burns’s time in Irvine in 1781, and 2026 is its bicentenary year.

Today the rooms hold the club’s Burns collections, including first-edition manuscripts, letters, murals, the Templeton chair, stained glass and the work of Clement Wilson. Rooms with historic features include the Directors’ Room, the Burns Room, the Hogg Room library, the Music Room and the Wilson Room.

Highlights

• Burns Room with audiovisual presentation
• First-edition manuscripts and other Burns letters
• Wellwood murals and stained glass
• The Templeton chair
• Historic rooms of the club’s home

Permanent exhibitions

• Wellwood Highlights – A selection of the main items and rooms of the Wellwood collection.
• Burns Room audiovisual presentation – An audiovisual presentation in the Burns Room about the poet and his time in Irvine.
• First-edition manuscripts, letters and murals – Burns manuscripts and letters, the Wellwood murals, stained glass and the Templeton chair.

Founded

1962

Operated by

Irvine Burns Club

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free; advance booking is requested.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• 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

Full disabled access is available to the ground floor only. Visitors are asked to contact the club in advance to use the approved access route and facilities.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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