Weston Museum

About the museum

Weston Museum goes back to 1861, when the local shoemaker William Mable gave his growing collection of natural history specimens and local ephemera to a night school for the town's donkey boys, in the hope that Weston would one day have a public museum. It opened in 1863 in the Albert Memorial Hall, moved into the town's Free Library and Museum on the Boulevard in 1900, and in 1975 took over the former offices and workshops of the Weston Gaslight Company in Burlington Street. A neighbouring Victorian cottage, later named Clara's Cottage, was added to the museum in 1985.

Over the years the museum has had several names and owners, including the Woodspring Museum, The Time Machine and the North Somerset Museum. Weston-super-Mare Town Council took over the building in 2011. With a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant the museum closed in April 2015 for a major redesign, including a glass-roofed central gallery, and reopened as Weston Museum in August 2017.

Today the galleries use objects from the North Somerset Collection, which is owned by North Somerset Council and cared for by the South West Heritage Trust. They follow the area from ice-age animals and prehistoric settlers through the growth of a fishing village into a Victorian health and bathing resort, and on to the seaside town of recent times. Clara's Cottage shows how an ordinary Weston home looked in the early 1900s.

Highlights

• A Living Landscape gallery on prehistoric Weston and the Stone Age to medieval periods
• Tides of Change, on the growth of a fishing village into a resort, with paintings and sculpture
• Beside the Sea, covering the Victorian and later seaside town with souvenirs and snapshots
• Clara's Cottage, an early 1900s home
• Seascape area with the boat of local fisherman Alf 'Juicy' Payne

Permanent exhibitions

• A Living Landscape – Prehistoric creatures, Stone Age tools and finds from ancient inhabitants, following life through to the medieval period. First floor.
• Tides of Change – Weston's growth from a small fishing village into a resort known for its health-giving air and bathing, with paintings and sculpture. First floor.
• Beside the Sea – The Victorian seaside resort, its trades and shops, through to the present day, with souvenirs and snapshots from the resort's heyday. First floor.

Founded

1861

Operated by

Weston-super-Mare Town Council

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry to the permanent galleries and most temporary exhibitions is free. Some touring national exhibitions may charge a small fee, and activities or events may be charged separately. Donations are welcome in the donation boxes or by card or cheque at the front desk.

Accessibility

• Partially 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

A lift gives step-free access to the upper galleries, the aisles are wide and seating is provided in the galleries. A carpet runner across the cobbled courtyard can be arranged in advance. Clara's Cottage, built in 1865, is not fully accessible to wheelchair users because of narrow corridors and a staircase. An audio description tour is available through QR codes in the galleries. Assistance dogs are welcome; no other animals are allowed inside. The accessible toilet has baby-changing facilities.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

Free Mini Explorer backpacks for toddlers and children with special educational needs, a monthly Young Archaeologists' Club for ages 8 to 16, twilight visits for scout and guide groups and a small play area with a dressing-up box in Clara's Cafe. The museum is breastfeeding friendly.

Getting there & parking

There is a bike rack outside the museum. Coaches can drop off on nearby Orchard Street (a loading bay) or Alfred Street; there is no designated coach drop-off point.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Clara's Cafe overlooks the glass-roofed courtyard and serves cakes, leaf teas, coffee and light meals. The museum shop sells local crafts, books on Weston-super-Mare, jewellery and cards from more than 25 local suppliers.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

A range of rooms, including the glass-roofed central gallery, can be hired for weddings, celebrations, corporate events, performances and exhibitions.

Plan your visit