Whitstable Museum and Gallery
Volunteer-run local museum in Whitstable’s former Foresters’ Hall, covering diving, oysters, shipbuilding, the Invicta locomotive and Peter Cushing.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Whitstable Museum and Gallery is in Foresters’ Hall in Oxford Street. The hall was built in 1860 as the Whitstable Commercial Academy, a school. The Ancient Order of Foresters bought it in 1881 and added the front portico. Later it was used by the local council and the British Legion before it became a museum.
The museum opened in 1985, created by Canterbury City Council together with the Foresters and the Goldfinch Trust. The council ran it until April 2016, when it was handed to the community. Since then it has been a registered charity run by volunteers, under an agreement with the council signed in 2018.
The displays tell the story of Whitstable and its working harbour. They cover the invention of the diving helmet by the Deane brothers, oyster and whelk fishing, local shipbuilding and the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway. The museum shows the Invicta locomotive of 1830, a restored horse-drawn fire pump and a collection of personal items that belonged to the actor Peter Cushing, who lived in the town for 35 years. A separate gallery next door hosts special displays.
Highlights
- Invicta, a steam locomotive of 1830 from the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway
- Exhibits on the Deane brothers and early diving helmets
- Whitstable’s oyster, whelk and shipbuilding history
- Horse-drawn fire pump used in the Great Fire of 1869
- Collection linked to the actor Peter Cushing
Permanent exhibitions
- Invicta and the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway – The 1830 Invicta locomotive and a stationary winding engine from the world’s first steam passenger railway line.
- Diving, fishing and shipbuilding – Displays on the Deane brothers’ diving helmet, oyster and whelk fishing and the town’s shipbuilders.
- Peter Cushing collection – Personal items of the film actor Peter Cushing, who lived in Whitstable for 35 years.
- Founded
- 1985
- Operated by
- Whitstable Museum and Gallery (registered charity)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £3Visitors aged over 60 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · Visitors under 19 enter free; children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. |
| Seniors | £3Visitors over 60. |
| Students & apprentices | freeFree with a student card. |
| Groups | –Charges for groups are available on application, and advance bookings may qualify for a discount. |
Residents of the CT1 to CT6 postcode areas enter free.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: not available
- 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
The museum and courtyard garden are on one floor. The main entrance has two low steps, and wheelchair access is at pavement level to one side of the main entrance. The old building has limits on layout, so visitors with special requirements should contact the museum in advance if possible. One disabled parking bay is directly outside on Oxford Street.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 18 |
|---|
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Baby changing facilities: not available
The museum says it welcomes children. Hands-on activities are aimed at children from age three, boxes of objects can be handled with supervision, and children can dress up as Victorians, follow a museum trail and look for prehistoric shark’s teeth. Families can eat a picnic lunch in the courtyard garden. There is no baby changing.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
St Alphege Church / The Library (bus) · 50 m
Stagecoach buses run between Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay; get off at St Alphege Church (from Canterbury) or The Library (from Herne Bay). Whitstable railway station, on the London to Ramsgate line, is about half a mile away.
By car
Parking available · 150 m to the entrance
Middle Wall car park (CT5 1BJ) is pay on exit, about 150 metres away. The Whitstable Junior School charity car park (21A Oxford Street) is open at weekends and in school holidays, about 150 metres away.
- Accessible parking
Taxis are available at the railway station.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
There is no catering on site, but picnics are welcome in the courtyard garden and cafés and pubs are within walking distance. There are no visitor toilets in the museum; public toilets are in Skinners Alley, about 50 metres away. Publications are sold at reception.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Groups of around 30 adults can visit during normal hours without an appointment, but notice is advised. School, student and special educational needs groups need special arrangements and should contact the bookings team at least four weeks in advance; the museum can tailor sessions on local and world history. Alcohol and smoking are not allowed in the museum or the courtyard garden. |
