Wycombe Museum

About the museum

The museum traces its roots to 1875, when a local lawyer opened a house in Church Street as a free library with a small collection of old objects. The collection later moved to the upper floor of the town library in Queen Victoria Road in 1932. In 1962 Wycombe District Council bought Castle Hill House on Priory Avenue for the purpose, and the house opened as the town museum on 7 July 1962.

Castle Hill House is a Grade II listed building whose oldest parts date from the late 1600s. It stands beside a Norman castle mound, a scheduled ancient monument, on a site that has been occupied since the early Middle Ages. The museum closed in 2015 for a major refurbishment and reopened on 1 December 2015. Since 2016 it has been run by Wycombe Heritage and Arts Trust, an independent charity formed in 2014.

The collection of more than 20,000 items reflects the town's best-known industry, furniture and Windsor chair making, alongside local history and art. A converted stable block, the gardens and a café complete the site, and a Chair Discovery Centre in St Mary's Street houses the stored furniture collection and archives and opens on selected public days.

Highlights

• The Chair Museum galleries on Windsor chairs and the people who made them
• A History of Wycombe in 10 Objects, from a prehistoric hand axe to a football rosette
• A 1920s kitchen showing the house as a family home
• Art gallery with portraits and landscapes by and of local people
• Gardens with the Norman castle mound and a café

Permanent exhibitions

• A History of Wycombe in 10 Objects – Ten objects, from a prehistoric hand axe to a modern football rosette, lead through the history of the Wycombe district.
• The Chair Museum – Tells how chairs and furniture were made in the town, who made them and how methods changed over time.
• 1920s Kitchen Gallery – Shows how Castle Hill House might have looked as a family home in the 1920s.

Founded

1875

Operated by

Wycombe Heritage and Arts Trust

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free entry to the museum and gardens; donations are welcome. No booking is needed.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum building is fully wheelchair accessible, with a lift and an accessible toilet on the ground floor. Some garden paths are steep or uneven and the castle mound has steps only. One accessible space is available in the on-site car park. An accessibility guide can be downloaded from the website. Service animals are welcome throughout.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

Described as a family-friendly museum with hands-on galleries. Regular activities include a toddler story time, a toddler forest school in the gardens and craft sessions for primary-age children during Buckinghamshire school holidays. Buggies are allowed throughout; the first floor is narrow, so staff may ask visitors to leave buggies in the foyer at busy times. Baby changing is available and breastfeeding is welcome everywhere.

Getting there & parking

The museum is about five minutes on foot from High Wycombe High Street, reached by the railway footbridges at Castle Place or Amersham Hill.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Wi-Fi

Windsor Chair Café with indoor and outdoor seating, child-friendly meals and high chairs. Free Wi-Fi in the museum buildings and café (network "HWMuseum", terms to be accepted). Books can be bought in an online shop. Picnics are welcome in the grounds and garden games can be borrowed from the café.

Events & venue rental

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

The listed house, converted stable block, meeting rooms and gardens (with marquees for outdoor events) can be hired. Capacities and prices are given on request.

Plan your visit