Gainsborough's House

Over het museum

Gainsborough's House in Sudbury was the childhood home of the painter Thomas Gainsborough (1727-88), who was born in the town. It is a Grade I listed 18th-century merchant house with a historic garden. The house was saved from destruction in 1958, when the Gainsborough's House Society was formed to buy it, and it opened to the public as a museum in 1961.

The museum grew into the international centre for the study and display of Gainsborough's work. A major capital project began in 2019 and added a three-storey exhibition wing, a study area, an improved print workshop, a cafe, a shop and offices, while the Georgian townhouse itself was fully restored. The museum reopened in November 2022 and describes itself as the largest gallery in Suffolk.

Today visitors can see the restored house, the new galleries, and the volunteer-maintained garden. The Landscape Studio holds a permanent camera obscura that projects a view of Sudbury, and a print workshop runs courses. The museum also has a study room, an online collection search and a free digital guide, and it offers learning programmes, talks and family workshops.

Hoogtepunten

• Birthplace of Thomas Gainsborough, a Grade I listed Georgian house
• Galleries showing Gainsborough and his contemporaries
• Camera obscura in the Landscape Studio
• Historic garden maintained by volunteers
• Print workshop with courses and classes
• Free digital guide with audio description and BSL interpretation

Vaste collectie

• Historic house and garden – Gainsborough's childhood home, a restored Georgian townhouse, with a historic garden maintained by volunteers.
• Galleries – A new three-storey wing of galleries presents the work of Thomas Gainsborough and shows changing exhibitions.
• Camera obscura – A permanent camera obscura in the Landscape Studio projects a 360-degree view of Sudbury; volunteers guide it on Thursdays from 1pm to 3pm.

Opgericht

1961

Beheerder

Gainsborough's House Society

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

The adult price of 15 pounds is without Gift Aid; with Gift Aid it is 16.50 pounds. Tickets can be bought at reception or online, and online tickets are not date-specific and are valid for one entry within a year. Admission is free for members of Gainsborough's House, and for National Art Pass holders (with 5 pounds extra for temporary exhibitions), and for Museums Association, ICOM and Historic Houses members with a valid card. CPRE members get 10% off and visitors with a valid train ticket 30% off through the National Rail Days Out offer. Only one discount can be used at a time. The camera obscura runs every Thursday from 1pm to 3pm.

Toegankelijkheid

• Rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie

The museum is mostly accessible by wheelchair, but larger mobility scooters do not suit the layout. There are automatic door buttons at the main entrance and in the new galleries, ramp access from the garden to the cafe and the main house, and handrails on all stair routes. A lift in the new galleries serves all floors, and a lift in the old house reaches all floors except the Upper Bow Room, which is up seven stairs. Accessible toilets and baby changing are across the site, and a manual wheelchair can be borrowed from reception (call ahead). Three Blue Badge bays are on Gainsborough Street, with a 3-hour limit, and drop-off is possible at the front of the new galleries on Weavers Lane. Guide and assistance animals are welcome, and volunteers in blue lanyards can help.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Verschoonruimte

Family workshops, art classes and print-making courses are held in the programme, and children under 18 are admitted free. Baby changing facilities are located across the site.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The main entrance is on Weavers Lane, not Gainsborough Street, and its what3words address is sheepish.logo.spotty.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel

The Watering Place cafe is currently closed due to unforeseen circumstances, so visitors should check before planning to eat there. The museum also has a shop.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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