Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery

Over het museum

Calls for a museum in Exeter began in the 1840s, but the project only gained momentum in 1861, when the death of Prince Albert led the Devon MP Sir Stafford Northcote to launch an appeal for a local memorial. The result was a building on Queen Street, designed by John Hayward in the Gothic Revival style, to house a museum, art gallery, library, art school and college. The first phase opened in 1868 with a fair, concerts and a banquet to raise further funds, and an important collection arrived that year from the Devon and Exeter Institution.

The building was extended in the 1880s and 1890s, and after the opening of the 1899 extension it was allowed to add the word Royal to its name. During the twentieth century the library, college and art school moved elsewhere, and the building became known as the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, or RAMM. Its collections now run to over one million objects in eight main categories, including antiquities, fine art, natural sciences, social history and world cultures. The world cultures collection and George Montagu's shell collection have been Designated by Arts Council England.

From 2007 to 2012 the museum closed for a redevelopment costing about £24 million, funded mainly by Exeter City Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The architects Allies and Morrison designed a new gallery, entrance and courtyard. RAMM won the Art Fund prize for Museum of the Year in 2012 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2018.

Hoogtepunten

• Victorian Gothic Revival building of 1868
• Gerald the giraffe and the natural history displays
• World Cultures galleries with a totem pole and samurai armour
• Roman Devon gallery with the Seaton Down Hoard
• Egyptian collection with the tomb of Shep en-Mut
• Free entry

Vaste collectie

• World Cultures galleries – Objects from around the globe, including a totem pole and samurai armour, with a family area and a mini-explorer zone.
• Roman Devon and the Seaton Down Hoard – The Roman collection tells of the legion at Isca and life in Roman Exeter, and shows the complete Seaton Down coin hoard.
• Natural history displays – Displays of animals, birds and insects, including Gerald the giraffe.

Opgericht

1868

Beheerder

Exeter City Council

Bezoekers per jaar

ca. 340.000

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

De toegang is gratis.

Entry to the museum is free. Some special exhibitions and events may be ticketed.

Toegankelijkheid

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

There are two lifts and level access on each floor, and some doors open automatically. The Garden Entrance can be reached by a level route and a ramp from the Blue Badge parking area, and the Queen Street entrance has a lift. Two wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge, and folding chairs can be hired. Accessible toilets are on both levels; the nearest Changing Places toilet is in the Princesshay shopping centre. Hearing loops are at Garden Reception, the shop and two meeting rooms, with a portable loop for small groups. Large print captions, an Easy Read guide, visual stories, ear defenders, a relaxed session programme and BSL videos are available, and audio guides on the Bloomberg Connects app include one designed for visitors with a visual impairment. Assistance dogs are welcome. Two Blue Badge spaces at the Garden Entrance can be reserved by phone.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Doe- en voelstations
• Kinderwagenvriendelijk
• Verschoonruimte
• Speeltuin / speelhoek

Families can borrow free Beastie Bags with toys and ideas for young children, follow printed trails or play RAMMbingo activity cards. There are interactive displays, touch specimens from the geology collection and a family area in the World Cultures gallery with books and postcard-making. Pushchairs can use the lift and the ramp at the Garden Entrance. Baby-changing facilities are on both levels, and breastfeeding and bottle-feeding are welcome.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

Queen Street is one-way. The museum is well signposted from Exeter Quay, Cathedral Green and the main shopping areas. Coaches can drop off in Queen Street outside Central station.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel
• Kluisjes
• Wifi

The café serves hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, paninis, cakes and cream teas, and free Wi-Fi is available in the museum. The shop on the ground floor near the Queen Street entrance sells gifts, prints, books and toys. Lockers on the ground floor at the Queen Street entrance cost £1.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten
• Zakelijke evenementen

Tot 500 personen.

Galleries, a courtyard gallery (evenings), a garden meeting room and a meeting room in the York Wing can be hired for receptions, dinners, talks and meetings. Prices are given on request.

Je bezoek plannen