East Surrey Museum

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East Surrey Museum The museum is housed in an attractive Victorian flint and tiled building. The collection covers local history, archaeology, and geology. Admission is free.

The museum covers Tandridge together with parts of Reigate and Banstead and the London Borough of Croydon. We currently have special displays on The Guards Depot at Caterham, local Stone Age flint axes and tools, Magic Lanterns and the history of recorded sound. Our permanent displays, in the East Surrey Room, explain the geology, archaeology and history of the area with many local fossils and artefacts including Medieval pottery, and implements from the Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age. The Children’s Room is loved by children (and adults!) of all ages. It contains toys and artefacts (such as fossils, typewriters and costumes), that may be handled and “experienced”. The room has two huge wallcharts which track the history of toys and the important inventions of the 20th Century. We have a very extensive and important collection of postcards of scenes from local villages, and a collection of local maps going back to the 18th century. The museum shop carries local history books and gifts and all profits are used to support the museum. It is one of the few places where you can buy the Bourne Society’s “Village History” publications, as well as past copies of Local History Records. Importantly, the museum provides a number of services to the community. Group visits to the museum by local organisations, schools, U3A, scouting groups, etc. are very welcome; accompanying talks about the displays can be provided on request. These visits can be arranged outside usual opening times. We also visit schools, care homes and hospitals to give talks (e.g., on National Curriculum subjects) or show artefacts (e.g., from WW2). “Loan boxes”, tailored to the National Curriculum, are available on request. Please contact us about these services via email. All museum rooms are accessible via a ramp; unfortunately we don't have disabled parking. The museum is wholly run by volunteers and donations are welcome. Free parking for a limited time is available at Church Walk Shopping Centre, which is 5 minutes walk from the museum www.churchwalkcaterham.com We are in the centre of Caterham, only about 60 yards from the station, local bus services and taxi rank, and we are in Transport for London zone 6.

Our book sale is now on! Take a look at the stacked shelves of our museum shop on your next visit to see what bargains y...
11/10/2026

Our book sale is now on! Take a look at the stacked shelves of our museum shop on your next visit to see what bargains you can find. Hardbacks are £1, paperbacks just 50p. 📚

10/10/2026
It will soon be half term and time for our Halloween Activities!
07/10/2026

It will soon be half term and time for our Halloween Activities!

Have you spotted our toy wild dog at the museum? We recently had a school visit from St John’s Year 6 who named the dog ...
03/10/2026

Have you spotted our toy wild dog at the museum? We recently had a school visit from St John’s Year 6 who named the dog Cookie. So say hello to Cookie on your next visit 👋

The Caterham Food Festival in on this Sunday - why not pop into the Museum whilst you're in the valley? As well as all o...
02/10/2026

The Caterham Food Festival in on this Sunday - why not pop into the Museum whilst you're in the valley? As well as all our regular displays, we are featuring local schools both past and present. Take a trip down memory lane and read a school dinner menu from 1974! Open 10.30 - 16.00

Try out our stereoscope on your next visit to the museum to see the 3D image through the lenses! 👀Our latest display is ...
24/09/2026

Try out our stereoscope on your next visit to the museum to see the 3D image through the lenses! 👀

Our latest display is this stereoscope - a device for viewing a stereoscopic pair of separate images, depicting left-eye and right-eye views of the same scene as a single three-dimensional image.

They were popular between the 1850s - 1930s as a home entertainment medium. The one displayed at the museum is likely from the late Victorian period.

21/09/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who visited us on Saturday for our Heritage Open Day, both at the museum and Soper Hall. Our featured well-known local residents were very popular, and after counting your votes, we are pleased to announce that in first place was Joey Deacon, author and disability advocate and lifetime resident of St Lawrence's Hospital. Followed by Val Straw Air Warden and Arthur Ridley, actor in second place. In third place was the Godstone Pirate!

17/09/2026

We are pleased to announce that our very own town crier will be officially opening Heritage Open Day this coming Saturday at 11.00! Come along and visit our special ‘Everyday Histories’ display to learn about just some of the fascinating people who have lived in our local area and vote for your favourite!

Heritage Open Days is now on at East Surrey Museum! Visit our special ‘Everyday Histories’ display when we’re open this ...
16/09/2026

Heritage Open Days is now on at East Surrey Museum! Visit our special ‘Everyday Histories’ display when we’re open this week to learn about just some of the fascinating people that have lived in our local area. 👥

Just ONE place left for this Saturday!"Our next Sewing Workshop is on Saturday 3rd October - limited places - please ema...
14/09/2026

Just ONE place left for this Saturday!"

Our next Sewing Workshop is on Saturday 3rd October - limited places - please email [email protected] to book.

Address

1 Stafford Road
Caterham
CR36JG

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10:30am - 4pm

Telephone

+441883340275

Website

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