Guildford Museum

24/02/2024

will be opening a little later today, at 1.30pm. We look forward to welcoming you!
In the meantime, will be open from 10am or you can check out our Museum at Home activities at https://www.guildford.gov.uk/museumfun.
We apologise for any inconvenience.

12/09/2023

Visit our Guildford's Heritage page for regular updates and content.

16/07/2022

**Video Games - Made in Guildford: nDreams event UPDATE**

**Video Games - Made in Guildford: nDreams event UPDATE**

The nDreams event due to take place today at our museum, has been cancelled. Because of staff sickness we are unable to go ahead as planned and apologise for the short notice.

We are so sorry for any inconvenience if you planned to visit us today. We are just as disappointed as you.

Our museum will remain open today between 12-4pm.

The same is event running on 20 August. It is still going ahead as planned. We look forward to seeing you there.

02/07/2022

Good Morning Surrey!

Our exciting new exhibition at Guildford Museum is ready to welcome you. Video Games- Made In Guildford is ready to welcome you. It gives a snapshot into the thriving videogame sector in Guildford and local area.
You can:

learn about the first videogame studio in Guildford, Bullfrog Productions
discover more about the 70 plus local games studios
find out how many games have been released from Guildford
play Guildford-made videogames on our console station
find out how to get into the sector from local videogame experts
This exhibition is the beginning of a larger project. We aim to collect every videogame made within the GU postcode. The games on display are the beginning of our videogame collection.

The Museum is open Wednesday-Saturday 12pm-4pm and admission is free and we look forward to seeing you.

Experience Guildford Guildford Town CentreGuildford, Surrey, UKBBC Radio Surrey Surrey ChoicesVisit Guildford Guildford Residents for Guildford and Villages Visit Surrey Visit South East England We Love Surrey Guildford Town Past & Present Guildford Present & Future Guildford Dragon NewsEA Gamess Criterion Games Greatest Hits Radio UK_Gaming Nintendo Nintendo Switch Xbox UK PlayStation Surrey Live Historic GuildfordFamilies Surrey West Magazine Mum's Grapevine Outandabout Surrey Life What To Do With The Kids (UK) Out With The Kids by Jeff Bogle

07/05/2022

The Medieval Undercroft will be open again on this . Located in the high street opposite the Angel Hotel, this historic attraction will be welcoming visitors every Wednesday and Saturday between 2pm and 4pm May through to September. Admission is Free! Experience Guildford Visit GuildfordVisit SurreyWe Love SurreyGuildfordHistoric Guildford BBC Radio Surrey

07/05/2022

So today is your last chance to help us recreate in model form, using our recycled materials. Why not spend this looking around our wonderful County town and then pop into our Museum in Quarry Street between 12pm-4pm to recreate your favourite landmark. Admission as always is free! Experience Guildford Visit Surrey Visit Guildford BBC Radio Surrey

03/05/2022

We are thrilled to announce the re-opening of the Medieval Undercroft. Located in the high street opposite the Angel Hotel, this historic attraction will be welcoming visitors every Wednesday and Saturday between 2pm and 4pm May through to September. Admission is Free! Historic Guildford Guildford Town Past & PresentVisit SurreyGuildfordWe Love SurreyVisit GuildfordFriends of Guildford MuseumExperience Guildford Guildford Borough CouncilGuildford, Surrey, UK Visit South East EnglandBBC Radio Surrey Guildford Dragon NewsGuildford

01/05/2022

It was wonderful to see our Spring traditions back in full swing yesterday.

21/04/2022

Have you created your own piece of Guildford with us yet? Model Town Build Guildford is open along with the rest of the Museum, Wednesday through to Saturday 11am-4:30pm and Admission is free. Visit South East England Visit Guildford Visit Surrey Guildford Town Past & Present The Yvonne Arnaud TheatreWe Love Surrey Experience Guildford Historic Guildford Guildford Town Centre

09/03/2022

We are recruiting!
Would you like to work in a small team, have a interest in Guildford history and its local buildings and maintaining them? If so then this vacancy for a part-time Caretaker could be for you. For full details and how to apply please click here. https://jobs.guildford.gov.uk/internal/vacancy/caretaker-478422.html

19/02/2022

Our family activities continue today at . Come and visit us between 12pm – 1.30pm and 2pm – 3.30pm and make these blooming spring flowers in our drop-in activity. You can also try our new spring flowers trail. 🌹 🌷

Both activities are free.

The Museum is open from 12pm -4pm Wednesday through to Saturday with a wide range of permanent and temporary exhibitions.

08/01/2022

Due to unforeseen circumstances we regret to advise you that Guildford Museum will not be open today Saturday 8th January 2022. We would also like to advise that the Surrey Finds Officer will not be holding his monthly event today due to these circumstances.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and look forward to welcoming you back on Wednesday 12th January from midday.

Guildford Borough Council Visit Guildford Visit Surrey Experience Guildford

05/11/2021

Our phone lines at the museum are now working.
👇👇👇👇

Our phone lines at the museum are now working.

So if you need to contact us you can by:

👉 phoning 01483 444 751
👉 emailing [email protected]

04/11/2021

We are currently experiencing technical issues with our phone system which is resulting in no calls being able to be made to our 01483 444751 number. The matter has been reported and an external team are working hard to resolve this. If you need to contact us as a matter of urgency please call Guildford Borough Council on 01483 505050 or email us at [email protected]. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

01/11/2021

Available from our Museum gift shop now!

Be sure to get yourself a copy of the new 'Folklore of Surrey' by Matthew Alexander!

This study of the local folklore of Surrey describes the working-class traditions of village and market towns in ‘Old Surrey’, and includes popular themes such as ghosts, tunnels and treasure, witches, folk medicine, sayings, calendar customs and even wife-swapping. For Surrey researchers, the book is rich in local history material, accurate, comprehensive and relevant, as well as a fascinating book to read.

Copies are available for purchase at the Society’s headquarters at Abinger, Guildford Museum and Surrey History Centre (Surrey Heritage). They can also be purchased by post (£12.99 plus £2p+p) from the Society. See https://www.surreyarchaeology.org.uk/content/publications for more info.

27/07/2021

As we continue looking at the we’d like to share with you this photograph of a beautiful red fox who often visits ’s roof and garden. Foxes are known to have lived in Britain’s southern urban areas since the 1930s. Foxes shelter in our gardens, yards and other open spaces. Their varied diet includesinsects and grubs, slugs, worms, small rodents, and anything that they can raid from our rubbish bins!
Read more here about foxes here - https://www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/urban-fox

26/07/2021

26/07/2021

This week we are looking at the . Artists are often influenced by the wonder of nature around them. This ‘Seashore Box’ made by Doreen Bibby was inspired by the artist’s childhood love of rockpools. Sand, pebbles, shells, and seaweed are represented though a variety of textiles such as leather, thread and beads.

How does the inspire you?

Image © Doreen Bibby

21/07/2021

Have you made an interesting archaeological discovery?

Bring objects you have found when out walking, digging in your garden or using a metal detector to our free Finds Identification Session with Dr Simon Maslin County Finds Liaison Officer.


Sat 24 July 12.30pm - 2.30pm
Free entry

16/07/2021

'Georgian Women’ our new online exhibition of portraits by renowned Guildford-born artist, John Russell RA is now live.

It provides opportunity to enjoy the skills of one of Britain’s most successful 18th century pastellists.

Find out more 👉 'https://www.guildford.gov.uk/article/25652/New-online-exhibition-Georgian-Women-Portraits-by-Guildfordian-John-Russell-RA

15/07/2021

Our project to collect the sector in continues. We have now collected 23 out of the 220+ games made in Guildford.

We still have a long way to go!

If you have any videogames that were made by Guildford studios that you would like to donate to ’s collection please do get in touch 😊

15/07/2021

As we continue our crafting project, this week we will be looking at some other , or handmade decorative objects.
’s needlework collection includes many tools used by people to stitch the items. This silver thimble dates from the 1600s.

People wear thimbles to protect their fingers when they push needles through cloth when stitching. From their useful beginnings they have evolved into trinkets given as gifts or made to commemorate events. Larger thimbles, used to measure spirits, gave rise to the saying ‘just a thimbleful’ when talking about a measure of drink .

14/07/2021

As we continue our crafting project, this week we will be looking at some other , such this embroidered box, made in the 1600s. At this time girls learnt to sew from a young age and making a box like this was the high point of a girl’s education, showcasing all the skills she had learnt. Only girls from wealthy backgrounds, who did not have to work for a living, made these types of boxes.

They took many hours to make and the materials, including gold and silver threads, were expensive. Sadly, the box may have stayed hidden for part of its life. It features King Charles I who was executed in 1649 for treason. His supporters may have been advised to hide their feelings!

12/07/2021

As we continue our crafting project, this week we will be looking at some other , or handmade decorative objects. This wooden candlestick was made by John Tanner in the 1800s. John was a shepherd who enjoyed the art of wood carving.

Wood carving is a form of woodwork. An object is carved by removing excess wood using different hand tools such as knives and chisels. We think you’ll agree that the detailed decoration on this candlestick is beautiful and must have taken John a long time to complete.