River & Rowing Museum

River & Rowing Museum Museum, shop & café open daily 10-4 | car park open daily 9-5

The River & Rowing Museum inspires escape and exploration in a beautiful riverside location in Henley on Thames. The home of the enchanting 3D Wind in the Willows story exhibition with lights, sound and interactives, the Museum also celebrates the richness of the wildlife that calls the riverbank its home. Further galleries celebrate the work of local Modern British artist John Piper (in the UK's

only gallery dedicated to his work), tell the story of Henley and, of course, the history of the sport of rowing.

Join artist Camilla Shelley, winner of the Dolby Challenge Cup at Henley Show 2024, for an afternoon exploring marbling ...
13/01/2025

Join artist Camilla Shelley, winner of the Dolby Challenge Cup at Henley Show 2024, for an afternoon exploring marbling and floral arrangement. Create a beautiful centre-piece for your home or a gift for a loved one. Have a go at marbling to create the background of your arrangement, then add fresh flowers to make it a stand-out piece.

All materials provided. Refreshments provided. Book now at https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0fJwMZ0

From our collection, a black and white photograph of Thameside, Henley, with St Mary's church in the background. Year un...
12/01/2025

From our collection, a black and white photograph of Thameside, Henley, with St Mary's church in the background. Year unknown.

Do you remember Thameside looking like this?

Grab yourself a bargain in our shop, with promotions on some items after Christmas. Why not pop in for a coffee at the s...
11/01/2025

Grab yourself a bargain in our shop, with promotions on some items after Christmas. Why not pop in for a coffee at the same time and take advantage of an hour's free parking? Open every day from 10am-4pm.

Useful information from Swan Support, thank you. 🦢
10/01/2025

Useful information from Swan Support, thank you.

🦢

Feeding the Swans

It’s that time of year where natural food sources are scarce and the colder weather sets in so the swans look to people for food more than ever, especially where flocks congregate.

We have had a few calls asking us what to feed them….so thought the points below would be helpful…

🦢 Bread isn’t bad! We know it isn’t the most nutritious (the same as a McDonald’s isn’t the best for us) but it is better than nothing. Swans have been fed bread for many many years without problems and it doesn’t cause Angel Wing. Just please don’t use mouldy bread and always feed in the water!

🦢 Other options can include mixed corn/bird seed, sweetcorn, peas, floating pellets, cooked rice and porridge oats.

🦢Please ensure frozen peas/sweetcorn are defrosted before feeding.

🦢 Some food sinks so if the water is deep then consider options like bread or the floating pellets so the swans are able to get the food.

🦢 ALWAYS FEED IN THE WATER….firstly they need the water to help the food pass down their long neck but more importantly feeding out of the water leaves them vulnerable, especially to dog attacks. It may also encourage them to come out of the water in search of food and this can be dangerous if there are roads/car parks nearby.

Sadly many of the swans we are being called out to are underweight….a typical adult sized swan should weigh between 8kg - 12kg (some heavier) however we have picked up 3 cygnets just this week, all weighing around 4.5kg! Also we know Avian Flu hasn’t gone away and keeping them fed and healthy will mean they stand a better chance should the situation worsen…so anything you can spare to feed the swans this winter will make a difference.

Thank You 💙

Behind the Vault Session: Crisis in Space: The Soviet Era Space Program with Dr Michael Warner, exhibition owner and cur...
10/01/2025

Behind the Vault Session: Crisis in Space: The Soviet Era Space Program with Dr Michael Warner, exhibition owner and curator.

These private sessions are available for enthusiasts to take a deep-dive into The Space Vault. Participants are provided with white gloves to examine up-close and hands-on a curated selection of artifacts. In this session we explore cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin’s Mir space station EVA Orlan spacesuit glove and Sokol KV-2 gloves flown on Soyuz TMA-1, and we will attempt to pressurize a Strizh spacesuit developed for the Soviet/Russian Buran space plane.

Thursday 23rd January 2025, 7.30-9.00pm, £100 per person. Book now via our website https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0fGMyG0

09/01/2025

We are delighted to announce an exciting new chapter for our café. After a successful period under the stewardship of Velolife, the café is now back under the our direct management, as we continue to build a stronger, more sustainable future.

Over the past two months we have been working closely with the Velolife team to ensure a smooth and successful handover. This collaborative effort has been vital in preserving the quality and service that visitors have come to expect from the café and we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Lee and the team for all their hard work and dedication.

This moment represents another important milestone for us. Following a period of renewal and growth, we are proud to say the Museum is now stable and firmly back on the front foot. Taking the café in-house is part of our broader vision to enhance the visitor experience, ensuring it remains a key destination for families, enthusiasts, and tourists.

We look forward to welcoming you soon ☕️🍰🥪

Join us from next Monday 13th for our popular weekly under 5’s group, which is a year old now! Enjoy songs, activities, ...
09/01/2025

Join us from next Monday 13th for our popular weekly under 5’s group, which is a year old now! Enjoy songs, activities, stories and a chance to find out more about special objects in our collection. Tiddlers is led by our Early Years specialist Maddy and is suitable for children aged 1+ (younger siblings are welcome to accompany children aged 1+). £7.50 per child, book now via our website.

Have you considered the museum for your event? Our Thames Room is a fantastic event space overlooking the river and mead...
09/01/2025

Have you considered the museum for your event? Our Thames Room is a fantastic event space overlooking the river and meadows. Get in touch with the events team via our website to see how we can help with making your event a success.

From our collection, a black and white postcard showing Reading Road in Henley On Thames. Believed to be from around 190...
08/01/2025

From our collection, a black and white postcard showing Reading Road in Henley On Thames. Believed to be from around 1900.

From our collection, a photograph of the Saxon log boat being recovered from the River Thames at Walton in 1966. The woo...
07/01/2025

From our collection, a photograph of the Saxon log boat being recovered from the River Thames at Walton in 1966. The wooden dugout boat dates to the Saxon period and was first discovered during dredging. It was designed to carry bulky loads and passengers, propelled by a pole or paddle, and is now on display in our River Gallery.

Good morning Henley. We have a light dusting of snow to start the day!We are open from 10am-4pm but please remember that...
07/01/2025

Good morning Henley. We have a light dusting of snow to start the day!

We are open from 10am-4pm but please remember that our café is CLOSED today.

We think this sounds like a great way to start your visit. Thank you so much for this recent 5 star review.We're open 7 ...
07/01/2025

We think this sounds like a great way to start your visit. Thank you so much for this recent 5 star review.
We're open 7 days a week, 10am to 4pm, and can't wait to welcome you!

Please note that our café will be closed all day tomorrow, Tuesday 7th January. The rest of the museum, including our sh...
06/01/2025

Please note that our café will be closed all day tomorrow, Tuesday 7th January. The rest of the museum, including our shop, will be open from 10am-4pm as usual.

Apologies for any inconvenience this might cause, and we look forward to welcoming you back on Wednesday.

From our collection, a black and white photograph of the bells of St Mary's Church, Henley on Thames, taken in January 1...
06/01/2025

From our collection, a black and white photograph of the bells of St Mary's Church, Henley on Thames, taken in January 1922.

From our collection, and topical given the snow warning*, a black and white photograph of Western Road, Henley, in the s...
05/01/2025

From our collection, and topical given the snow warning*, a black and white photograph of Western Road, Henley, in the snow. Year unknown, can you help?

*this post was scheduled on Friday afternoon, so the snow might not have appeared!

New Year, new line-up!Here are some of the highlights of what we have on for you at the start of 2025.All this plus our ...
04/01/2025

New Year, new line-up!

Here are some of the highlights of what we have on for you at the start of 2025.

All this plus our galleries, shop and café.

For full details, latest info and booking, please visit our website.

https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0fCw0_0

Address

Mill Meadows
Henley On Thames
RG91BF

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when River & Rowing Museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to River & Rowing Museum:

Videos

Share

Category

Our Story

The River & Rowing Museum is one of the U.K’s leading independent museums.

Situated in picturesque Henley on Thames, and housed in an award-winning building on the banks of the river, the museum explores the River Thames, the international sport of rowing and the town of Henley. The galleries include interactive displays as well as internationally-significant collections, including the family-friendly ‘Wind in the Willows’ gallery and a permanent display of the work of artist John Piper.

In addition, the Museum hosts a lively programme of temporary and visiting exhibitions, working with partners such as the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A and the Hayward Gallery in London. Working closely with organisations in the local area, the Museum has recently opened a Community Gallery which showcases a wide variety of local projects.

Twice shortlisted for Family Friendly Museum of the Year, the Museum is a registered educational charity, and welcomes over 114,000 visitors per year, including 20,000 children and adults who taking part in our fun and inspiring learning and events programme.