Suffolk Museums
Suffolk Museums
The Amber Museum
The UK’s only purpose-built museum dedicated to the history of amber.
Examples from around the world, plus shop. See The Amber Shop and Museum
Bawdsey Radar Station
Visit ‘The Magic Ear’ - an exhibition about the history of Radar. In 1937,
Bawdsey was the first of the Chain Home Radar stations that played a crucial role in the Battle of Britain. See Bawdsey Radar Station
Mechanical Music Museum and Bygones
Small music boxes, polyphons and organettes, larger street pianos and player organs, large fair organs, dance band and cafe organs plus a number of unusual items and the Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ. The interior roof is adorned with hundreds of old records and horned gramophones.
Blacksmith Road, Cotton, 01449 613876
Bentwaters Cold War Museum
Musuem housed in a command post or bunker on what was the USAF air base at RAF Bentwaters. See restored ‘war operations’ rooms and other displays.
Bentwaters Parks, Rendlesham.
Gainsborough’s House, Sudbury
Established museum in the birthplace of artist Thomas Gainsborough. The historic townhouse, with an attractive walled garden, displays more of the artist’s work than any other gallery. The collection is shown together with 18th century furniture and memorabilia with work by Gainsborough’s contemporaries and followers.
There is a varied programme of temporary exhibitions of both historic and contemporary art.
See Gainsborough's House
Museum of East Anglian Life
Open-air museum in 75 acres of beautiful countryside. Here you can explore nearly 3km of woodland and riverside nature trails, learn about fascinating East Anglian crafts and traditional Gypsy culture and discover fifteen splendidly restored historic buildings. Plus steam engines, animals, including Suffolk Punch horses, and more.
See Museum of East Anglian Life
The National Horseracing Museum
The story of the people and horses involved in racing from its Royal origins to Lester Piggott, Frankie Dettori and other modern heroes. Highlights include: the head of Persimmon, a great Royal Derby winner in 1896; a special display about Fred Archer, the late Victorian jockey who committed suicide, which features the pistol he used to take his life; and the colourful jackets of ‘Prince Monolulu’, the 1950’s tipster.
See The National Horseracing Museum
Heavy Horse Museum
Museum dedicated to the Suffolk working horse breed (or Suffolk Punch), the oldest such breed in the world and possibly the most perfect working animal ever bred by man.
Shire Hall, Market Hill, Woodbridge 01394 380643
Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum
Over 50 aircraft and 20,000 exhibits reflecting military and civil aviation in East Anglia.
See The Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum
If you are interested in local history, there is a wealth of information available to you in the museums throughout Suffolk.
Lowestoft Museum contains information on the history of the town, from the Stone Age to the 20th Century. Its exhibits relate to agriculture, the textile industry, plus the town’s porcelain works. Please see the image above for an old-world view at Lowestoft Pier. Contact: 01502 511457
For more information please see Lowestoft Town Guide.
Bungay Museum provides visitors with an insight into local history, archaeology, geology and coins – including Bungay Tokens. There is also a collection of paintings, clay works, photographs and engravings pertaining to the town, including a display case dedicated to the Bungay painter, john Childs. Contact: 01986 892176
For more information please see Bungay Town Guide.
Halesworth Museum is situated in the town’s station building alongside a restored signal box and unique moveable platforms. Featured is an ever-changing display on local history, plus resources on English, history and science studies. Contact: 01986 875351
For more information please see Halesworth Town Guide.
Southwold Museum has a collection of items relating to the natural history of Southwold by way of a pictorial display including photographs and artefacts. Contact: 0789 0300 532
For more information please see Southwold Town Guide
Saxmundham Museumcontains items relating to the history of the town, including a scale model of the Saxmundham Railway Station complete with working trains, replica Victorian shop fronts, costumes, dolls and a replication of the 1930’s Saxmundham Cinema with a working projector. Contact: 01728 602026
For more information please see Saxmundham Town Guide
Aldeburgh Museum is located in the Moot Hall, which is one of Aldeburgh’s oldest buildings. Built sometime between 1520 and 1540, it is still used as the Town Hall. On display are various maps and paintings of the area plus items of local interest. Contact: 01728 454666
For more information please see Aldeburgh Town Guide
Dunwich Museum houses a model of the town that disappeared under the sea and shows the power of the continued erosion of the coast and other environmental studies. There are also local art displays, natural history exhibits, and a chance to visit the Smugglers’ Cove. Contact: 01728 648796
For more information please see Dunwich Town Guide
Felixstowe Museum features local history displays, details on RAF Felixstowe and HMS Beehive, plus a paddle steamer collection. It also houses the St. Audry’s Hospital collection, information on Landguard point and Felixstowe’s military history. Contact: 01394 674355
For more information please see Felixstowe Town Guide
Lanman Museum can be found at Framlingham Castle (pictured above). Here you can discover the local history of Framlingham and its castle through various collections of paintings, prints and drawings. There is also memorabilia on display, including the complete run of the Framlingham Weekly News from 1859 to 1938. Contact: 01728 723214
Woodbridge Museum has been established for more than 20 years and provides colourful and varied displays that tell the story of the town from its Anglo-Saxon roots and its discoveries at Sutton Hoo (pictured below) to the present day. Contact: 01394 380502
For more information please see Woodbridge Town Guide
Ipswich Museum is one of the oldest publicly funded museums outside of London, and features a display that tells the story of the town (town hall pictured below) – from its beginnings during the ice age through to the present day. In the Victorian natural history gallery visitors come face to face with a giraffe, a rhinoceros and a woolly mammoth, plus a fascinating display on the archaeology finds of the Anglo-Saxons. Contact: 01473 433550
For more information please see Ipswich Town Guide
The Beccles and District Museum
The museum (pictured below) details the history of clock and watch-makers in the town of Beccles, and also features and publishes books on the area. Visitors should contact the museum directly to enquire about opening times and seasons.
See The Beccles and District Museum
East Anglia Transport Museum
A fabulous working museum where the past comes to life. Travel as often as you like on preserved historic vehicles or take a trip on the narrow gauge railway.
Chapel Road, Carlton Colville, Lowestoft, 01502 518459
Long Shop Museum
Discover Leiston’s unique history and visit the home of the Garrett collection. An award-winning museum housed in the original Garrett works buildings including the Grade II listed Long Shop built in 1852 as the 1st production line for portable steam engines. Four exhibition halls, resource centre, picnic garden and gift shop.
See Long Shop Museum
Moyse’s Hall Museum
Housed in the oldest domestic building open to the public in East Anglia, Moyse’s Hall dates back over 800 years. Many striking architectural features can be seen in the building. A museum for 100 years, it houses local history collections relating to the town, Abbey & St Edmund. They also include William Corder’s scalp from Murder in the Red Barn relics as well as many other curious from the local area.
Cornhill, Bury St Edmunds 01284 706183
Please also see Shoppers' Guide to Suffolk
What has been your best trip to a museum in Suffolk? Please tell us all about it by Sending us an Email.
The Amber Museum
The UK’s only purpose-built museum dedicated to the history of amber.
Examples from around the world, plus shop. See The Amber Shop and Museum
Bawdsey Radar Station
Visit ‘The Magic Ear’ - an exhibition about the history of Radar. In 1937,
Bawdsey was the first of the Chain Home Radar stations that played a crucial role in the Battle of Britain. See Bawdsey Radar Station
Mechanical Music Museum and Bygones
Small music boxes, polyphons and organettes, larger street pianos and player organs, large fair organs, dance band and cafe organs plus a number of unusual items and the Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ. The interior roof is adorned with hundreds of old records and horned gramophones.
Blacksmith Road, Cotton, 01449 613876
Bentwaters Cold War Museum
Musuem housed in a command post or bunker on what was the USAF air base at RAF Bentwaters. See restored ‘war operations’ rooms and other displays.
Bentwaters Parks, Rendlesham.
Gainsborough’s House, Sudbury
Established museum in the birthplace of artist Thomas Gainsborough. The historic townhouse, with an attractive walled garden, displays more of the artist’s work than any other gallery. The collection is shown together with 18th century furniture and memorabilia with work by Gainsborough’s contemporaries and followers.
There is a varied programme of temporary exhibitions of both historic and contemporary art.
See Gainsborough's House
Museum of East Anglian Life
Open-air museum in 75 acres of beautiful countryside. Here you can explore nearly 3km of woodland and riverside nature trails, learn about fascinating East Anglian crafts and traditional Gypsy culture and discover fifteen splendidly restored historic buildings. Plus steam engines, animals, including Suffolk Punch horses, and more.
See Museum of East Anglian Life
The National Horseracing Museum
The story of the people and horses involved in racing from its Royal origins to Lester Piggott, Frankie Dettori and other modern heroes. Highlights include: the head of Persimmon, a great Royal Derby winner in 1896; a special display about Fred Archer, the late Victorian jockey who committed suicide, which features the pistol he used to take his life; and the colourful jackets of ‘Prince Monolulu’, the 1950’s tipster.
See The National Horseracing Museum
Heavy Horse Museum
Museum dedicated to the Suffolk working horse breed (or Suffolk Punch), the oldest such breed in the world and possibly the most perfect working animal ever bred by man.
Shire Hall, Market Hill, Woodbridge 01394 380643
Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum
Over 50 aircraft and 20,000 exhibits reflecting military and civil aviation in East Anglia.
See The Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum
If you are interested in local history, there is a wealth of information available to you in the museums throughout Suffolk.
Lowestoft Museum contains information on the history of the town, from the Stone Age to the 20th Century. Its exhibits relate to agriculture, the textile industry, plus the town’s porcelain works. Please see the image above for an old-world view at Lowestoft Pier. Contact: 01502 511457
For more information please see Lowestoft Town Guide.
Bungay Museum provides visitors with an insight into local history, archaeology, geology and coins – including Bungay Tokens. There is also a collection of paintings, clay works, photographs and engravings pertaining to the town, including a display case dedicated to the Bungay painter, john Childs. Contact: 01986 892176
For more information please see Bungay Town Guide.
Halesworth Museum is situated in the town’s station building alongside a restored signal box and unique moveable platforms. Featured is an ever-changing display on local history, plus resources on English, history and science studies. Contact: 01986 875351
For more information please see Halesworth Town Guide.
Southwold Museum has a collection of items relating to the natural history of Southwold by way of a pictorial display including photographs and artefacts. Contact: 0789 0300 532
For more information please see Southwold Town Guide
Saxmundham Museumcontains items relating to the history of the town, including a scale model of the Saxmundham Railway Station complete with working trains, replica Victorian shop fronts, costumes, dolls and a replication of the 1930’s Saxmundham Cinema with a working projector. Contact: 01728 602026
For more information please see Saxmundham Town Guide
Aldeburgh Museum is located in the Moot Hall, which is one of Aldeburgh’s oldest buildings. Built sometime between 1520 and 1540, it is still used as the Town Hall. On display are various maps and paintings of the area plus items of local interest. Contact: 01728 454666
For more information please see Aldeburgh Town Guide
Dunwich Museum houses a model of the town that disappeared under the sea and shows the power of the continued erosion of the coast and other environmental studies. There are also local art displays, natural history exhibits, and a chance to visit the Smugglers’ Cove. Contact: 01728 648796
For more information please see Dunwich Town Guide
Felixstowe Museum features local history displays, details on RAF Felixstowe and HMS Beehive, plus a paddle steamer collection. It also houses the St. Audry’s Hospital collection, information on Landguard point and Felixstowe’s military history. Contact: 01394 674355
For more information please see Felixstowe Town Guide
Lanman Museum can be found at Framlingham Castle (pictured above). Here you can discover the local history of Framlingham and its castle through various collections of paintings, prints and drawings. There is also memorabilia on display, including the complete run of the Framlingham Weekly News from 1859 to 1938. Contact: 01728 723214
Woodbridge Museum has been established for more than 20 years and provides colourful and varied displays that tell the story of the town from its Anglo-Saxon roots and its discoveries at Sutton Hoo (pictured below) to the present day. Contact: 01394 380502
For more information please see Woodbridge Town Guide
Ipswich Museum is one of the oldest publicly funded museums outside of London, and features a display that tells the story of the town (town hall pictured below) – from its beginnings during the ice age through to the present day. In the Victorian natural history gallery visitors come face to face with a giraffe, a rhinoceros and a woolly mammoth, plus a fascinating display on the archaeology finds of the Anglo-Saxons. Contact: 01473 433550
For more information please see Ipswich Town Guide
The Beccles and District Museum
The museum (pictured below) details the history of clock and watch-makers in the town of Beccles, and also features and publishes books on the area. Visitors should contact the museum directly to enquire about opening times and seasons.
See The Beccles and District Museum
East Anglia Transport Museum
A fabulous working museum where the past comes to life. Travel as often as you like on preserved historic vehicles or take a trip on the narrow gauge railway.
Chapel Road, Carlton Colville, Lowestoft, 01502 518459
Long Shop Museum
Discover Leiston’s unique history and visit the home of the Garrett collection. An award-winning museum housed in the original Garrett works buildings including the Grade II listed Long Shop built in 1852 as the 1st production line for portable steam engines. Four exhibition halls, resource centre, picnic garden and gift shop.
See Long Shop Museum
Moyse’s Hall Museum
Housed in the oldest domestic building open to the public in East Anglia, Moyse’s Hall dates back over 800 years. Many striking architectural features can be seen in the building. A museum for 100 years, it houses local history collections relating to the town, Abbey & St Edmund. They also include William Corder’s scalp from Murder in the Red Barn relics as well as many other curious from the local area.
Cornhill, Bury St Edmunds 01284 706183
Please also see Shoppers' Guide to Suffolk
What has been your best trip to a museum in Suffolk? Please tell us all about it by Sending us an Email.
