Virtual Library Museums World Search

If response is slow, try automatic redirection to a mirror site. Please mail J.P.Bowen@reading.ac.uk if you know of relevant on-line information not included here.

This page includes an eclectic collection of World Wide Web services connected with museums in the UK.

You are virtual "visitor" number:

Recent additions:
The National Gallery, London.

UK

1. 1853 Gallery, Salts Mill, Saltaire, Shipley, West Yorkshire. Houses pictures by David Hockney.
2. The Abbey Museum, Shaftesbury, Dorset.
3. Allhallows Museum, Honiton, Devon. Local museum including lace and pottery industry displays housed in the town's oldest building.
4. Althorp House, Northamptonshire. Ancestral home of the Spencer family, resting place of Princess Diana. A museum on Princess Diana is planned for 1998.
5. Amberley Museum, West Sussex. Outdoor industrial museum based in chalk pits.
6. Armagh Planetarium, Northern Ireland. See also list of other Planetariums.
7. Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol. Contemporary arts.
8. Ashmolean Museum of Art & Archaeology, University of Oxford. See the Cast Gallery and the Griffith Institute for Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern studies.
9. Banchory Museum, Aberdeenshire. Local history.
10. Bank of England Museum & Archive, City of London.
11. Bate Collection of Musical Instruments, University of Oxford.
12. Beamish Open Air Museum, County Durham. 300 acres recreating the life of the north of England in the early 1800s and 1900s.
13. Bedford Museum. Local archaeology, social history, biology and geology.
14. Bell-Pettigrew Museum, University of St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Evolutionary and taxonomic relationships between animals.
15. Biggar Museum Trust, Moat Park, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland. See list of museums.
16. Birmingham & Midland Museum of Transport, Wythall, Birmingham.
17. Black Country Museum, Dudley.
18. Bletchley Park, near Milton Keynes, UK. "Britain's Best Kept Secret." See what you can see and do including the German Enigma Cipher machine, the Lorenz Cipher machine and the rebuild of Colossus (with photographs), and further information at Aston University.
19. The Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port. See also related museums and the unofficial British Waterways site.
20. Bodleian Library, University of Oxford. See image catalogue of manuscripts, including a Java version with scrolling images, the shopping arcade and the Map Case of online historic maps in the Map Room.
21. British Lawnmower Museum, Southport, Lancashire.
22. British Library, London, UK. See collections, digital library, exhibitions and the Treasures Digitisation Project, which includes the Magna Carta, viewable at various magnifications.
23. British Museum, London. See collection highlights and school project below.
24. Brontë Parsonage Museum, Haworth, West Yorkshire.
25. The Burrell Collection, Glasgow.
26. Cabaret Mechinal Theatre, Covent Garden, London. A museum of automata (mechanical sculpture).
27. Cadbury World, Bournville, Birmingham. Includes the Cadbury Collection, an exhibition on the history of Cadbury's chocolate and the village of Bournville.
28. Cambridge Museum of Technology. Preserved Victorian pumping station and working museum on the River Cam. Includes Java.
29. Centre for the History of Defence Electronics (CHiDE), Bournemouth University, Dorset. Includes a virtual museum plan. See also places to visit, listing UK military and naval museums, an archive room plan, Museums Tray of links and UK Museum Organisation Home Page.
30. Chertsey Museum, Surrey. Local history and costume from the Runnymede area.
31. Christ Church Picture Gallery, Oxford.
32. Claymills Pumping Engines, Stretton, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire. A preserved Victorian pumping station.
33. Cole Museum of Zoology, University of Reading.
34. Cotswolds Motor Museum, Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire.
35. Cotswold Woollen Weavers, Filkins, near Lechlade, Gloucestershire. Historic working weaving mill, museum/gallery and shop.
36. Courtauld Gallery, Courtauld Institute of Art, London. (Reopening Autumn 1998.)
37. The Cowper and Newton Museum, Olney, Buckinghamshire. Presents Olney's heritage.
38. Crabble Corn Mill, Dover, Kent. A working water mill, cafe and gallery.
39. Design Museum, London.
40. Dickens House Museum, London. Includes a virtual tour.
41. Dover Museum
42. Dulwich Picture Gallery, London.
43. Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments, Faculty of Music.
44. Elgin Museum, Moray. Pictish stones, local fossils, archaeology, geology, natural history, social history and ethnography.
45. Eureka!, Halifax. The Museum for Children.
46. Exploratory Science Centre, Bristol.
47. Faringdon and District Museum, Oxon.
48. Farnham Museum, Willmer House, Surrey. Georgian house.
49. Finchcocks Living Museum of Music, Hammerwood Park house, near East Grinstead, Sussex. Collection of historical keyboard instruments set in a fine Georgian manor house. See also an on-line tour.
50. Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge. Permanent collections include antiquities, applied arts, coins and paintings. See on-line shop.
51. Foxton Canal Museum, Market Harborough, Leicestershire.
52. Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow.
53. Garlogie Mill Power House Museum, Aberdeenshire.
54. Geffrye Museum, London. English furniture and decorative arts in a chronological series of period rooms.
55. Godalming Museum, Surrey. Local history, industry, geology, archeology.
56. The Grange Art Gallery and Museum, Rottingdean Preservation Society, Brighton, Sussex. See the Rudyard Kipling Room, dolls and model railway.
57. Green's Mill, Nottingham. 19th century tower windmill in Sneinton, once owned and operated by George Green (1793-1841), a mathematical physicist and scientist.
58. Hancock Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne. Natural history museum.
59. Harveys Wine Museum, Bristol.
60. Haslemere Educational Museum, Surrey. Natural science and human history: geology, botany, zoology, classical archaeology, costume and textile, European folk art, ethnography and local history.
61. Hayward Gallery, South Bank, London. Modern art, special exhibitions.
62. Holbourne Museum and 20th Century Crafts Study Centre, Bath. Fine art and decorative art collection.
63. The Horniman Museum and Gardens, Forest Hill, London.
64. Horsforth Village Museum of Local History, Leeds, West Yorkshire.
65. Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow. Anatomical and pathological specimens. Art, coins, books, manuscripts and ethnography. See virtual and guided tours.
66. Imperial War Museum, London. Also includes the Cabinet War Rooms, HMS Belfast and RAF Duxford (including the American Air Museum in Britain, opened 1 August 1997).
67. International Helicopter Museums, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.
68. Ipswich Transport Museum, Suffolk.
69. Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Shropshire. A World Heritage Site, birthplace of the industrial revolution. See also the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, including a virtual tour, and the Ironbridge Institute.
70. The Jewish Museum, London.
71. John Paul Jones Cottage Museum, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
72. Jorvik Viking Centre, York. See also the World of the Vikings.
73. Kew Bridge Steam Museum, Brentford, Middlesex.
74. Kilmartin House Museum, Kilmartin, Scotland. Centre for archaeology and landscape interpretation.
75. Kingston Museum, Kingston upon Thames. Holds a large collection of photographs by Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904).
76. Lapworth Museum, University of Birmingham. Geology and fossils.
77. Leeds University Gallery, University Library, Leeds.
78. Letchworth Museum. Natural history, art, archaeology.
79. The Lion Salt Works, Marston, Northwich, Cheshire.
80. The London Dungeon, London. Museum of horror.
81. London Canal Museum, King's Cross. See also links to related sites and museums.
82. London Toy & Model Museum.
83. London Transport Museum, Covent Garden.
84. Lothbury Gallery, London. NatWest Group art collection.
85. Lunt Roman Font, near Coventry.
86. Madame Tussauds, London. Waxworks.
87. Manchester City Art Galleries. Paintings, sculpture, ceramics, silver, glass and furniture, especially by 19th and 20th century artists, including the Pre-Raphaelites.
88. Manchester Jewish Museum.
89. The Manchester Museum. Botany, Mediterranean, ethnology, mammal and Egyptology galleries.
90. Manor House Museum, Bury St. Edmunds. Horology and art collections.
91. Marischal Museum, University of Aberdeen.
92. Mary Rose Maritime Museum, Portsmouth, Hampshire. Only 16th century warship on display in the world, from the time of King Henry VIII. Includes a museum tour.
93. Midland Air Museum, Coventry Airport.
94. Moyse's Hall Museum, Bury St. Edmunds. Archaeology and local history.
95. Museum of Antiquities, Newcastle upon Tyne. Archaeology in north east England. Includes a Flints and Stones exhibition, with an interactive hunter gatherer food quiz and national curriculum information for teachers.
96. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge.
97. Museum of Berkshire Aviation, Woodley, near Reading.
98. Museum of British Road Transport, Coventry.
99. Museum of Classical Archaeology, University of Cambridge. Includes a cast collection.
100. Museum of Costume and Assembly Rooms, Bath. Registered site to appear.
101. Museum of East Anglian Life, Stowmarket, Suffolk.
102. Museum of English Rural Life, Rural History Centre, University of Reading. See new building fund appeal.
103. Museum of Garden History, St. Mary-at-Lambeth Church, Lambeth Palace, London.
104. Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester. Includes an on-line tour.
105. Museum of the History of Science, University of Oxford. See special exhibitions and an image library. Latest exhibition: Cameras: the technology of photographic imaging.
106. Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Lincoln. Social history.
107. Museum of London. See entrance hall.
108. Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI), British Film Institute, South Bank, London. History of film and television.
109. Museum of Scotland. A new museum for Scottish collections being built in Edinburgh, due to open in 1998.
110. The Museum of Submarine Telegraphy, Porthcurno. Includes QuickTime VR.
111. Museums of The Royal College of Surgeons.
112. National Army Museum, Chelsea, London.
113. National Coal Mining Museum for England, Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
114. The National Gallery, London. Collection of Western European paintings (1260-1900). See site map. See also The Micro Gallery (off-line).
115. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.
116. National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, Hampshire.
117. National Museum of Childhood, Bethnal Green, London.
118. National Museums & Galleries on Merseyside, Liverpool. A group of eight institutions: The Conservation Centre; Liverpool Museum; Merseyside Maritime Museum; HM Customs & Excise National Museum; Museum of Liverpool Life; Walker Art Gallery; Lady Lever Art Gallery; Sudley House.
119. National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, Bradford.
120. National Museums & Galleries of Wales. Information on a number of Welsh museums including the National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff. (In English and Welsh.)
121. National Museum of Science and Industry.
122. National Museums of Scotland. Information on a number of Scottish museums including the Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.
123. National Portrait Gallery, London. See information on the permanent collect. (Not many pictures!)
124. National Railway Museum, York.
125. Natural History Museum, London. The first UK museum with its own Web server. Includes Virtual Reality fossils using VRML - see a Trilobite and Bryozoan, for example. See also interactive exploration using Science Casebook.
126. Newlyn Pilchard Works, Cornwall. Britains last salt pilchard factory, a working museum.
127. Nothe Fort and Museum of Coast Defence, Weymouth, Dorset.
128. Open Museum, Glasgow. (Unofficial.) Community led outreach service.
129. Ordsall Hall Museum, Salford. Family home of the Radclyffes.
130. Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Entomology, geology, mineralogy, zoology collections in a Victorian neo-Gothic building.
131. Past Impressions On-line Museum, Portsmouth, Hampshire. On-line cultural exhibitions and gallery space.
132. Path Head Water Mill, Blaydon on Tyne.
133. Pendon Museum of Miniature Landscape and Transport, Oxon.
134. Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. Anthropology and Ethnography.
135. Portsmouth Bus Museum, Old Portsmouth, Hampshire.
136. Prickwillow Drainage Engine Museum.
137. Pump House People's History Museum, Manchester.
138. The Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace, London. See also Windsor Castle and the rest of the Royal Collection.
139. 25 Oct 96> Reading Museum, Berkshire. Replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, history of Reading, Roman artifacts, etc.
140. The Regency Town House, 13 Brunswick Square, Hove, East Sussex. Museum and Heritage Centre covering British life between the 1780s and 1850s, especially the history of the Brighton area.
141. REME Museum of Technology (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers), Arborfield, near Reading, Berkshire.
142. River and Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon. This is believed to be the first museum in the world started virtually before being established in reality. Due to open 1998.
143. Rochdale Pioneers Memorial Museum, Lancashire. On the Co-operative Movement.
144. Roman Baths Museum and Pump House, Bath. Registered site to appear.
145. Royal Academy of Arts, London. Permanent galleries and temporary exhibitions such as the Summer Exhibition.
146. Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, Devon. Antiquities, ethnography, natural history, fine art, decorative arts. See Totem Pole Project.
147. Royal Armouries museums, Leeds, Fort Nelson and London. A major new national museum at Leeds, opened in April 1996, houses a collection of arms and armour originally held at the Tower of London.
148. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
149. The Royal Collection. A distributed collection, mainly in royal palaces, formed by the Royal family, including The Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace and the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London.
150. The Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth, Hampshire. Includes the Mary Rose.
151. Royal Signals Museum, Blandford Camp, Dorset.
152. Rural Life Centre Old Kiln Museum, Tilford, Farnham, Surrey. 150 years of farming.
153. Ryhope Engines Museum, Ryhope Pumping Station, near Sunderland.
154. Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia, Norwich.
155. Sandtoft Transport Centre. Trolleybus museum.
156. Science and Industry Museum, Birmingham.
157. Science Museum, London. (part of the National Museum of Science and Industry.) See galleries, Information Superhighway exhibition (opened on 25 April 1995), Flight Exhibition On-Line and Treasures of the Science Museum.
158. Sedgwick Museum of Geology, University of Cambridge.
159. Shefton Museum, Department of Classics, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
160. Shetland Croft House Museum.
161. Shetland Museum, Lerwick.
162. Sir John Soane's Museum, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. House and museum of Sir John Soane, R.A., architect (1753-1837).
163. Southampton City Art Gallery.
164. South Wales Borderers and Monmouthshire Regimental Museum, Brecon. Museum of the Royal Regiment of Wales.
165. Spode Museum, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Oldest English pottery, ceramics, bone china, earthenware.
166. Stoke-on-Trent City Museum and Art Gallery, Staffordshire. See a virtual version of the Flights of fancy exhibition on bats, which originally ran from 21 July to 10 September 1995, with sounds, one of the first UK on-line museum exhibitions.
167. Swaledale Folk Museum, Reeth, near Richmond, North Yorkshire. Stone walls, village life, lead mining, sheep and cattle farming, etc.
168. The Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset.
169. Tate Gallery, London, Liverpool and St. Ives. National collection of British art and modern 20th century art. See also information on the Turner Prize, Britain's most prestigious prize for contemporary art, exhibited at the Tate.
170. Theatre Museum, Covent Garden, London.
171. Tom Brown's School Museum, Uffington, Oxon. Includes the White Horse and Sir John Betjeman.
172. Torre Abbey Historic House & Gallery, Torquay, Devon.
173. Totnes Motor Museum, Devon.
174. Transport and Technology Museum, Basingstoke, Hampshire. (Temporary name.) Steam engines and road vehicles made in Hampshire. Due to open 1999.
175. Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology, University of Reading.
176. Vale and Downland Museum, Wantage, Oxon.
177. Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London. The largest museum of the decorative arts in the world. Includes an index. See also the National Art Library, collections departments and Dartington Crystal glass.
178. The Virtual Museum of Computing. A completely virtual collection of exhibits on the history of computers, etc.
179. Waddesdon Manor, near Aylesbury, Buckingshire. Museum of the Year, 1997. Collection of English and Dutch old master paintings, Sèvres porcelain, continental and French furniture, etc., housed in a French Renaissance style chÂteau built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the 1870s. Owned by the National Trust.
180. The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, London. Paintings (especially French 18^th C.), miniatures, decorative arts, arms and armour.
181. Wallingford Museum, Oxon.
182. Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum, Tring, Hertfordshire.
183. Wellcome Museum, University of Wales, Swansea. Egyptian antiquities owned by Sir Henry Wellcome.
184. Wellington Museum, Apsley House, London. "Number One, London", 19th century home of the 1st Duke of Wellington.
185. Wheal Martyn China Clay Museum, near St. Austell, Cornwall. Heritage centre.
186. Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester. Watercolours, drawings, textiles, prints, wallpapers, modern art. Includes a collections database.
187. Wigan Pier. Local history presentations and Mill & Engine House.
188. William Morris Gallery, Waltham Forest, London.
189. Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, London.
190. Windermere Steamboat Museum, Cumbria.
191. Wolverhampton Art Gallery. See collections of contemporary, Pop, mid 20th century and Victorian art.
192. The Wordsworth Museum, Dove Cottage, Grasmere, Cumbria. Maintained by the Wordsworth Trust.
193. Wycombe Museum, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Includes furniture collections.
194. The York Dungeon, York. Museum of horror.

1. Aberdeenshire (North East Scotland Museums Service).
2. Birmingham.
3. Bolton, Lancashire. See also attractions.
4. Bradford, Yorkshire.
5. Brighton, Sussex.
6. Bristol Museums Service.
7. Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.
8. Cambridge.
9. Cambridgeshire.
10. Chester, Cheshire.
11. Cotswolds.
12. Dorchester, Dorset.
13. Dorset. See also here.
14. Dumfries, Scotland. See also Sanquhar and Stranraer.
15. Durham.
16. Edinburgh, Scotland. See also monthly guide and map.
17. Exeter, Devon. See also here.
18. Fife, Scotland. See also East Fife Museums Service.
19. Glasgow, Scotland. See also here.
20. Guernsey, Channel Islands.
21. Hampshire.
22. Henley-on-Thames, Oxon.
23. Hereford.
24. Hull.
25. Kent (see also County Council museums)
26. Lancashire (contact information only).
27. Leeds, Yorkshire.
28. Leicestershire.
29. Liverpool attractions.
30. London. See also art galleries, list of attractions, virtual communities museums list and museums and galleries.
31. Manchester. See also arts organizations and art galleries.
32. Moray, north east Scotland.
33. Norfolk from the Norfolk Museums Service.
34. North East England from the North of England Museums Service (NEMS).
35. Norwich, Norfolk.
36. Nottingham.
37. Oxfordshire.
38. Pembrokeshire.
39. Reading, Berkshire.
40. St. Albans.
41. Scotland from the Scottish Museums Council.
42. Sheffield.
43. Southampton.
44. Somerset.
45. South-East England (Kent, Surrey and Sussex).
46. Southwark attractions, London.
47. Stoke-on-Trent, museums of the potteries.
48. Suffolk Museums Service.
49. Surrey, including disabled information.
50. Torbay, Devon.
51. Wakefield district (including Pontefract and Castleford), Yorkshire.
52. Warwickshire.
53. West Sussex.
54. Weymouth attractions, Dorset.
55. Wiltshire (west).
56. Winchester, Hampshire.
57. Worcester attractions.
58. York. See also here.

• Aviation museums.
• Maritime museums.
• Military museums.
• Railway preservation sites. E.g.:
  • Birmingham Railway Museum.
  • Bressingham Steam Museum & Gardens.

Virtual tours:

• Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland. Information on the Roman wall and its suroundings from Tynedale District Council.
• Tour of No. 10 Downing Street, London. Home of Britain's Prime Ministers since 1735. You may sign the visitor's book. See also visits to the Houses of Parliament.
• Virtual Stonehenge.
• Greenwich Millennium Exhibition, including Old Father Thames, from Greenwich2000.
• Tower of London virtual tour and Tower of London introduction (using ShockWave).
• The Virtual Tour of Winchester College.

See also the following museum-related links:

• Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network (SCRAN). See related information and search facilities.
• Electronic gateway to UK museums by region and museum organizations from the the Museums Association.
• MuseumNet, including an alphabetical guide, regional guide and a what's new page.
• Museums OnLine guide to the UK's museums, including an A-Z of UK museums and news.
• Museums sorted by name and by location from Welcome to Britain.
• Museums Documentation Association (MDA), including a UK Museums E-mail Directory.
• Museums Guide from Art Guide to Britain and Ireland.
• ICOM UK (United Kingdom National Committee of the International Council of Museums). See also UK ICOM mirror site.
• Museums Week (16-24 May 1998) including search facilties.
• UK museums guide in Japanese by Yohji Iwamoto.
• Department of Museum Studies, University of Leicester.
• British Museum Key Stage 2 virtual tour by All Souls Primary School.
• Britannia Rules the Seas walking tour of Greenwich, including the National Maritime Museum, by Aquanet. (Slow from the UK.)
• Charles Rennie Mackintosh exhibition, McLellan Galleries, Glasgow (25/5/96 - 30/9/96). Famous Scottish architect and designer. Touring to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles (19/11/96 - 2/11/97).
• National Trust. See also unofficial guide, including maps and searching using Java.
• Science Centres in the UK from the Exploratory.
• UK museum search from WWLib.
• Museums and art galleries listed in the UK Directory.
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport (previously the Department of National Heritage), UK Government. See also National Lotery information.
• English Heritage, including historic properties. See Archaeology Division.
• Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of England. Includes the National Monuments Record - see picture gallery and browse.
• Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.
• Early Work on the Arc Lamp, an IEE Archives Department exhibition.
• Search for "museum" in Yellow Pages.
• Art museums in the UK from WWAR.
• SCRAN (Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network). A Millennium Project to build a networked multimedia resource base for the study, teaching and appreciation of history and material culture in Scotland.
• Scarborough Millenium. Tourist attraction in Scarborough, Yorkshire.
• Visual Arts and Museums Unit, Arts about Manchester.
• Science and Technology Museums and Galleries information from the British Council.
• 20thcentury on-line project. A planned virtual museum of 20th century life in the UK.
• UK Museum Organisation Home Page, School of Conservation Sciences, Bournemouth University. Includes Military Collections, Museums & Sites of Interest Directory and searching. See also CHiDE.
• The Bridgeman Art Library, London and New York.
• Hampshire County Council Museums Service. Includes an excellent on-line catalogue with searching and browsing facilities, as well as a museums directory.

• Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA). See selected museums and galleries and links to other sites.

Some local councils provide information on museums.