Welcome
With a unique mix of fascinating displays, the latest technology and hands-on activities, there is lots for your family to explore and discover across Colchester Museums’ three sites.
- Explore the national story of Roman and Norman conquest, Boudiccan revolt and Civil War at Colchester Castle.
- Enjoy the family friendly displays in Hollytrees Museum, a Beautiful Georgian townhouse set within the stunning Castle Park.
- Find out about wildlife habitats, biodiversity and climate change at the nearby Natural History Museum.
Where will your adventure start?
Venues
Due to national lockdown restrictions, all our museums must remain closed until further notice.
In the meantime, why not try our Museum From Home activities or follow the link below to explore our online collection!
Subscribe
Keep up to date with our latest exhibitions, events and projects by subscribing to our museum mailing list. You’ll receive regular emails with the latest news from Colchester Castle, Hollytrees Museum and the Natural History Museum.
Collections Online
We hold over 200,000 records of objects, documents, artefacts and specimens: from Natural Science collections spanning millions of years, to a wide range of Social History objects.
Our online catalogue will allow you to search the collections of Colchester + Ipswich Museums!
Museum From Home
Looking for things to do? We have a wide variety of activities to educate and entertain all ages. Inspired by the collections across Colchester and Ipswich, from art to nature, archaeology to social history, let us bring the museum to you!
You can follow us on social media for new ideas or find our library below.
#MuseumFromHome
Ancient Colchester App
The Ancient Colchester App allows you to wander around Colchester Town Centre on a Heritage Trail and bring historic sites to life.
Allowing you to explore and delve deeper into the rich heritage and historic sights of Colchester, the Colchester Heritage app is a handy guide, companion and fun-filled way to enrich your visit and bring the history to life.
Including a walking trail, augmented reality, 360 degree panoramic reconstructions, a fun based camera feature and a wealth of historical information there’s pretty much something for everyone.
What’s On
Colchester Museums Development Foundation
Colchester Museums look after some of the most important historic buildings and museum collections in the country
The CMDF is a new charitable foundation that will enhance the work of the museum service by fundraising and instructing where new investment will best serve audiences. This investment will not replace existing core funding from the Council, but will be entirely supplementary. It will allow the museums to reach new audiences and further support their work preserving the wonderful heritage of Colchester.
