Museums in Kent – North Kent
For things to do in Kent look no further than the rich tapestry of the county’s history and heritage through its captivating museums covering a vast array of collections. Encompassing seaside, religious, regional, and heritage collections, explore a world of the county heritage, culture, and nature all within the stunning Garden of England. Seaside delights, aviation history, agricultural displays, town treasures, and lots, lots more. Check out our comprehensive list of all the Museums in Kent, we’ve also broken it down into the four main areas of the county: Museums in Kent – North Kent, Museums in Kent – South Kent, Museums in Kent – East Kent and Museums in Kent – West Kent.
MUSEUMS IN KENT – NORTH KENT
Covering Dartford, Gravesend, Maidstone, Rochester, Gillingham, Chatham and Isle of Sheppey.
EASTGATE HOUSE
Rochester
Eastgate House is a Listed 16th and 17th-Century townhouse, with the building itself having a fascinating past including being the private home of five generations of the Buck family, a girls’ boarding house, a public library and a museum and centre dedicated to the work of Charles Dickens. Visit and learn about the people whose lives have been part of its past. Visit and learn about the people whose lives have been part of its past, and explore a maze of beautiful rooms and displays telling their stories. Holds regular events, children’s trails, theatre events and lots more. Opening hours vary throughout the year see our listing for times, prices, and current events.
GUILDHALL MUSEUM
Rochester
The museum was founded in 1897 within this 17th-Century civic building and includes the ornate Chamber which featured in Dicken’s novel, Great Expectations. Learn all about the building’s history and the heritage of the area. The many displays include a full-size reconstruction of part of a Medway prison hulk, archaeological objects, civic silver and regalia from Medway’s past, and lots more. The permanent exhibition on Charles Dickens, The Making Of Mr Dickens, looks at the author’s life and what shaped his work. Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Price: Free entry. Read More
THE HUGUENOT MUSEUM
Rochester
The museum is the first and only Huguenot history museum in Britain, including oil paintings, silver, documents, silk samples, and personal items that tell the important story of Britain’s first refugees. Showcasing the crafts, trades, and skills the Huguenots brought with them and the impact their contribution has had on the country’s development. Time: Selected days – check their website for monthly dates: 11am-4pm. Price: Adults: £5.50, Concessions: £4.50, Child – 6 to 17 year: £4, Child – under 5 years: Free, Family – 2 adults, + 2 children: £16. Ticket lasts for 12 months. Read More
OLD BROOK PUMPING STATION MUSEUM
Chatham, Medway
A former sewage pumping station built in 1929 showcases exhibits about its heritage, as well as the industrial history of the Medway Towns and the surrounding area. Time: First Saturday of the month: 11 am-3 pm. Price: TBC – see our listing here.
FORT LUTON
Fort Luton has three museums on two sites revealing the history of not only the Fort but also the story of Dunkirk with original artefacts and personal stories of those who served and were affected by the events of 1939-40. In another museum visitors can learn about life for those who lived through World War II, displaying everyday items from that time. Another museum tells the story of the Fort, its construction, the Siege Trials, and its resilience during two World Wars. It is one of 80 forts constructed after a Royal Commission in 1859 reviewed the nation’s defences, which was instigated because of the possibility of a French attack. Fort Luton hosts a range of activities during the year, including theatre productions, comedy nights and workshops, and with a children’s play area. Price: Time: Open selected weekends – see our listing for more details.
MAIDSTONE MUSEUM
Opened in 1858, now showcasing more than 600,000 artefacts and specimens, the Museum has been compared to a smaller version of the Victoria & Albert Museum. The collections include ancient Egyptians, archaeology from Anglo-Saxon to remnants of Roman occupation in Maidstone, costumes and textiles, ethnography, natural history and biology artefacts that showcase the towns and the country’s mixed heritage. They hold regular activities throughout the year for all ages. Time: Various throughout the year – see our listing for details. 7th June to 22nd July 2023, Wednesday to Saturday, 24th July to 31th August 2023, Monday to Saturday. Closed 29th August. 10am-4pm. Price: Free entry some events may incur a charge. Read More
THE MAIDSTONE CARRIAGE MUSEUM
Housed in the 14th Century stables of the Archbishop’s Palace complex used by the Archbishop of Canterbury when travelling through the county, the collection was the gift of Sir Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake, the 12-time Mayor of Maidstone. He started the collection when he realised that they were being replaced by cars. Opened in 1946, it is the first of its kind and is considered one of the finest collections in Europe, with over 60 vehicles on display. Time: 6th April to 21st September: 11am-3pm – subject to staffing. Price: Free – donations welcome. Read More
DARTFORD BOROUGH MUSEUM
Within the Dartford Library, this is one of the smallest museums in Kent showcasing the chronological story of the town as revealed by archaeology with social history items of more recent periods. Artefacts on display include from the Stone and Bronze Ages, jewellery from the Anglo-Saxon period, and the Darenth Bowl, a moulded glass vessel dated from the 5th Century as well as a reconstruction of a draper’s shop that once existed in the High Street. Time: Monday to Friday: 10am-5pm, Saturday: 10am-4pm. Price: Free. Read More
ROSE COTTAGE OF CURI0SITIES
Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey
This eclectic museum offers changing exhibitions, displays and objects of interest, to celebrate the island’s life through a festival of arts, history and culture.
From April, Tuesday Thursday to Saturday, 11am-3pm. Adult: £1, Child: Free. Read More
BLUE TOWN HERITAGE CENTRE
Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey
Home to memorabilia and artefacts about the Isle of Sheppey. At its centre is The Criterion, a room that fell into disrepair after a German bombing raid in World War II, that now hosts entertainment shows and cinema screenings. Opening Hours: Thursday to Saturday, 10am-3pm. Price, Adult: £2.50, Child – school age: Free, Friends: Free. Read More
MINSTER GATEHOUSE MUSEUM
Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey
The museum is home to displays of artefacts from local archaeological digs, art, and displays of everyday lives from Victorian times. It also houses a large selection of radios in its collection dating back to the early 20th Century, paintings by local artist Harold Batzer, and more. Its fossil collection endorses the fact that Sheppey is also famous as a ‘fossil island’. Time: Saturday: 2pm-4.30pm. Price: Adult: £2, Child – up to 18 years: £1, Concession: £1.50, Family – 2 adults + up to 3 children: £5. Read More
EASTCHURCH AVIATION MUSEUM
Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey
The museum focusses on preserving and maintaining the rich history of aviation on the Isle of Sheppey and is based in one of the RAF training rooms built in the 1920s. Time: Tuesday, Thursday Friday and Saturday: 10am-3pm. Price: Free – donations welcome. Read More
THE QUEENBOROUGH GUILDHALL MUSEUM
Isle of Sheppey
The museum history of the town from a small Saxon settlement to a weather borough and royal castle built by Edward III. It is full of Victorian heritage and Queenborough was also home to hundreds of minesweeping vessels during World War II. Artefacts from its rich heritage can be seen and visitors can view the first courtroom of the Guildhall on the Isle of Sheppey, and also take a trip down to the dungeon. Time: April to October, Saturday: 2pm-5pm. Price: Adult: £0.50, child: Free. Read More
ROYAL ENGINEERS MUSEUM
Gillingham
The Royal Engineers Museum is Kent’s largest military museum charting the history of the Royal Engineers and their involvement in helping the British army live, move and fight for over 300 years. With a collection designated as being of historical and international importance, including the world’s first guided torpedo, Wellington’s map of Waterloo, a Harrier Jump Jet and 25 Victoria Crosses.
Time: Tuesday to Sunday & Bank Holidays, 10am-5pm. Price, ticket valid for 12 months: Adult: £14, Local Adult: £12, Senior Citizen & Student: £12, Child – 5-15 years: £6, Child – under 5 years: Free, Family – 2 adults & 2 children: £32. Read More
QUEEN’S OWN ROYAL WEST KENT REGIMENTAL MUSEUM – Maidstone
The museum within a museum – the Maidstone Museum – documents the history of Maidstone’s local regiment from its foundations in 1756 to its amalgamation in 1961. The regiment was involved in many of the British Army’s campaigns of the 18th and 19th Centuries, World War I and II. The gallery is full of fascinating, colourful and thought-provoking objects such as the Sutlej Gun and four Victoria Crosses, with a focus on the stories objects tell and the people at the heart of the regiment. Low Season / Term Time: Wednesday to Saturday. High Season/School holidays: Tuesday to Saturday – 10am-4pm – though some variations during the year. Price: Free entry. Read More
See Kent, Know Kent
Sign up for our Newsletter to keep up to date with what is going on in Kent – and you can unsubscribe at any time.
If you have an event we should feature, we would love to hear about it. Please email details to [email protected]
We do our best to endeavour to be as accurate and comprehensive as possible from the information we have at the time of publication. We are not liable for any changes that a company or event makes at the last minute, whether time changes or price amendments.
Picture credit: © The Maidstone Carriage Museum.
