Museums and galleries

Covering thousands of years of history, a visit to one of our museums or art galleries will take you on a fascinating journey through time.

COVID-19 Update: Our museums are open and visitors no longer need to book free tickets to visit. All facilities remain Covid-Secure with enhanced safety measures, hand sanitiser and cleaning regimes in place. Read more about visiting Ipswich Museums’ three venues.

Museum From Home

Looking for things to do? Our team have devised a variety of activities to help educate and entertain. Inspired by the collections across Colchester and Ipswich, from art to nature, archaeology to social history, we hope to bring the museum to you!

Ipswich Museum

This fascinating and unique museum gives you the opportunity to meet the famous woolly mammoth, the elegant towering giraffe and other wonderful curiosities from the natural world.

COVID-19 Update: Ipswich Museum is open and visitors no longer need to book free tickets to visit. The building remains Covid-Secure with enhanced safety measures, hand sanitiser and cleaning regimes in place. Read more about visiting Ipswich Museum.

Christmas opening hours - Museums Service

Christmas and New Year opening times for Ipswich Museum, Christchurch Mansion and Ipswich Art School.

Collections policies

Policies that help us manage, shape and develop the collections in our museums.

Ipswich Art Gallery

The Art Gallery shows exhibitions of international importance and provides a unique stage for local artists to show their work and to showcase the region's artistic talents.

Ipswich Art Gallery is now open with a new exhibition. The Moon: Meet our nearest neighbour is a touring exhibition and features fascinating objects such as a large inflatable Moon, scientific instruments, and actual Moon rock on loan from Bespoke Scientific, giving visitors the chance to discover what the Moon is made of, how it has influenced our history, culture and natural world, and how we have explored it from ancient times to the present and future. The exhibition is open until 10 October 2021.

Upcoming Gallery Closures: Ipswich Art Gallery will only be open to ticket holders on the following dates, due to events taking place that relate to the current exhibition:

Sunday 15 August 2021 11.00am to 4.00pm.
Ipswich Lunar Festival
(No general admission all day, access only for ticket holders to the above event)

Sunday 22 August 1.00pm to 4.00pm
Make an Eco-Lunar Rocket
(General admission from 10am to 12pm only)

Sunday 5 September 2021 1.00pm to 4.00pm
(General admission from 10am to 12pm only)

All other opening times remain the same. For more information, please visit the Colchester + Ipswich Museum website.

Christchurch Mansion

This beautiful Tudor mansion is the jewel in the crown of Ipswich's historic past boasting over 500 years of history.

COVID-19 Update: Christchurch Mansion is open and visitors no longer need to book free tickets to visit. The building remains Covid-Secure with enhanced safety measures, hand sanitiser and cleaning regimes in place. Read more about visiting Christchurch Mansion.

The Power of Stories exhibition, which includes a display of sensational costumes from the hit film Marvel Studios’ Black Panther, is now open at Christchurch Mansion until 24 October 2021.