Must-Visit Museums in Norwich

Must-Visit Museums in Norwich

by Katie Thompson

For any culture vulture, Norwich is the city for you. Where to start? Well, the City of Stories is home to an amazing array of must-visit museums.  

They span hundreds of years- from our rich medieval heritage to the people and industries that make Norwich what it is today (that is, a fine city). And on top of that, we’re proud to be home to a world-leading art museum and preserve some of the finest South Asian crafts.  

Here’s our low-down on the best museums in Norwich. Now’s the time to start planning your visit!

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Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery 

Probably our most iconic museum, it’s hard to miss Norwich Castle– you’ll need a whole day to see it all in one go! 

After a £27.5 million redevelopment (which saw it shortlisted for Art Fun’s prestigious Museum of the Year prize), Norwich Castle Keep is a Royal Palace Reborn- and the UK’s most accessible castle. Explore everything inside these ancient walls from basements to battlements (trust us, the views are incredible), including reinstated medieval floors and authentically full-furnished rooms (we love the attention to detail in the ironwork). While you’re here, make sure to immerse yourself in interactive and multisensory elements, such as the floor-to-ceiling projections of the castle’s origins, and spot the sequel to the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the feat of 16-year-old Emma de Guader. And that’s without admiring almost 1000 medieval artefacts in the Gallery of Medieval Life! Created in partnership with the British Museum, it’s the first outside of London.

Then, housed in the wings of its former Victorian prison, explore Norwich Castle’s museum– spanning East Anglian and natural history, archaeology, and fine, decorative and contemporary art. Here, you can find out what life was like for the Romans and Boudicca, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings (dressing up recommended). Explore the fine specimens in the Natural History galleries and admire examples of Norwich shawls, before celebrating the works of the Norwich School artists, including those of John Crome. (Top tip: remember to visit the Castle’s limited-time exhibitions- they’re included in your ticket!)

Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery is open daily, 10am – 5pm. Prebook for the best prices. Adults from £15.30, children from £13.05, twilight ticket 1 hour before close £2.50.

Museum of Norwich 

As a city known for its community, its industries and its history, there’s nowhere better than the Museum of Norwich to discover Norwich’s fascinating past (it’s completely accessible and recently celebrated its centenary). In the entrance alone, you can immerse yourself in Robert Kett’s 1549 rebellion with their free-to-use VR set.

With 10 eye-catching galleries of interactive, object-rich displays, you really get a sense of what life was like. Take a stroll through the Shopping and Trading display, passing shopfronts which reference milliner and pioneering businessman Rumsey Wells, celebrated figure Parson Woodforde and our unique Valentine’s Eve celebrations with the mysterious Jack Valentine, before delving into the story of Peter the Wild Boy.

Then head upstairs to admire a 19th century handloom restored to full working order, a recreated 20th century pharmacist’s shop and the footwear from Norwich’s booming shoemaking era (you might recognise a pair or two!).

The Museum of Norwich is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 4.30pm. Prebook for the best prices. Adults from £7.74, children from £6.57, twilight ticket 1 hour before close £2.50.

Strangers’ Hall 

Strangers’ Hall is one of Norwich’s oldest and most exquisite buildings, a former merchants house. Named for the 16th century Strangers (Flemish weavers seeking refuge from religious persecution), this wonderfully preserved 14th century house weaves (if you’ll pardon the pun) architecture, history and charm together. 

You’ll see elegant furnishings and intricate woodwork as you wander Strangers’ Hall’s maze of historic rooms, from the dark beams of the Tudor Great Hall to the Georgian Dining Room with its grand chandelier and floral embroidery of the Victorian Parlour. Outside, step into the tranquil Elizabethan Knot Garden- designed to be viewed from above from the Great Chamber. One of Norwich’s tranquil green spaces, it’s free to visit when the museum is open- just bring yourself and your favourite book!

Strangers’ Hall is open Wednesday & Saturdays (Wednesday – Saturday during school holidays), 10am – 4pm. Prebook for the best prices. Adults from £6.75, children from £5.85, twilight ticket 1 hour before close £2.  

The South Asia Collection 

Tucked away on Bethel Street in a restored Victorian roller-skating rink- just take a look at the stunning wooden arched ceiling, The South Asia Collection is one of Norwich’s hidden gems.  

Take your time and wander among displays of beautiful South and Southeast Asian arts and crafts. Here, you can really appreciate the artistry of these creations- from expertly carved wooden furniture to skilfully woven rugs, delicate embroidery and even the lost art of wax casting. The museum even holds rotating exhibitions shining a spotlight on social commentary, religion, architecture and more!

Discover vibrant paintings of Indian deities, shining copper and brass works from Lahore and beaded jewellery of the Naga people. The collection doesn’t just conserve and preserve pieces from India, but from countries like Pakistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan and Indonesia, too. Take home your own piece of this culture from their Country and Eastern shop– our pick is the block print textiles. 

The South Asia Collection is open Monday – Saturday, 9.30am – 5pm, and is FREE to enter. 

Sainsbury Centre 

Set in the glorious grounds of the University of East Anglia in a futuristic Norman Foster-designed building, the Sainsbury Centre isn’t any ordinary art museum. 

For starters, it recognises art as living, allowing you to truly get up close and personal with iconic sculptures, paintings and more. Meet the art with a unique audio experience, feel the cool stone when you hug Henry Moore’s ‘Mother and Child’, and recline as you look up at Giacometti’s ‘Diego Seated’. You can even become an artwork in a life-size glass case! 

The museum also tackles the big questions with their six-monthly exhibition series. Previous themes include ‘Can the Seas Survive Us?’, ‘Why Do We Take Drugs?’ and ‘Can We Stop Killing Each Other?’. These exhibitions are both poignant and a celebration of human nature, approaching themes from unexpected angles and a wide variety of mediums- from film and photography, to sculpture, paintings, historical objects and interactive displays. 

And outside, you can follow their free Sculpture Park trail, where pieces by the likes of Antony Gormley, Anthony Caro and Kirstine Roepstorff invite you to roam around UEA Broad and beyond.

The Sainsbury Centre is open Tuesday – Friday, 9am – 6pm, and Saturday & Sunday, 10am – 5pm. Pay what you can to enter. 

Heading into Norfolk 

And our wonderful museums don’t stop at the city limits, either. If you’ve ticked off Norwich’s must-visit museums, make sure to check out Norfolk’s.  

As well as our first three attractions in this list, Norfolk Museums Service looks after seven more museums across the county. You’ll find Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse near Dereham, Lynn Museum in King’s Lynn, Ancient House Museum of Life in Thetford and Cromer Museum on the North Norfolk coast. And further east in Great Yarmouth, you can make a day of it by visiting the Time & Tide Museum, Elizabethan House and Tolhouse Gaol.  

Speaking of Great Yarmouth, this traditional seaside resort is also home to Anna Sewell House  (Wednesday & Friday, 10am – 2pm, FREE, donations welcome), birthplace of the eponymous Black Beauty author and aptly taken care of by Redwings Horse Sanctuary. It explores the legacy and influence of Sewell on animal welfare worldwide- the novel has sold over 50 million copies worldwide!