Stroud Museum

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Strouds Museum in the Park
Museum in the Park
Museum Opening Times as of April 2022

Monday – Closed, except bank holidays 11.00am to 4.30pm.

Tuesday – 10am to 4.30pm
Wednesday – 10am to 4.30pm
Thursday – 10am to 4.30pm
Friday – 10am to 4.30pm
Saturday – 11am to 4.30pm
Sunday – 11am to 4.30pm

The museum was originally opened in 1900 in what’s now the School of Science and Art on Lansdown Road in the town centre. It’s now in the Mansion House in Stratford Park.

You won’t find any huge old dinosaur skeletons in the museum other than some small fossils. Its collection is more about the history of the area and the woollen industry that was once a major part of the Stroud valleys.

Skeletons aside, you will find the worlds first lawmower that was invented by a local man called Edwin Beard in 1830.

The way a lawnmowers blades operate isn’t that different to the way cloth cutting machines worked in the many textile mills in the area at the time. Edwin repaired and built some of the machinery in the mills so you can see where he got the idea from!

Museum in the Park
The Mansion House Home to the Museum in the Park

In addition to old lawnmowers, there’s an art gallery that has regular free exhibitions by local artists, a cafe and gift shop. There’s a a seating area in the courtyard where you can drink your coffee and watch the world go by.

The museum hosts talks on local history such as the canal and Minchinhampton airfield throughout the year. Pick up a programme of events from the museum reception desk.

Original home to Stroud Museum, now Lansdown Artspace
Original home to Stroud Museum, now Lansdown Artspace

Stratford Park with it’s lake is one of the gems of Stroud and looks stunning in the autumn with all the golden leaves on and off the trees so a walk around the museum and park go hand in hand. There’s a bandstand in the park and you might find an impromptu band playing on a summers Sunday afternoon.

If you go to the park just as the sun goes down you will see and hear hundreds of jackdaws as they settle onto the tree tops for the night.

Admission to the museum is free along with free parking at the leisure centre next door. A link to the museum website is below.

Museum in the Park