Ely Museum

Museum | Ely | England | United Kingdom

Ely cultural center Cambridgeshire

The Ely Museum is a significant cultural center in Ely, Cambridgeshire, presenting the history of the city and its surroundings from prehistoric times to the modern era. It is located in the historic building of the Old Gaol, dating back to the 13th century, making it a valuable historical artifact in itself.

History of Ely Cathedral

Collections and exhibitions:

Prehistoric finds in museum

Prehistoric finds: The exhibitions include fossils and artifacts from prehistoric times, providing insights into the animal life and early human activities in the region.

Events at Ely Museum

Roman and medieval artifacts: Objects from the Roman and medieval periods are displayed, including everyday items, tools, and jewelry that illustrate life in these eras.

Educational programs Ely Museum

History of Ely Cathedral: A special focus is on the history of Ely Cathedral, including its construction history and the cathedral's significance for the city and region.

Prison history: The museum offers insight into the history of the prison once housed in the building, shedding light on the living conditions of inmates and the development of corrections.

Local history: Exhibits document the lives of Ely residents and surrounding Fens over the centuries, including agriculture, trade, and social structures.

Educational offerings and events:

The Ely Museum is actively involved in education, offering various programs for schools and groups. These include workshops covering different historical periods, as well as loan boxes containing real and replica objects to enrich teaching.

Regular events such as lectures, exhibitions, and workshops allow visitors to delve deeper into specific topics and engage with the region's history.

Significance and impact:

Contact details

Web

Phone

Address
The Old Gaol, Market St
CB7 4LS Ely

Map view

Opening hours

Sunday12:00 - 17:00
Monday--
Tuesday10:30 - 17:00
Wednesday10:30 - 17:00
Thursday10:30 - 17:00
Friday10:30 - 17:00
Saturday10:30 - 17:00

Reviews

239 Reviews

Paul Percival
08.12.2024

We have enjoyed visiting Ely Museum several times recently. It is well designed to engage children and with the annual pass (superb value!) offers a great local option to pop in and let my daughter see as much or as little as she wants each time. There have been lots of events and activities through the year, including Saxon reenactors on one occasion which was a great addition to help bring the history to life.
carol salter
05.12.2024

Over £6 to enter and then asking for a donation.
Daniel Grove
06.11.2024

Quant little museum in an old jail. They kept some of the original building and interior so you can see that. Cost is £6.50 per person which seems a bit pricey for the building size. They do however have a stunning display of items from across the centuries. They showcase what Ely was like in the past to current times. Part of the showcase is for when it was a jail. They have buttons to press so you can hear what some of the inmates said about jail life This is definitely kid friendly as there are a few places for them to interact. When in the room with the insects, grab the flashlight to find the ultraviolet flowers on the wall. They have a small store to get some souvenirs or other knick knacks.
Chris Mann
21.09.2024

Friendly and helpful staff. Very interesting displays. Immaculately clean. We were there about an hour and a half. Our 8 year old son loved it
simon beere
15.09.2024

A nice little museum very interesting went for viking day. The staff were lovely.
Roger Taylor
26.08.2024

Well presented social history of Ely
Tim Brunton
04.08.2024

A very modest local heritage museum. Has various activities to interest children.
Sabna Ahmed
02.08.2024

Very organised, friendly staff, nicely located close to the cathedral.
Gillian Revell
01.08.2024

We visited this super little museum as they had a special 'Birds of Prey' exhibition at the outside courtyard. The birds were real and their controllers gave a talk on the 4 different species on display: a Buzzard, an American Kestrel, a Barn Owl and Tawny Owl. Many families with children enjoyed watching and photoing the birds. Brilliant 👌☺️
Helen Hankins
30.07.2024

Interesting artifacts, it was the old gaol back in the 17 hundreds There were also birds of prey on display from the raptor foundation
Caoimhín Ó Coileáin
25.06.2021

Fantastic update, brilliant for adults and kids alike with a fantastic overview of Ely and it's surrounds
Abigail Perrow
24.07.2024

Traditional style museum with some video screens, containing information and artifacts spanning the history of Ely. Most exhibits are displayed thematically. Staff are friendly.
Chris Chapman
14.07.2024

Really great, local finds displayed well. Staff and guides very friendly.
Jerry Pank
12.07.2024

Nice local museum.
Matt Reed
04.07.2024

A great little museum exploring Ely and the Fens. Shows how the landscape has changed over the millennia. The staff were really friendly and happily answered any questions.
Debbie Curtis
23.06.2024

Small but well presented museum. Plenty of fascinating artifacts.
Barney Brown
09.06.2024

Wonderful displays and layout and such a welcoming team! Will definitely come back as our little one gets a bit older. Well thought out exhibitions with lots of nice things for kids. You can tell a lot of love has been put into the place!
am
17.05.2024

Well worth a visit to learn about fenland history and more on Ely, Littleport etc
Jonathan Wollny
13.04.2024

Great museum with friendly, informative staff. The museum is based in the old Gaol. There are a variety of interesting exhibits including a Roman tomb with resident skeleton! You can visit an old Gaol cell complete with the original inmates etchings on the wooden planks. Modern history is also covered with a small library that has a good selection of books. Well worth a visit.
Matthew C
09.04.2024

A clean, well designed and maintained local museum housed in an old gaol house which definitely adds to the experience. There are no spectacular items on display, but we really enjoyed: the fossils found locally of extinct creatures, the interactive stories of local myths, the fenland tools, and the original gaol cell that you can enter.
robert allan
23.03.2024

Well laid out museum. Good size for a small town (city). Very tidy and modern.
Maria Magdalena Balos
18.03.2024

The place is nice, has two floors and it tells you the story of the land and people living in Ely. However I think they don't have so many different or impactful things to mark the difference between visiting it or not. If you have nothing better to do, you'll have a good time. Just in case someone needs to know it, they don't have a student discount
Dusty Jackson
17.03.2024

Not worth the ticket price. Large whitewashed rooms with not much in them except a few child-safe touchable items. A room about the Fens was interesting, but then there was very little about the building, and very little about the town of Ely. As museums go, not terrible but not great, and definitely not six pounds.
Andre Ingram
04.03.2024

A very good to excellent local history museum. Up there with the best. Fascinating glimpse of history.
david marzell
04.02.2024

Spacious
Jub's Journey
21.01.2024

Absolutely lovely museum. I loved all the interactive areas. Loads of history packed into this place.
Josephine Scarff
14.11.2023

Great museum. Yearly entry for a one off fee, great value. Very helpful and friendly staff.
Denise Dempster
03.11.2023

We've just watch an amazing firework display to queen it was the best display I've ever seen thankyou to whoever done the display it was awesome
Richard Parrish
31.10.2023

Very interesting

 

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