MUSEUMS

Lancashire museums are full of history, interesting artifacts and beautiful treasures, let your imagination and intrigue run wild as you discover the stories behind all these fascination pieces.

Queen Street Mill

With Lancashire strong industrial past, you can’t go far without seeing evidence of the times when the streets rang with millworkers’ chatter and the sounds of clogs on the cobbles. At Queen Street Mill you can join a guided tour of one of the buildings that was integral to the areas industry, and discover what life was like as a cotton mill worker.

Showtown Museum

Blackpool’s Showtown Museum will be the latest addition to the county’s museums when it opens next year, but visitors during this summer can enjoy pop up events from the museum ahead of its highly anticipated opening.

Clitheroe Castle Museum

The award-winning Clitheroe Castle Museum tells the story of the historic market town and the Castle itself. From local industry and heroes to folklore and legends, the exhibits, touchscreen animations, and sound points make it a shared experience for everyone to enjoy. After visiting the museum, make sure to climb to the top of the castle for stunning 360 degree views.

Stonyhurst Museum

Open only certain days of the year, and located within Stonyhurst College’s magnificent Grade I listed building, the Stonyhurst Museum, dating back to 1609, offers people the chance to explore the oldest museum in the English-speaking world. The museum holds the first folio of Shakespeare, prayer books belonging to Mary, Queen of Scots, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s school reports and more.

The British Commercial Vehicle Museum

Submerge yourself in the sounds, smells and sights from a bygone era. In this sensory experience you can hear the real stories of factory workers, drivers and inventors whose innovations shaped the lives of everyone. The museum charts the history of commercial vehicles since the 1800s and is housed in the original inspection building of Leyland Motors.

Judges Lodgings

What better way to get to know the historic city of Lancaster than to visit its oldest town house? The Judge’s Lodges was once home to the travelling Red Judges of the Assizes Courts who decided the fate of murderers, forgers and highwaymen at the nearby Lancaster Castle. The museum now houses a collection of Georgian Furniture by Gillows of Lancaster and the popular Museum of Childhood.

Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery

Impressing visitors since it opened in 1874, this summer will be no different, even while undergoing a few repairs. The museum has a great programme of events, including regular Saturday craft sessions for children, plus visitors can find out so much about the rich history of the cotton industry, explore the skill and labour area and view the museum’s impressive collection of taxidermy birds.

These suggestions are just some of the fantastic places to enjoy culture in Lancashire. For more, head to visitlancashire.com.