Curtis Museum

Curtis Museum Alton's local history museum, part of Hampshire Cultural Trust.

One of the finest local history collections in Hampshire, exploring 100 million years of history Displays include prehistoric tools, Roman pottery reconstruction, Saxon burials, the Battle of Alton 1643, the notorious tale of Sweet F***y Adams and hop picking and brewing.

Before the bonnets, balls, and brooding heroes arrive on your screen, discover the real world of Jane Austen at the Curt...
12/06/2026

Before the bonnets, balls, and brooding heroes arrive on your screen, discover the real world of Jane Austen at the Curtis Museum this Regency Week! ✨
 
Step into the Regency era with:
📖 Our pop-up Jane Austen exhibition
🔎 A family-friendly Jane Austen trail
🍷 A fascinating talk exploring food and drink in Regency England
👗 Austen vs Bridgerton - a look at how Regency fashion really compares to the costumes we see on screen
 
Whether you’re a devoted Austen fan, a Bridgerton enthusiast, or simply curious about life 200 years ago, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Visit the museum to uncover the history behind the romance, the fashions, and the feasts of the Regency period.
 

📚✨ Calling All Historians, Storytellers & History Lovers! ✨📚This autumn, we’re launching an exciting new programme of ta...
03/06/2026

📚✨ Calling All Historians, Storytellers & History Lovers! ✨📚
This autumn, we’re launching an exciting new programme of talks at the Curtis Museum - and we want you to be part of it.
 
Are you a:
🎓 Historian or researcher?
🖊 Writer or author?
🎤 Lecturer or public speaker?
📖 Storyteller?
🎒 Student with fascinating research to share?
 
We’re looking for engaging talks connected to:
• Local history in Alton and the surrounding area
• Stories from Hampshire’s past
• Or any of the time periods represented in our museum collections
 
Whether you specialise in prehistoric and ancient Britain, medieval history, the Civil War, Victorian life, military history, social history, archaeology, or hidden local characters - we’d love to hear from you. The Curtis Museum has always been a place for sharing stories. Now we’re opening the floor.
 
Interested? Have an idea? 📩 Get in touch with us at [email protected] to tell us about your topic.
 

New arrivals in the shop, come and get them before our staff and volunteers buy them all!
02/06/2026

New arrivals in the shop, come and get them before our staff and volunteers buy them all!

Thank you to everyone who supported our Big Give campaign.With your help, we raised over £13,000 through the campaign, u...
19/05/2026

Thank you to everyone who supported our Big Give campaign.

With your help, we raised over £13,000 through the campaign, unlocking vital match funding to help children and young people find inspiration, creativity and joy in the arts when they need it most. Since the campaign closed, further gifts and Gift Aid have taken the total to over £18,000, which is a wonderful result.

We are also grateful to the donor who provided match funding and believes deeply in this work, helping every pound given to go further. Together, this shared commitment will enhance local children and young people’s connection to their local museum or gallery and access to creative opportunities

🍺 Pints & Pastimes: Alton’s Brewing History is coming to the Curtis Museum!Running from 23rd–30th May alongside Alton Be...
19/05/2026

🍺 Pints & Pastimes: Alton’s Brewing History is coming to the Curtis Museum!
Running from 23rd–30th May alongside Alton Beer Festival, discover the fascinating story of brewing through the ages with our FREE adult trail around the museum. From prehistoric brews and medieval alewives to Victorian pubs and Alton’s own brewing history, uncover the stories behind one of Britain’s oldest traditions.
 
Visiting with family? We’ve got plenty for younger explorers too:
🌾 Alewife’s Quest – an educational family trail helping a medieval alewife find her missing ingredients
🦤 Dotty Dodo’s Spring Fact Trail
🌿 Nature Spotter Trail
 
Whether you’re a history lover, festival visitor, or simply curious about Alton’s past, there’s something to discover this May.
📅 23rd–30th May
📍 Curtis Museum
🎟 Free

12/05/2026

May half term - discover Alton's Brewing Heritage at the Curtis Museum!

12/05/2026

Only 3 days left to have your donation doubled in our match-funding campaign for our Children and Young People's Fund.

The more we raise, the more children and young people we can support, with opportunities and safe spaces to express themselves, explore their feelings and build confidence - like the ceramics workshops shown here.

If you can, please make a donation today, and make double the difference in the lives of children and young people.
Donations must be made before midday on 15th May to be eligible for match-funding.

Please make your donation via the Big Give platform here: https://buff.ly/0CIreUT

Thank you for your support 🙏

A huge thank you to everyone who has donated to our Children and Young People’s Fund during our match funding campaign s...
08/05/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who has donated to our Children and Young People’s Fund during our match funding campaign so far.

Your generosity is directly funding creative programmes across our venues, that provide safe spaces for children to express themselves, explore their emotions and build self-confidence.

Could you help us to help even more children and young people? We’d love to reach our target and have a little way to go!

By donating what you can before midday on 15th May, your contribution will be doubled, thanks to a very generous supporter of our work.

For more information about the work of our Children and Young People’s Fund and to make your donation, head to the Big Give platform here: https://buff.ly/0CIreUT
Thank you

02/05/2026

Pick up some bargains today outside the Curtis Museum courtesy of the Friends of the Allen Gallery and Curtis Museum

Address

High Street
Alton
GU342BW

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 4:30pm
Saturday 10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

01420 82802

Website

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