Powell-Cotton Museum

Powell-Cotton Museum Quex House and Gardens, home of the Powell-Cotton Museum
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Classic Cars return to Quex House & Gardens on Sunday 6 September, hosted by the Thanet Classic Car Club.Explore an impr...
30/08/2026

Classic Cars return to Quex House & Gardens on Sunday 6 September, hosted by the Thanet Classic Car Club.

Explore an impressive display of beautifully preserved classic vehicles, all aged 25 years and over, including iconic models from the 1970s and earlier. From elegant Wolseleys to striking Pontiacs and timeless Austins, there's plenty to admire for motoring enthusiasts and families alike.

Whether you're passionate about classic cars or simply looking for a great day out in Kent, this free event offers something for everyone.

Entry to the car show is free, but why not make a day of it and visit our museum, historic house and gardens while you're here?

Admission tickets can be purchased online via our website or from the Gift Shop on the day.

Tickets: Adults £9, Concession £8, Child £7, Members Free
Opening times: 11am-4pm

One week to go and our teams are lining up for our next Museum Quiz Night on Friday 4 September. Will yours be joining ...
28/08/2026

One week to go and our teams are lining up for our next Museum Quiz Night on Friday 4 September. Will yours be joining them?

Gather your cleverest friends, brush up on your general knowledge and get ready for a fun, friendly evening of questions, laughs and friendly competition.

Doors open at 6pm for exclusive after-hours access to explore the Museum before the quiz begins. Bring your own snacks and drinks (just no red wine, please!)

Date: Friday 4 September
Time: Doors 6pm | Quiz starts 7pm

Visit the 'What's On' link in our bio and get your team booked in!

On Sunday 13 September we'll be opening our doors for free as part of Heritage Open Days. Discover our remarkable natura...
23/08/2026

On Sunday 13 September we'll be opening our doors for free as part of Heritage Open Days.

Discover our remarkable natural history dioramas and fascinating collections from Africa, Asia and Oceania and visit Gallery 3 to explore our new permanent exhibition on Zulu culture.

Explore t he publicly accessible rooms of Quex House by joining our brand-new house tour and pop-up exhibition to mark the Powell-Cotton Trust’s 100 anniversary as a charity, and the 160th anniversary of Percy Powell-Cotton’s birth.

There's plenty for families to enjoy too. Wander through the gardens, follow the woodland walk, and let young explorers get hands-on with our interactive handling collection.

This year, we're introducing timed entry to help make your visit as enjoyable as possible. By pre-booking your arrival slot, you'll spend less time queueing and more time exploring.

Pre-book your free entry now: https://powell-cottonmuseum.org/event/heritage-open-day

We can't wait to welcome you!

On Tuesday we hosted our annual summer BBQ and party to celebrate and thank our dedicated team of volunteers and staff f...
23/08/2026

On Tuesday we hosted our annual summer BBQ and party to celebrate and thank our dedicated team of volunteers and staff for all their hard work in the gardens this year!

Working on different days, the volunteers rarely get to spend time together, so the afternoon felt extra special and joyful.

Vegetable skewers and salads were all made with produce from the walled garden and The Sunshine Project even created wonderful bouquets for the tables using our cut flower borders.

We’ve had a brilliant couple of days of creativity with Molly Pickle , IllustratorFrom wildlife illustration, transfers,...
21/08/2026

We’ve had a brilliant couple of days of creativity with Molly Pickle , Illustrator

From wildlife illustration, transfers, pointillism and screen-printing, our PCT100 Creator workshops have taken inspiration from the insects, birds and animals in our collections to create some amazing drawings, t-shirts and tote bags to celebrate the centenary of the Powell-Cotton Trust.

Thank you to everyone who joined us. We’re looking forward to our final session with Molly on Friday 28 August:

Wildlife Crafts: Collage & Colouring Studio
Drop-in 11am - 2pm

A relaxed creative session using printed images, textures and colour to create your own nature inspired artworks. No experience needed - just come along and get creative!

All PCT100 Creator workshops are included in standard admission thanks to support from Arts Council England.

From documenting expeditions to inspiring our PCT100 Creators workshops, photography has long played an important role i...
15/08/2026

From documenting expeditions to inspiring our PCT100 Creators workshops, photography has long played an important role in the Powell-Cotton Museum's collections.

On display in Gallery 6 are some of the tools used by Diana and Antoinette "Tony" Powell-Cotton, including a 1933 Leica III Chrome, a Kodak Vest camera and early Eastman Kodak film.

These are just a few of the tools used by Diana and Antoinette "Tony" Powell-Cotton, both passionate photographers who documented the people they met and the places they experienced on their trips across Africa in the 1930s.

Diana photographed more than 800 images of the Bajuni people during her first visit to Africa in 1934-35, while she and Tony filmed over four hours of 16mm footage during their journeys to Angola in 1936 and 1937.

More than 90 years later, those photographs continue to have an impact. Through our Somali Photo Archive exhibition, Diana's images of the Bajuni Islands have helped descendants reconnect with their heritage, their heritage and inspired new conversations between past and present.

Come and discover this remarkable mini-display now on show!

Discover the natural world through drawing, printmaking and creative experimentation with illustrator and printmaker Mol...
14/08/2026

Discover the natural world through drawing, printmaking and creative experimentation with illustrator and printmaker Molly Pickle.

Inspired by insects, birds and the Museum's wildlife collections, Molly's hands-on workshops are a fantastic opportunity for children, families and adults to explore illustration and printmaking together.

Molly is hosting four fantastic sessions across two weeks:

Thursday 20 August
Wildlife Illustration Transfers - Create nature-inspired illustrations using animals and insects from the collections, 11am-2pm
Drop in: https://powell-cottonmuseum.org/event/pct100-creators-wildlife-illustration-transfers/

Friday 21 August
Insects Illustration & Pointillism Workshop, 11:30am-12:30pm
Pre-book: https://powell-cottonmuseum.org/event/pct100-creators-wildlife-pointillism-workshop/

Wildlife Screen-printing Workshop, 1:30pm-3pm
Pre-book: https://powell-cottonmuseum.org/event/pct100-creators-wildlife-screen-printing/

Friday 28 August
Wildlife Crafts, Collage & Colour. 11am-2pm
Drop-in: https://powell-cottonmuseum.org/event/pct100-creators-wildlife-crafts-collage-colouring/

Book one workshop or make a day of it and join both! Or drop-in for our other sessions. You'll learn new creative techniques and take home your own wildlife-inspired artwork.

Suitable for all ages 4+ and all experience levels.

Included with standard museum admission thanks to support from Arts Council England.

Spaces for Friday's workshops are limited, so book now to avoid missing out!

📸 Shannen Lythgoe

A huge thank you to Kevin Lawrence for leading our summer photography workshops and sharing his knowledge, creativity an...
14/08/2026

A huge thank you to Kevin Lawrence for leading our summer photography workshops and sharing his knowledge, creativity and expertise with participants of all ages.

These photos capture some of the experimentation from our final Exploring Light session, where participants used coloured gels, mirrors, projections and reflected light to create striking visual effects.

We're excited to share that work created during these workshops will be featured in a special exhibition at the museum this October. Swipe for a sneak peek at some of the results ➡️

Thanks to support from Arts Council England, these workshops were included with standard admission, helping more people get creative, learn new skills and engage with our collections in new ways.

The gardens team and volunteers are showcasing and celebrating the cut flower boarder found inside our walled garden whi...
13/08/2026

The gardens team and volunteers are showcasing and celebrating the cut flower boarder found inside our walled garden which is currently bursting with an array of colour, texture, insects and pollinators!

The team have been working on these borders through out the summer and are now enjoying the results. A combination of perennial plants such as Echinops, Fennel, Japanese Anemone and ornamental grasses create a fantastic backdrop for the annual plants situated at the front of the boarder.

Why not plan your visit to Quex House and Gardens and explore the cut flower boarder too? We are open during the school summer holidays Wednesday to Sunday, 11am-4pm.

Address

Quex House And Gardens, Quex Park, Park Lane
Birchington
CT70BH

Opening Hours

Friday 11am - 4pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

01843 842168

Website

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