The Beaney

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The Beaney ART | MUSEUM | LIBRARY
Situated in the heart of the historic Canterbury
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The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge is a Museum, Art Gallery, Library and Visitor Information Centre situated in the heart of historic Canterbury. This award winning facility provides state-of-the-art exhibition galleries, excellent educational facilities and a varied programme of events for all ages. The building takes its name from its benefactor, Dr James George Beaney, a Canterbury-born man of modest background who studied medicine before emigrating to Australia, where he found his success. Upon his death in 1891, Dr Beaney left money in his will to the city of Canterbury to build an ‘Institute for Working Men’ with amenities for men from poor backgrounds such as his own. His patronage was fundamental in building the Beaney Institute: a new home for the Canterbury Royal Museum and Free Library, now known as The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge. A cultural hub in East Kent, praised for its welcoming atmosphere, providing a range of services under one roof, uniting art, heritage, books, ideas, information and collections. Whether you are a frequent Library user, a teacher on a Schools Workshop, or an inquisitive explorer studying our treasures from the Ancient worlds; The Beaney is a building for everyone. Canterbury City Council continues to own the Beaney and provides the museum and art galleries - Kent County Council is the library authority.

20/10/2026

Tudor True Crime on Mercery Lane in Canterbury 🗡️

In September 1592 Marlowe had returned to his hometown. However he soon ran into trouble somewhere near the corner of this street leading to the Cathedral.

Marlowe got into an altercation with a local tailor named William Corkine. The disagreement turned violent as Marlowe struck Corkine with a ‘staff and dagger’ and they then exchanged blows.

Marlowe was arrested but was soon released on bail paid by his father, John.

This was just one of several arrests during his lifetime. A year after this incident Christopher Marlowe was murdered in London!

Historical documents currently on display at The Beaney tell the story 📜

Video description: nighttime footage of the cobbled street in Mercery Lane, Canterbury with some footage from ‘The Making of Marlowe’ exhibition at The Beaney

Coming soon: Feelgood Fest! Create, connect and feel good 🎨Join us at The Beaney for a free wellbeing festival for young...
19/10/2026

Coming soon: Feelgood Fest! Create, connect and feel good 🎨

Join us at The Beaney for a free wellbeing festival for young people and families.

Take part in free creative workshops, try something new and discover different ways to look after your wellbeing. From getting creative to finding space to relax and connect with others, the festival is all about exploring what makes you feel good and finding new ideas you can take away with you.

There’ll also be opportunities to find out about local support for young people and families.

Open to all abilities, it’s a chance to have a go, meet new people and explore ways to support your own wellbeing, all in a welcoming and relaxed space 😌

We're so happy to be working with .arts Keep an eye on our social media to find out what will be happening on the day! ✨

11am to 4pm Saturday 14 November 2026
The Beaney, Canterbury
Free to attend
Everyone welcome

16/10/2026

The project was part of ‘The Superpower of Looking®’ an innovative and inclusive programme that seeks to transform the visual literacy skills of every child.


The oil painting from the museum collection is titled ‘A Musical Party’ - a 19th century copy of a painting created by the Flemish painter Jacob Jordaens (1593 to 1678) 🪈

The picture captures a group of adults and children enjoying playing musical instruments. At the bottom of the painting a pet dog spots an opportunity to join the feast! 🍇

The museum Collections & Learning team brought the painting to meet students at St Peter’s CE Junior School in Thanet.

Together they explored the painting and created their own artworks!

Video description: an oil painting is collected from the museum store and taken to a school. The ending shows work in progress where children have started to collage materials together.

Things to do at The Beaney this October Half Term 👋Explore the museum 🏺Visit our family friendly galleries and enjoy the...
15/10/2026

Things to do at The Beaney this October Half Term 👋

Explore the museum 🏺
Visit our family friendly galleries and enjoy the collection through sound, touch and play. From ancient artefacts, painted portraits, natural history and icons of animation, there's so much to discover!

Fright at the Museum: Tudor Traitors 🎃
Take part in The Beaney’s popular Family Halloween Trail. Solve fun, interactive puzzles to help uncloak the shadowy figures behind this year’s mystery. Complete the trail and receive a tasty treat as your reward.

Borrow a SEND Family Backpack 🎒
Looking for some sensory support? Our backpacks have been made with care to support young people with SEND who would benefit from different ways to explore the museum.

Eerie: The Canterbury Bestiary 🐈‍⬛
Get inspired by the amazing and eerie artworks in this exhibition exploring myths, folklore, poetry, ghosts, rewilding, urban tales and more. Curated by Canterbury Festival Public Engagement.

Travel back to Roman Canterbury 🏛
Looking for more things to do in the city? There's lots going on and at Canterbury Roman Museum Kids Go Free* this Half Term! *2 kids go free per paying adult, Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November 2026.

Visit our website and follow our social channels for full event details and booking information 👉

Step into Tudor Canterbury with a guided tour of 'The Making of Marlowe' 🌹Led by one of our friendly museum team members...
13/10/2026

Step into Tudor Canterbury with a guided tour of 'The Making of Marlowe' 🌹

Led by one of our friendly museum team members, this exclusive 30-minute tour brings to life the story of Canterbury's most famous poet, playwright and provocateur. Discover fascinating artefacts and rare historical documents that shed light on the dramatic life of Christopher Marlowe.

Tickets £6 per adult (£5 Canterbury Museums & Galleries Members) Every booking helps support the museum!

Monday 19 October
11am / 12pm / 2pm / 3pm

Thursday 22 October
5pm

We've also released a small number of extra tickets for the next talks in the series running alongside the exhibition. 🎟

Book your places now! Link in comments

Were you surprised when you found out Bagpuss was pink? 📺We often hear from fans who first remember watching 'Bagpuss' o...
12/10/2026

Were you surprised when you found out Bagpuss was pink? 📺

We often hear from fans who first remember watching 'Bagpuss' on a black & white TV around 1974. They tell us of their shock when seeing the show in colour for the first time and realising that their favourite saggy old cloth cat was in fact pink and cream!

Did you know? That iconic look was actually an accident! Originally, Bagpuss was supposed to be a marmalade cat, but the fabric ordered from a firm in Folkestone arrived in the characteristic pink and cream stripes - ‘a very serendipitous mistake’ according to Peter Firmin 🩷

We are always curious as to what Bagpuss might have looked like if that mistake never happened - so we took to photoshop to see…

Today Bagpuss and his iconic pink and cream stripes are being carefully conserved here at the museum where he is on display in the Smallfilms Gallery at The Beaney📍

09/10/2026

Today is World Mental Health Day!

Perfect day to find out more about The Beaney’s Health & Wellbeing programme. Whether it’s enjoying a relaxing visit and taking some time to think and reflect or joining a specific workshop, group or event, there are lots of ways the museum can help to boost your wellbeing.

Find out more: https://canterburymuseums.co.uk/the-beaney/health-and-wellbeing/

08/10/2026

Uncloak the Tudor Traitors! 🛡️

The Beaney’s annual Family Halloween Trail is now on! Explore the museum galleries together solving fun, interactive puzzles. Help solve the mystery and collect a tasty prize!

Visit The Beaney social media or website for more details! 👉

Video description: a figure in a black cloak carrying a lantern searches the museum for clues looking at a painted Tudor wall an ornate wooden furniture.

Looking for some seasonal inspo? Here’s what's happening at The Beaney this Autumn 🍂 As it gets colder outside it's the ...
06/10/2026

Looking for some seasonal inspo? Here’s what's happening at The Beaney this Autumn 🍂

As it gets colder outside it's the perfect time to wrap up and take a stroll around Canterbury. With activities, exhibitions and events to enjoy over the next few months, make sure you plan a trip to the museum!

Guided Exhibition Tours: The Making of Marlowe 🗡️
Explore the life of Canterbury's most famous poet and playwright with a guided private tour led by the museums Visitor Services team. Monday 19 October and Thursday 22 October, book your place now.

Commons: A Film by David Blandy 🦊
An expansive moving image work that combines archive film with three-dimensional scans and newly captured footage of ancient rocks and woodland on display in The Garden Room.

Explore the museum 🏺
Discover our family friendly galleries and enjoy the collection. Play with activities around the museum or borrow a SEND Family Backpack for accessible resources to support your visit.

Fright at the Museum: Tudor Traitors 🕯️
Take part in The Beaney's annual Family Halloween Trail. Solve fun, interactive puzzles to help uncloak the shadowy figures behind this year's mystery. Complete the trail and receive a tasty treat as your reward.

Visit our website and follow our social channels for full event details and booking information.

03/10/2026

Get into the drama! 🗡️

Controversy, spying, plays, arrests and murder. Book now for this limited run of guided exhibition tours.

Led by the museum Visitor Services Team these tours will take you on a journey through the dramatic life of Canterbury’s Christopher Marlowe - Playright, Poet, Provocateur.

Tours will take place outside usual museum hours, providing exclusive access to ‘The Making of Marlowe’ exhibition.

Monday 19 October
* 11am
* 12pm
* 2pm
* 3pm

Thursday 22 October
* 5pm

Tickets £6 per adult (£5 Canterbury Museums & Galleries Members)

Book your place now 🎟️

Address

18 High Street
Canterbury
CT12RA

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+441227862162

Website

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