Ely Museum

Ely Museum Ely Museum is now open following a £2.2m National Lottery Heritage Fund Redevelopment.

Thank you to all those who joined us at our History Heroes event yesterday and a special thank you to those who particip...
28/05/2026

Thank you to all those who joined us at our History Heroes event yesterday and a special thank you to those who participated in our history-themed fancy dress contest!

We are pleased to announce two of our winners!

Telvi won the Most Historically Accurate category with her Emily Williamson costume. Emily Williamson, Telvi's history hero, co-founded the RSPB and Telvi's costume included a robin!

Edmund won the Best Homemade Costume category dressing up as a Roman legionary. He even decorated his own shield!

Many congratulations to all our prize winners and thank you again to all our participants.

Some of our history heroes activities throughout the museum will stay up through May half-term, so make sure you come check them out!

At our History Heroes day today, you can create your own time capsule! Decorate your time capsule (a box which is prov...
27/05/2026

At our History Heroes day today, you can create your own time capsule!

Decorate your time capsule (a box which is provided) using our craft materials and then take it home to fill it with your keepsakes or a drawing or self-portrait, a small toy, tickets from somewhere you've visited or maybe a note that lists your favourite food, TV shows or hobbies now. Take an official Time Capsule Seal to close your box and then remember to open it in 10 years time!

If you can wait that long of course!😊

Today, Wednesday 27th May, join us at Ely Museum for our History Heroes activity day! Dress up as someone from History ...
27/05/2026

Today, Wednesday 27th May, join us at Ely Museum for our History Heroes activity day! Dress up as someone from History and enter our fancy dress competition or just join in the fun with a range of activities in the galleries including: Roman noughts and crosses, Norse Runes name spelling, Victorian marbles, historical charades and more!

Children dressed in history-themed fancy dress get free admission and can be entered into the competition to win a City Cycle Toy Department gift card.

You can join in the fun anytime from 10.30am until 4pm but the fancy dress judging takes place at 2pm so if you’d like to enter make sure you visit before that time.

For more information check out our website 'What's On'.

All activities are included with standard admission or with a valid annual pass.

Visit Ely Museum today, Tuesday 26th May, for Dig It! our archaeology discovery day. Starting from 10.30am until 4pm, p...
26/05/2026

Visit Ely Museum today, Tuesday 26th May, for Dig It! our archaeology discovery day. Starting from 10.30am until 4pm, pop in any time and meet the archaeologists from Oxford Archaeology and try out a range of hands-on activities: look at archaeological finds and discover the stories behind them and have a go at excavating and crafts.

There will be a finds identification team here too who might be able to help you discover more about an item you’ve found on a walk, in your garden or maybe at the beach.

For Scouts and Brownies wanting to do their archaeology badges, the Cambridgeshire Scouts Archaeology Squad will also be here to support the event.

Included with your standard admission ticket or valid annual pass.

We look forward to seeing you!

Visiting Ely over half-term? Then pop into our lovely Museum shop, which is free to visit, for a peruse. There’s delici...
25/05/2026

Visiting Ely over half-term? Then pop into our lovely Museum shop, which is free to visit, for a peruse. There’s delicious local honey, a fantastic range of history books, cute Robin Valley earrings, artist designed cards and homeware as well as children’s toys and even a range of fossils.

As a registered charity, each purchase helps support Ely Museum’s work in caring for our collection for future generations so we hope to see you soon!

Half-term is upon us and we have two fun events taking place here at Ely Museum during the week so we hope to see you!Th...
24/05/2026

Half-term is upon us and we have two fun events taking place here at Ely Museum during the week so we hope to see you!

There’s Dig It! Archaeology Discovery Day on Tuesday 26th May from 10.30am-4pm with Oxford Archaeology and Cambridgeshire Scouts Archaeology Squad supporting the event.

And

History Heroes on Wednesday 27th May from 10.30am-4pm. Who will you be? Dress up as someone from history, famous or not and join for a fun day of games and activities. Great fancy dress prizes up for grabs but all welcome whether dressed up or not! Children in history-themed fancy dress get free admission.

Come and join the fun!

For more details about the events please check out our website ‘What’s On'.

Both events are included with a standard museum admission or with a valid annual pass.

It was wonderful to meet the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire yesterday and a real pleasure to show him around our lovely ...
23/05/2026

It was wonderful to meet the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire yesterday and a real pleasure to show him around our lovely museum, and learn a little about his role in our county.

A reminder for those planning to participate in our History-Themed Fancy Dress Contest during our History Heroes Day on ...
22/05/2026

A reminder for those planning to participate in our History-Themed Fancy Dress Contest during our History Heroes Day on 27 May what the categories are!

Remember, children in history-themed fancy dress go FREE!

Prizes for the children's categories are a £15 gift card to City Cycles toy shop. The prize for the 'Best Adult Costume' category is a £15 gift card to Tom's Cakes.

Want to join in on the fun but can’t come at 2pm? Come in any time before that and have your picture taken at the front desk to be included in the contest.

During our opening hours from 10.30am-4pm, we will be celebrating throughout the museum galleries with a range of fun games and activities.

All welcome, whether you’re in fancy dress or not!

Find out more about our History Heroes Day on our website: https://www.elymuseum.org.uk/whats-on-elymuseum/history-heroes/

On 2nd June, join us at Ely Museum for our next evening talk, Living by the Rule: Contemporary Art and the Medieval Mona...
21/05/2026

On 2nd June, join us at Ely Museum for our next evening talk, Living by the Rule: Contemporary Art and the Medieval Monastery by Dr Jessica Barker, senior lecturer in medieval art at The Courtauld in London and Dr Ed Krcma, associate professor of Art History at the University of East Anglia.

They are the curators of a major new exhibition, Living by the Rule: Contemporary Meets Medieval, now on view at the Sainsbury Centre, Norwich, which reflects on the ‘rules’ that we live by today.

Taking as its starting point the Rule of St Benedict, a deeply influential guide for communal living written in the 6th century, the exhibition brings together extraordinary objects from medieval monastic contexts with a fascinating selection of contemporary artworks. Ely Cathedral was once a Benedictine monastery, and for the exhibition the curators have been able to loan important objects from its collections.

This talk will introduce the exhibition and explore some of its highlights, including the important objects on loan from Ely Cathedral.

For more information and to purchase tickets please visit our website.

Tickets: £8.50

Talk starts at 7pm. Doors open at 6.30pm.

Calling all Scouts and Brownies! Come do your archaeology badge at Ely Museum during Dig It!, our Archaeology Discovery ...
20/05/2026

Calling all Scouts and Brownies!

Come do your archaeology badge at Ely Museum during Dig It!, our Archaeology Discovery Day, on 26 May!

Cambridgeshire Scouts Archaeology Squad will be attending alongside to help those wanting to obtain the badge.

Discover how archaeologists dig up the past, record what they find, piece together the clues and discover the story in their hunt for history.

No pre-booking required. Included with your standard admission ticket or valid annual pass.

Join us for our History Heroes Day at Ely Museum on Wednesday, 27 May!During our opening hours from 10.30am-4pm, we will...
18/05/2026

Join us for our History Heroes Day at Ely Museum on Wednesday, 27 May!

During our opening hours from 10.30am-4pm, we will be celebrated throughout the museum galleries with a range of fun games and activities.

Learn how to spell your name in Norse runes, discover how the Romans played noughts and crosses, make your own time capsule, challenge yourself to put a historical timeline in order and there will be much more to be discovered on the day!

All games and activities will be included with a standard admission ticket or annual pass. Children attending in history-themed fancy dress go FREE!

Find out more about our History Heroes Day on our website: https://www.elymuseum.org.uk/whats-on-elymuseum/history-heroes/

Address

The Old Gaol, Market Street
Ely
CB74LS

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 10:30am - 5pm
Thursday 10:30am - 5pm
Friday 10:30am - 5pm
Saturday 10:30am - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+441353666655

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ely Museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category