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Monday 10am - 4pm Tuesday 10am - 4pm Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

Elizabethan House Museum

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Elizabethan House Museum

Elizabethan House Museum. A National Trust property managed by Norfolk Museums Service. The Elizabethan House was built around 1596.

Experience the lives of families who lived in this splendid Quayside house from Tudor to Victorian times. Home to merchants and prominent locals, the building has seen several changes to its physical shape over the years leading to the building you can discover today. Evidence of its development can be seen throughout the building. Wood panelled rooms, richly decorated ceilings and the imposing st

airway all help to tell the story of the Elizabethan House. The House was sold many times before it passed into the hands of the Aldred family, who bequeathed it to the National Trust. The National Trust took ownership in 1949, despite the Borough Council attempting to purchase it with a view to demolishing it to widen the roadway! Today the House contains fascinating collections from Norfolk Museums Service showing life ‘Upstairs and Downstairs’ in a house during Elizabethan times, right through to the Victorian period. You can learn why the Conspiracy Room is so-called, find out how a Victorian maid would have completed the weekly washing, and get hands on with the Elizabethan past in the bedroom, complete with replica costumes for you to try on. If you visit on one of our special event days, you may be lucky enough to see the range in the kitchen being fired up and have a chance to look at food created to period recipes; or talk to one of the costumed characters who can be found roaming the House! The Elizabethan House Museum is open each year from 1 April to 31 October - Sunday to Friday 10am-4pm (Closed Saturdays).

20/02/2026

There are now only just over 5 weeks until Elizabethan House Museum opens again for the 2026 season!

Open from Sunday 29 March to Friday 30 October 2026.

Opening hours 10am-4pm Sunday to Friday
(closed Saturdays except summer holidays 18 July to 29 August inc)

Admission prices for 2026 -
Adult £7.50
Child £6.50
Twilight ticket (1 hour before close) £2.00
Free entry for National Trust members with membership card

We look forward to welcoming visitors back to the museum in 2026.

10/02/2026

There's still lots going on behind the scenes to get Elizabethan House Museum ready for opening in just over 6 weeks time!
Collections from the newly revamped parlour display had to be removed, carefully cleaned and put back - including the Noah's ark in the passageway leading to the toy room.
The museum will be open again from Sunday 29 March - it will then be open 10am-4pm daily Sunday to Friday (plus Saturdays in summer holidays).
We can't wait to welcome you back through the doors for the 2026 season! A National Trust property managed by Norfolk Museums Service

02/02/2026

Works to unblock a window (& repair some electrics) in the parlour display here at Elizabethan House Museum is now complete!
We can't wait to show it off when we reopen for the new season on Sunday 29 March.

In the meantime - a bit more about the subject and why the window was previously hidden....
🌤️ Did You Know? Britain once taxed windows 🤯
From 1696 to 1851, homes in Britain, France, and Scotland were charged a “Window Tax”—a way of taxing wealth based on how many windows a property had.
The logic?
💡 More windows = more wealth
💰 More wealth = more tax
But the impact was bleak.
To dodge the tax, property owners bricked up their windows, leaving houses dim, cold, and poorly ventilated. Many buildings still carry these ghostly blank spaces today. This practice is even said to have inspired the phrase “daylight robbery”—because the tax literally robbed people of light. 🌞🚫
---
🏛️ Why Museums Sometimes Block Up Their Windows
Interestingly, museums sometimes block or cover windows too—but for a very different reason.
Delicate collections like textiles, prints, paintings, and organic materials are extremely sensitive to light exposure, especially UV. Too much natural light can cause:
✨ Fading
✨ Brittle fibres
✨ Surface cracking
✨ Long‑term deterioration
To protect objects, museums have traditionally reduced or eliminated direct sunlight by blocking or shuttering windows, creating controlled, low‑light environments.
---
🌈 Modern UV Films: Saving the Light and the Collections
Thanks to modern conservation technology, museums no longer have to choose between preservation and natural daylight.
Advanced UV-filtering window films now:
🔹 Block up to 99% of harmful UV
🔹 Reduce heat and glare
🔹 Maintain stable environmental conditions
🔹 Allow buildings to keep their historic windows open to the public
These films mean museums can protect their collections and keep their spaces bright, welcoming, and architecturally authentic—no window tax required. 😉
Can you spot any blocked up or ‘ghost’ windows around Great Yarmouth and Norfolk? 👻 🪟

16/12/2025

The Elizabethan House Museum is currently closed - lots going on behind the scenes though as we undertake winter maintenance etc.
In the meantime - the Time and Tide Museum of Great Yarmouth Life is open all year round!
Follow the page for full opening details.
Current exhibition is miffys 70th birthday - a fabulous show for all ages. There's also a well stocked shop for last minute gift ideas.
🎅🎄🎁

03/11/2025

Elizabethan House Museum is now closed for winter - reopening for Easter on Sunday 29 March 2026.
Thank you to everyone that has visited during the year - we hope you enjoyed your visit.
In the meantime - nearby Time and Tide Museum of Great Yarmouth Life is open all year round - see the page for full details.
See you in 2026!

31/10/2025

There is now just one more day to visit Elizabethan House Museum this year!
Saturday 1 November - closed
Saturday 2 November - open 10am-4pm

Sunday 3 November onwards - closed until Sunday 29 March 2026.

27/10/2025

Half term is here - along with the last week of the season at Elizabethan House Museum
Open 10am-4pm daily Mon-Fri & Sun (closed Sat 1/11/25)
Don't miss your last chance to visit this year!
Find us on Historic South Quay in Great Yarmouth - nearby Tolhouse Gaol is open too this week for final time this year.

22/10/2025

There are now just 10 days left of the season here at Elizabethan House Museum
Open 10am-4pm daily Sunday to Friday until 2 November 2025.
Explore the grandeur of life upstairs in the conspiracy room and then get hands on with chores in the kitchen and scullery.
A hands on history museum for all ages - find us on South Quay in Great Yarmouth. A National Trust property managed by Norfolk Museums Service

10/10/2025

There are now just 19 open days of the season left here at Elizabethan House Museum
Open 10am-4pm daily Sunday to Friday (closed Saturdays) until Sunday 2 November 2025.
Explore life upstairs and downstairs in this former merchants home on Historic South Quay in Great Yarmouth.
A National Trust property managed by Norfolk Museums Service

30/09/2025

With a definite touch of autumn in the air - a reminder that we are now into the last few weeks of the season for Elizabethan House Museum
Open 10am-4pm daily Sunday to Friday (closed Saturdays) until Sunday 2 November 2025.
Don't miss your last chance to visit this year!
A National Trust property managed by Norfolk Museums Service

23/09/2025

We are now into the last 6 weeks of the season here Elizabethan House Museum
Open 10am-4pm Sunday to Friday (closed Saturdays) until 2 November 2025
Find us on South Quay in Great Yarmouth
National Trust property managed by Norfolk Museums Service

19/09/2025

A reminder that Elizabethan House Museum is open for FREE today (Fri 19/9/25) and over the weekend (Sat 20/9/25 & Sun 21/09/25) 10am-4pm each day as part of Heritage Open Days
Explore this former merchants home on Historic South Quay in Great Yarmouth - with hands on history for all ages.
Nearby The Tolhouse Museum is also open too for free - same dates and times. Ask staff for directions if unfamiliar with the area.

Address

4 South Quay
Great Yarmouth
NR302QH

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+441493855746

Website

http://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/

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Our Story

Experience the lives of families who lived in this splendid Quayside house from Tudor to Victorian times. The Elizabethan House was built around 1596. Home to merchants and prominent locals, the building has seen several changes to its physical shape over the years leading to the building you can discover today. Evidence of its development can be seen throughout the building. Wood panelled rooms, richly decorated ceilings and the imposing stairway all help to tell the story of the Elizabethan House. The House was sold many times before it passed into the hands of the Aldred family, who bequeathed it to the National Trust. The National Trust took ownership in 1949, despite the Borough Council attempting to purchase it with a view to demolishing it to widen the roadway! Today the House contains fascinating collections from Norfolk Museums Service showing life ‘Upstairs and Downstairs’ in a house during Elizabethan times, right through to the Victorian period. You can learn why the Conspiracy Room is so-called, find out how a Victorian maid would have completed the weekly washing, and get hands on with the Elizabethan past in the bedroom, complete with replica costumes for you to try on. If you visit on one of our special event days, you may be lucky enough to see the range in the kitchen being fired up and have a chance to look at food created to period recipes; or talk to one of the costumed characters who can be found roaming the House! The Elizabethan House Museum open from 29 March to 31 October 2018, Sunday to Friday (closed Saturdays) 10am-4pm