What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 4:30pm Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm Thursday 10am - 4:30pm Friday 10am - 4:30pm Saturday 10am - 4:30pm Sunday 1pm - 4:30pm

Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery

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Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery

Built as a royal palace over 900 years ago, now part of Norfolk Museums Service. Norwich Castle: Royal Palace Reborn OPEN NOW Part of Norfolk Museums Service.
(1398)

The medieval Castle building is currently closed for major redevelopment work. The museum and art galleries remain open, subject to temporary closures of some areas due to construction work. Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery is packed with treasures to inspire and intrigue visitors of all ages. One of the city’s most famous landmarks, it was built by the Normans as a Royal Palace 900 years ago.

Now a museum and art gallery, it is home to some of the most outstanding collections of fine art, archaeology and natural history. Please note that this account is monitored Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm so there may be a slight delay in our response outside of working hours.

02/06/2026

What have our Museum Trainees been up to?

Every Friday is a dedicated training day, delivered by our highly experienced members of staff. The days are structured to build knowledge of many different areas of the Museums sector and designed to provide both theoretical and hands-on experience.

🏛️ Exploring museums and art galleries across Norfolk Museums Service and beyond
🏺 Learning how to pack and store historic objects
🗣️ Discussing access and safeguarding with our fantastic learning team
🥽 Helping with the deep clean of Norfolk Collections Centre
✒️ Getting hands on with our design team

And yes, that's Annabelle holding a Mammoth's tooth!

27/05/2026

Did you know guide dogs are trained to work in public spaces such as museums? 🐾

Norwich Castle recently hosted a day of training led by Guide Dogs UK Puppy Development Advisor Jay. Say hello to Zalia, Sade, Bob and Syd (and their volunteer puppy raisers!) as they navigate the galleries - and some have a go at stairs for the very first time!
We’re convinced the pups were especially excited by this Neo-Classical sculpture by John Gibson, as well as the Macro family’s beloved pet spaniel that appears in these two paintings from the 1730s by Peter Tillemans and Francis Hayman.

Thanks for coming Zalia, Crystal, Martie, Reuben, Mojo, Sade, Bob and Syd, you’re welcome back anytime!

26/05/2026

Discover the wild side of the museum with activities inspired by our Natural History collection. Follow our trail, get hands-on with real specimens, enjoy family craft activities, and find out how animals use beaks, teeth and jaws to bite, peck, snap, crack, crush and survive!

Plus...our galleries are temperature controlled. 😎

More details on our website: https://ow.ly/krvL50Z49mY

21/05/2026

Looking for creative activities during half term? 🖌️

We're running a free, three-day art workshop from 26th - 28th May between 10am - 2:30pm each day, suitable for children aged 9 to 11 (Years 5 and 6) with an interest or aptitude for art.

🖌️ Experiment
📓 Sketchbook Approach
⛰️ Inspiration from our collections

The workshop will be led by experienced community artist Rachel Duffield Art and will use the museum collections to explore the theme 'Treasure'. It is completely free and all resources are provided and the sessions will take place in the Clore Learning Centre and in the galleries at Norwich Castle.

Refreshments will be available during the workshop, but please provide a packed lunch. We are also very pleased to be able to offer free museum entry for parents/carers and siblings during the workshop sessions, allowing families to enjoy the whole Castle and the other half-term activities that are taking place.

If you want your child to take part, please contact Maja Jackson at [email protected] by Saturday 23rd May 5pm. We ask that anyone signing up is able to attend all three days of the workshop. However, where necessary, some flexibility and concessions can be made.

20/05/2026

🌟 Mike and Hayley from our very excellent Visitor Services team have created a free wellbeing zine for Norfolk Creativity and Wellbeing Week. Pick up your copy in the rotunda: the zine will gently lead you towards moments of mindfulness as you make your way around the galleries.

The Norfolk festival takes place 18-24 May and is part of the national event co-ordinated by London Arts and Health and Culture Health Wellbeing Alliance.

Norfolk County Council Norfolk Arts Forum

18/05/2026

🎭 It's Norfolk Creativity & Wellbeing Week!

The festival takes place 18-24 May and is part of the national event co-ordinated by London Arts and Health and Culture Health Wellbeing Alliance.

In Norfolk, there's a great mix of events to choose from, to ensure that everyone can access a range of free or low-cost creative health activities.

There's something to suit all ages and abilities - check out the events page on the Norfolk County Council website:

https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/39485/Norfolk-Creativity-and-Wellbeing-Week-18---24-May-2026

Norfolk County Council Norfolk Arts Forum

14/05/2026

🎺 FANFARE PLEASE 🎺

Norwich Castle: Royal Palace Reborn has won 'Restoration or Conservation Project of the Year' in the 2026 Museums + Heritage Awards!

The judges said: "A six-year restoration of a nationally significant Norman keep that has not only preserved an extraordinary building but fundamentally reimagined how people experience it. From accessible roof battlements to a community-made tapestry, it is bold, joyful and deeply ambitious."

Although not everyone involved could be depicted in one photograph, shown here are: joiner Stephen Beatty , Dr Robin Hanley Assistant Head of Norfolk Museums Service, Feilden + Mawson Architect and Managing Director Erin Davidson , Project Assistant Curator at Norfolk Museums Service Dr Agata Gomólka, Senior Curator of Archaeology at Norfolk Museums Service Dr Tim Pestell, Blacksmith from Holkham Forge Roger Foyster , Project Officer at Norfolk Museums Service Jenny Caynes, Conisbee Engineer Tom Lefever and Blacksmith from Holkham Forge James Spedding. Absent from this photo call: Project Manager for Norfolk Museums Hannah Jackson, Project Curator Andrew Ferrara and our fabulously talented team of Tapestry and Textiles Volunteers.

Thanks to the National Lottery players through The National Lottery Heritage Fund , as well as support from Norfolk County Council , we were able to return Norwich Castle to its 1121 glory.

Thanks also to Arts Council England , Art Fund , Norwich City Council , East Anglia Art Fund and The British Museum

13/05/2026

📣 New exhibition!

‘Miranda Boulton: Chain of Flowers’, an exhibition of oil paintings, opens in the Colman Project Space at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery on Saturday 16 May.

Boulton’s practice explores ideas around memory and time, referencing the traditions of still life painting and abstraction with a mixture of vigorous and delicate marks.

“Miranda Boulton’s recent work is the outcome of a very particular conversation between artists and across time, realised through close observation and research. Miranda came to Norwich to meet Dr. Giorgia Bottinelli and to look at the 19th century still-life paintings of Emily Stannard, a prominent female member of the Norwich School. Stannard’s flower studies had in turn been inspired by the study of Dutch 17th century still-life painting in the Netherlands. Miranda followed, travelling to Amsterdam to see the works that Stannard had viewed some 200 years before. And so historical sources, spanning some 400 years, echo through Miranda’s work, providing the deep foundations for something brilliant and new; her marvellous paintings will be very much at home in the galleries of Norwich Castle.”

- Amanda Geitner, Director of East Anglia Art Fund East Anglia Art Fund

Miranda Boulton: Chain of Flowers
Colman Project Space
Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery
16 May – 6 December 2026

2. 'Garlands and Wreaths II', 2025
150 x 120cm
Oil and acrylic spray paint on canvas.
Image courtesy of the artist and Patricia Fleming Gallery

3. Miranda Boulton in her studio, Hackney Wick, London 2025

Thanks to our funders and supporters: The National Lottery Heritage Fund Norfolk County Council Norwich City Council VisitNorwich East Anglia Art Fund Art Fund Arts Council England

11/05/2026

🔥 New displays, better access, and Boudica’s story told like never before…

Thanks to investment from Department for Culture, Media and Sport / Wolfson Fund Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund we’re going to redevelop our gallery dedicated to Boudica and the Romans.

By extending the scope of the gallery back in time to include the Bronze Age we’ll be able to tell a more complete story about our region. Once works are finished we’ll be able to showcase the Iceni revolt against Roman rule in AD 60-61 with better displays and improved physical access for all visitors.

The project will start later in 2026 and the gallery will be closed whilst works are taking place.

🪙 Gold solidus (coin) of Roman Emperor Honorius from the Deopham Hoard

🍷 Iceni drinking vessel with duck handles fom the Crownthorpe Hoard

🧷 Middle Bronze Age gold penannular ring found in Gresham

🍀 Gold sheet lamella or good luck charm, 60 AD – 150 AD

🪖 Roman cavalry helmet from the third century AD depicting Mars, Victory and Medusa

Address

Castle Meadow
Norwich
NR13JU

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	10am - 4:30pm
Thursday	10am - 4:30pm
Friday	10am - 4:30pm
Saturday	10am - 4:30pm
Sunday	1pm - 4:30pm

Telephone

+441603493625

Website

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

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