Torquay Museum

19/06/2026

OBECT OF THE WEEK: Alabastron

This is an alabastron, on display in our Explorers gallery, which was used for holding scented oils and perfumes. Its origin lies in the religious city of Abydos, one of the most sacred sites in Egypt, believed to be a gateway to the afterlife, during the Roman period of Egypt.

14/06/2026

Can you imagine Oddicombe Beach without the iconic Babbacombe Cliff Railway? Neither can we!

This month we are celebrating the re-opening of the Babbacombe Cliff Railway in June 1951, after ten years of closure. The Cliff Railway ceased operation in 1941 due to the Second World War and the cost of rebuilding it afterwards meant that it only started operating again well into the 1950s.

Visit our exhibition ‘Torbay Tracks: The History of Railed Transport in Torbay’, open until 31st August 2026, to learn about the development of railed transport around the bay. Visit once, get in for free for a year!

12/06/2026

OBJECT OF THE WEEK: Babbacombe Cliff Railway Tickets

The colours of these Babbacombe Cliff Railway tickets, on display in our Torbay Tracks exhibition, seem to have changed alongside the pricing throughout the years. Since the railway was popular with tourists visiting the area, the back of the ticket was used to advertise other attractions like the Pavilion.

05/06/2026

Today is World Environment Day and with that in mind we thought you might like to see a photo of the lovely Oxeye Daisies planted by some of our volunteers.

Did you know the petal-plucking game, 'He loves me; he loves me not', is thought to have started with the oxeye daisy. While thinking of a suitor, each petal is plucked until the answer of whether love is possible becomes apparent. However, each 'petal' is actually an individual flower as oxeye daisies have composite flower heads consisting of yellow 'disc florets', surrounded by 'ray florets' (the 'petals').

We will be leaving our daisies in-situ for the bees to enjoy!

05/06/2026

OBJECT OF THE WEEK: GWR Cups and Saucer

This set, on display in our Torbay Tracks exhibition, was used on a GWR service running between Torquay Railway Station and London Paddington. There have been direct services between Torbay and London for over a century, namely the ‘Torbay Express’ between London Paddington and Kingwear.

02/06/2026

FRIENDLY FACES 2026!

Do you have a child moving from Year 6 into secondary school this September?

Join us on Friday 28th August or Friday 4th September for the return of our popular Friendly Faces events. Please see session breakdown below.

Children starting Year 7 can enjoy fun, games, and the chance to meet some friendly faces before beginning their new schools the following week. Grown-ups can relax and chat in the café too.
Tickets sell fast — don’t miss out, book now! 👇

Tickets are £2.50 per child (plus booking fee)

You need only book an event ticket for the child attending the session - no annual museum ticket required.

Torquay Boys' Grammar School
(Burgh, Dart, Goodrington) Fri 28th Aug (9.30am-11am)

Torquay Boys' Grammar School
(Fox Tor, Haldon, Rougemont) Fri 28th Aug (11.15am-12.45pm)

St Cuthbert Mayne School Fri 28th Aug (1.15pm-2.45pm)

The Spires College Fri 28th Aug (1.15pm-2.45pm)

Torquay Academy Fri 28th Aug (1.15pm-2.45pm)

Torquay Girls' Grammar School (
Cross, Beal, Jackson) Fri 4th Sept (9.30am-11am)

Torquay Girls' Grammar School
(Wilkinson, Robertson, Omanyo) Fri 4th Sept (11.15am-12.45pm)

Churston Ferrers Grammar School Fri 4th Sept (1.15pm-2.45pm)

Torquay Boys' Grammar School Torquay Girls' Grammar School Torquay Academy St Cuthbert Mayne School, Torquay The Spires College Churston Ferrers Grammar School

Join us on Friday 28th August or Friday 4th September for the return of our popular Friendly Faces events.

31/05/2026

Object donations wanted!

Do you have any items related to railed transport in Torbay? Help us develop our collections by emailing [email protected]

During the development of the Torbay Tracks exhibition we realised how few items related to our transport heritage we hold in our Collections. We are currently looking for kind donations and loans of objects related to railed transport in Torbay, especially those related to:

🚂 Trains and railways in Torbay.
🚂 The Torquay Tramways Company.
🚂 The Babbacombe Cliff Railway.

We aim to feature some of these donations and loans in our Torbay Tracks exhibition, open until 31 August 2026.

29/05/2026

OBJECT OF THE WEEK: Buddhist Painting

This is a painting, using the medium of gouache on paper, of an idealized landscape, probably illustrating one of the jataka tales, stories detailing the previous lives of the Buddha before enlightenment.

29/05/2026

🚂 All aboard for a Family Fun Day at the museum today, starting at 10.30 AM!
Join us for an engaging day exploring the fascinating science behind transport. Our hands-on activities will let you and your family dive into concepts of engineering and construction, learn about rail safety, and discover modern innovations like green energy!
Collect your FREE activity booklet on arrival and earn a special stamp once completed!
This is a drop-in session between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM. Entry is FREE with a valid museum ticket. Don't miss out on the fun!

28/05/2026

Join our learning team on Friday 29th May, where they will be in the museum for an engaging day exploring the science behind transport. Our hands-on activities will let you and your family explore concepts of engineering and construction as well as rail safety and modern innovations like green energy!
Collect your free activity booklet on arrival and earn your stamp once completed!

The session will be drop-in between 10:30 and 15:30. The session is FREE with a valid museum ticket.

All ages welcome!