Kingston Museum

Kingston Museum is a local history museum for the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, situated south-west of London, along the banks of the River Thames. Designed by architect Alfred Cox, it was founded in 1904 as a purpose-built museum and art gallery, adjacent to Kingston Library, which was built a year earlier.  The library’s construction was fully funded by Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie’s generous donation allowed the borough to free up its budget and finance the construction of the town’s new museum. Kingston Museum is accredited, and its building is Grade II listed.

The museum features three permanent galleries that showcase the history of Kingston from its prehistoric origins to the present day. The first gallery, Ancient Origins, exhibits artefacts ranging from Stone Age tools and Iron Age coins to a Roman altar. In the Town of Kings Gallery, you can explore the development of Kingston from the Anglo-Saxon period, when it served as the site for several royal coronations, including that of Athelstan, the first king of England, crowned in 925, to its emergence as a bustling market town. You can also learn where the Sopwith Camel, a First World War aircraft, was manufactured and why a dog appears on HMV’s logo. The studio pottery collection, which includes the renowned ceramics of the Martin Brothers, is another highlight of the museum’s display. Lastly, the Muybridge Gallery displays items from its internationally significant Eadweard Muybridge archive. 

Kingston Museum hosts a variety of temporary exhibitions that showcase the arts, history, life, and culture of the borough in its Art Gallery. While focusing on presenting its rich collections through different exhibitions, Kingston Museum is committed to collaborating with diverse individuals and communities, regularly inviting them to participate and contribute to the museum’s exhibitions and other projects. One of the museum’s popular programmes is Community Case, which is open to all to present their creative works free of charge.

A digital guide to Kingston Museum’s collections and community trails is available through the Bloomberg Connects App. The museum also offers a kids’ dress-up corner, tours, and talks, many of which are free to attend. The pre-school ‘Snappity’ sessions, held on alternate Saturdays, are especially popular. For more information, visit the museum’s website.

The Museum’s Shop is a treasure trove for everyone, offering unique and Kingston-specific products. You will find books about the local area, cards, souvenirs, and many more items inspired by the museum’s collections. It features a variety of children’s toys and beautiful works by local craftspeople. You can also purchase prints of some images from the museum’s collection on Art UK’s online shop.