| Isle of Wight museums are an outstanding
| |
| | Tel: 01983 756814
|
| assortment of wide-ranging historic
| |
| | Dimbola Lodge was the home of pioneering
|
| collections located around the Island.
| |
| | Victorian female photographer, Julia
|
| They are so diverse that everyone,
| |
| | Margaret Cameron. Dimbola Lodge served as
|
| regardless of age will enjoy a visit to
| |
| | both her home and, more importantly, her
|
| at least one of these excellent museums.
| |
| | studio. It was here that the greatest of
|
| Below is a selection of the main Isle of
| |
| | the Cameron photographs were made. From
|
| Wight museums, listed by location.
| |
| | Dimbola Lodge Cameron photographed the
|
| Arreton
| |
| | cream of Victorian society. Tennyson,
|
| The National Wireless Museum (also at
| |
| | Darwin, Watts and Thackeray lived
|
| Seaview)
| |
| | locally, and guests often included Lewis
|
| Arreton Manor
| |
| | Carroll, Robert Browning, Holman Hunt,
|
| Arreton
| |
| | Palgrave, Edward Lear and the actress
|
| Newport
| |
| | Ellen Terry. Dimbola is now owned and
|
| PO30 3AA
| |
| | managed by The Julia Margaret Cameron
|
| The museum houses a good collection of
| |
| | Trust and has a permanent exhibition of
|
| vintage wirelesses and radios.
| |
| | her work.Dimbola Lodge is also home to a
|
| Bembridge
| |
| | permanent display celebrating the 1970
|
| Bembridge Maritime Museum and Shipwreck
| |
| | Isle of Wight Pop Festival, as well as
|
| Centre
| |
| | showcasing exhibitions from both local,
|
| Sherbourne Street
| |
| | national and international photographers
|
| Bembridge PO35 5SB
| |
| | throughout the year.
|
| Tel: 01983 872223
| |
| | Godshill
|
| A museum devoted to displaying nautical
| |
| | Nostalgia Toy Museum
|
| heritage. Displays of shipwrecks,
| |
| | High Street
|
| salvage, pirate treasure, early and
| |
| | Godshill
|
| modern diving equipment.
| |
| | PO38 3HZ
|
| Brading
| |
| | Tel: 01983 840181
|
| Wax Works Museum
| |
| | The Nostalgia Toy Museum features a large
|
| Brading: The Experience
| |
| | collection of toy cars and lorries by
|
| 46-48 High Street
| |
| | Dinky, Corgi, Matchbox, Triang and
|
| Brading
| |
| | Hornby, as well as other popular toys
|
| PO36 0DQ
| |
| | from days gone by. A lovely trip down
|
| Tel: 01983 407286
| |
| | memory lane.
|
| The original Isle of Wight Wax Works
| |
| | Shell Museum
|
| Museum and Animal World was founded by
| |
| | The Natural History Centre
|
| Graham Osborne-Smith and opened in 1965.
| |
| | High Street
|
| Today it is still owned by an Islander
| |
| | Godshill
|
| who has developed this historical and
| |
| | PO38 3HZ
|
| wonderfully interesting attraction into
| |
| | Tel: 01983 840333
|
| more than just a Wax Works. It now has
| |
| | The Shell Museum houses a large
|
| many exciting ongoing developments, and
| |
| | collection of shells from local and
|
| in particular the huge new extension -
| |
| | tropical shores. Also on display are
|
| World of Wheels which opened in 2005. The
| |
| | precious and semi precious stones and
|
| site also boasts a unique and beautifully
| |
| | minerals from around the world, local
|
| themed café serving homemade delights, a
| |
| | fossils, dinosaur bones and crown jewel
|
| discount factory outlet store and a gift
| |
| | replicas. There is also an extensive gift
|
| shop. This is one of the most popular of
| |
| | shop featuring exciting jewellery, shells
|
| the Isle of Wight museums.
| |
| | and minerals.
|
| The Lilliput Museum of Antique Dolls and
| |
| | Newport
|
| Toys
| |
| | Guildhall Museum
|
| High Street
| |
| | High Street
|
| Brading
| |
| | Newport
|
| PO36 0DJ
| |
| | PO30 1TY
|
| Tel: 01983 407231
| |
| | Tel: 01983 823366
|
| This cottage museum was established in
| |
| | Designed by John Nash and built in 1816,
|
| Brading in 1974, and was formed from the
| |
| | the historic Guildhall is home to the
|
| private doll collection started by the
| |
| | Museum of Island History and Newport's
|
| Munday family in 1960.
| |
| | Tourist Information Centre. Discover the
|
| It is acknowledged as being one of the
| |
| | Island from pre-historic past to the
|
| finest and most important collections in
| |
| | present day.
|
| Great Britain with over 2000 exhibits on
| |
| | Classic Boat Museum
|
| display dating circa 2000 BC to
| |
| | Seaclose Wharf
|
| approximately 1945 AD. There are examples
| |
| | Newport Harbour
|
| of almost every seriously collectable
| |
| | Newport
|
| doll together with a number of dolls
| |
| | PO30 2EF
|
| houses, rocking horses, tin plate toys,
| |
| | Tel: 01983 53349
|
| trains, bears, soft toys, and many other
| |
| | The Classic Boat Museum opened in 1996,
|
| unusual play things.
| |
| | and houses an exciting collection of
|
| Brading Roman Villa
| |
| | sailing and power boats. The collection
|
| Morton Old Road
| |
| | contains not only classic boats, but also
|
| Brading
| |
| | tools, artefacts, books, photographs,
|
| PO36 0EN
| |
| | film and archival items that relate to
|
| Tel. 01983 406223
| |
| | much of the history of boat building,
|
| Brading Roman Villa is one of the finest
| |
| | sailing, yachting, cruising and racing
|
| Romano-British archaeological sites in
| |
| | over the last century, in the Solent and
|
| the UK. The award-winning Exhibition and
| |
| | beyond.
|
| Visitor Centre offers a unique insight
| |
| | Isle of Wight Bus and Coach Museum
|
| into Roman life in Britain, from the
| |
| | Town Quay
|
| beautifully preserved mosaic floors to
| |
| | Newport
|
| the extensive collection of Roman
| |
| | PO30 2EF
|
| archaeology, including coins, pottery and
| |
| | Tel: 01983 533352
|
| tools.
| |
| | The museum is situated on Newport Quay,
|
| Carisbrooke
| |
| | formerly used as a grain storage
|
| Carisbrooke Castle Museum
| |
| | warehouse, but since 1997 has been the
|
| Carisbrooke Castle
| |
| | home to the Isle of Wight Bus & Coach
|
| Castle Hill
| |
| | Museum. An impressive collection of
|
| Newport
| |
| | Island buses and coaches can be viewed
|
| PO30 1XY
| |
| | here. There is also a Ryde Pier tram car
|
| Tel: 01983 523112
| |
| | dating back to the beginning of the last
|
| The wide range of items on display
| |
| | century.
|
| include archaeological material excavated
| |
| | Newport Roman Villa
|
| from the castle, Tudor furniture, objects
| |
| | Cypress Road
|
| and documents associated with King
| |
| | Newport
|
| Charles I´s imprisonment and material
| |
| | PO3O 1HE
|
| illustrating aspects of Island life such
| |
| | Tel: 01983 529720
|
| as farming, smuggling, tourism and
| |
| | The Villa was discovered in 1926 when an
|
| domestic life. The exhibitions are housed
| |
| | owner of a nearby house sank foundations
|
| in the great hall and in other rooms,
| |
| | for a garage. Subsequent excavations
|
| including one used by King Charles as a
| |
| | revealed extensive remains of a late
|
| bedroom.
| |
| | Romano-British farmhouse built around 280
|
| Cowes
| |
| | AD.
|
| Cowes Maritime Museum
| |
| | Sandown
|
| Beckford Road
| |
| | Isle Of Wight Geological Museum
|
| Cowes
| |
| | High Street
|
| PO31 7SG
| |
| | Sandown
|
| Tel: 01983 293394
| |
| | PO36 8AF
|
| Cowes Maritime Museum contains boats,
| |
| | Tel: 01983 404344
|
| paintings, and models depicting the
| |
| | Fossils, dinosaurs, turtles, mammals,
|
| maritime history of Cowes and the Isle of
| |
| | shellfish and even insects are displayed
|
| Wight.
| |
| | here to illustrate ancient life. Their
|
| Isle of Wight Military History Museum
| |
| | fossils have been painstakingly extracted
|
| Northwood Camp
| |
| | from local rocks to provide clues to
|
| 490 Newport Road
| |
| | their original environments.
|
| Cowes
| |
| | Seaview
|
| PO31 8QU
| |
| | The National Wireless Museum (also at
|
| Tel: 01983 527411
| |
| | Arreton Manor)
|
| Originally a World-War II military
| |
| | Puckpool Park
|
| barracks, the Isle of Wight Military
| |
| | Seaview
|
| History Museum stands in a 15 acre
| |
| | PO34 5AR
|
| setting and houses tanks, guns, and
| |
| | Tel: 01983 567665
|
| post-war vehicles.
| |
| | The largest collection of old wireless
|
| Sir Max Aitken Museum
| |
| | sets in the country. From pre world war
|
| The Prospect
| |
| | and Edwardian days containing old valve
|
| 83 High Street
| |
| | sets and early crystal sets. Free parking
|
| Cowes
| |
| | and playground for children.
|
| PO31 7AJ
| |
| | Ventnor
|
| Tel: 01983 295144
| |
| | Ventnor Heritage Museum
|
| The Prospect was the Cowes home of Sir
| |
| | 11 Spring Hill
|
| Max Aitken Bt DSO, DFC, a man well known
| |
| | Ventnor
|
| in Cowes but with many other claims to
| |
| | PO38 1PE
|
| fame. Born in Canada in 1910, Sir Max has
| |
| | Tel: 01983 855407
|
| been acknowledged by his achievements as
| |
| | Ventnor Heritage Museum has fascinating
|
| the newspaper magnate, a fighter pilot in
| |
| | displays of old photographs, prints,
|
| WWII, a Conservative MP, a racing
| |
| | documents, and artefacts relating to
|
| yachtsman, a powerboat pioneer and the
| |
| | Ventnor and district. There are also
|
| London Boat Show founder. The Prospect
| |
| | exhibits about the local railway with
|
| became well known as the place where he
| |
| | working models.
|
| entertained many friends and in 1979 he
| |
| | The Smuggling Museum
|
| created the Prospect Museum Trust with
| |
| | Ventnor Botanic Gardens
|
| its unique collection of marine
| |
| | The Undercliff Drive
|
| artefacts. He died in 1985 but this very
| |
| | Ventnor
|
| personal museum is a lasting reminder of
| |
| | PO38 1UL
|
| a very remarkable man.
| |
| | Tel: 01983 853677
|
| Freshwater
| |
| | This unique attraction was opened in 1973
|
| Dimbola Lodge Photographic Museum
| |
| | and features over 700 years of smuggling
|
| Terrace Lane
| |
| | practices. The museum has over 300
|
| Freshwater Bay
| |
| | exhibits housed in 3 large underground
|
| PO40 9QE
| |
| | galleries.
|
