Last time I visited Warwick, the museum was closed for refurbishment. They have done a grand job on it too.
It is an attractive place with carefully thought out displays with interactive touch screens and plenty to catch the attention of the young visitors. This is a definitely a non-stuffy place to visit.
They are happy for visitors to take pictures although as everything is behind glass which can present problems with focusing and reflection.
In some ways there isn’t a lot to see, and this is reflected in the 4* rating rather than 5*. There is plenty to catch the attention, from the display of different bears on the ground floor (everyone loves a bear) to more traditional exhibits upstairs. These include fossils – don’t miss the vertebra of a straight tusked elephant (first time I’ve heard of one of them). There are wonderful ammonite fossils as well as a replica of a complete Ichthyosaur skeleton. There are stuffed animals and examples of pressed flowers. In a small room are displays from the original museum – things have moved on a lot since then!
There are some beautiful stone axes which would have made lethal weapons. There is a Roman denarii horde and examples of Anglo Saxon jewellery. I loved the pitcher with an owls face on the rim. There are musical instruments and a wonderful Georgian dress along with dressing up clothes.
There is a shop and what looked like a very good cafe. The cakes looked wonderful and I regretted the Belgium bun I had bought from Greggs before I visited…
The museum is fully accessible with level access to the ground floor and a lift to the first floor. There is plenty of space too.
The museum is free although they do ask for contributions. It is open 10-5 Tuesday – Friday.
