By Pauline Weston Thomas for Fashion-Era.com
Always Check Directly with Museums for Updated Information
Always telephone first to check if the museum is still showing examples of dress or accessories or textiles. Galleries are updated sometimes to improve conservation conditions. Also check days and times of opening. Some museums close when you least expect it such as on a Friday. Many venues have internet sites with information on opening hours and fees.
Some venues charge an entrance fee, but some publicly owned venues in the UK now have free entrance once again.
For Early English Costume History See Calthrop
A Note on Footwear
If you wear heels I suggest you take a pair of low flatter shoes or check beforehand that the venue will let you in if they are preserving original wooden floors. All National Trust properties like the base of a shoe heel to be at least about 3 cm square. I was once refused entry because of wearing a heel deemed too damaging, luckily I had a spare pair of flat sandals in the car and soon caught up with my group.
Some of these museums have direct web links and others are reviewed better on a secondary site. If you do find any broken links or changes of information please write to me at the email address in the footer.
A few arts venues in this list are not costume museums, but they may contain paintings or research facilities showing an era's important clothing and decorative objects to be studied alongside costume.
These museums are all linked to information pages individually.
Clicking the excellent links will give you greater guidance on the contents of each museum.
Museum of Costume Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street,
Bath. Great Britain.
BA1 2QH
01225 477789
Fashion Research Centre, 4 Circus Bath, BA1 2EW
01225 477752
The Cecil Higgins Art Gallery,
Castle Close,
Bedford. Great Britain.
MK 40 3RP
01234 211222
Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens,
Stranmills Road, Belfast. Great Britain.
BT9 5AB
01232 383000
Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery, Chamberlain Square,
Birmingham. Great Britain.
B3 3DH
Birmingham link to the Jewellery Quarter
0121 303 2834
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery,
Church Street, Brighton,
East Sussex. Great Britain.
BN1 1UE
01273 290900
Manor House Museum,
Honey Hill,Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk England IP33 1RT
01284 757 076
Museum of Welsh Life,
St. Fagans,
Cardiff,
South Wales. Great Britain.
CF5 6XB
012920 573500
Grosvenor Museum,
27 Grosvenor Street,
Chester,
Cheshire. Great Britain.
CH1 2DD
01244 321616
The Bowes Museum,
Barnard Castle,
Durham. Great Britain.
DL12 8NP
01833 690606
National Museums of Scotland,
0131 225 7534
Kelvingrove Art Gallery ad Museum
Glasgow. Great Britain.
G3 8AG
0141 287 2700
State Apartments and Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, Kensington Palace, London. W8 4PX. Great Britain.
0171 938 8500
Cromwell Road,
London. Great Britain.
SW7 2RL
0171 938 8500
Macclesfield Silk Museum and Heritage Centre, Roe Street, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 6UT
01625 613210
Gallery of Costume,
Platt Hall, Rusholme,
Manchester. Great Britain.
M14 5LL
(Manchester City Galleries)
0161 245 7245
Costume and Textile Study Centre,
Carrow House,
301 King Street,
Norwich. Great Britain.
NR1 2TS
01603 223 870
Paisley Museum and Art Gallery,
High Street,
Renfrewshire,
PA1 2BA. Great Britain.
0141 889 3151
Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, formerly known as Rowley House,
Barker street,
Shrewsbury.
SY1 1QH. Great Britain.
01743 361 196
Quarry Bank Mill, Styal, Cheshire, SK9 4LA
01625 527468
York,
YO1 9RY. Great Britain.
01904 653 611
Warwick Castle,
Warwick. Great Britain.
01926 406633
National Museum of Ireland,
Kildare Street,
Dublin 2.
353 1 677 7444
A website visitor recently wrote to tell me of this museum. "Snibston Museum in Coalville Leicestershire is home to the Symington collection of corsets. It also has fashions from c1750 to present day and archives Next fashion as they are based in Leicestershire."
I have not visited this museum so please check directly with the institution as this display may be date limited. Address:- Ashby Road, Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 3LN.
By its very nature all of this information is constantly changing.
If you find any broken links or changes of information please write to me at the address below.
Although not a costume museum, no visit to Bath, UK is complete without a visit to the Pump Room in the centre of Bath town.
Another related museum which may also be of interest is that of the Jewellery Quarter Museum in Birmingham UK.
Fashion-Era.com can take no responsibility for any loss you may incur as a result of using the information here.