As well as our permanent displays, we have a packed schedule of changing exhibitions at both the Maritime Museum and the City Museum.

Read on to find out what you'll be able to discover on your next visit - or if you've seen it all already, skip ahead to our Future Exhibitions, or explore more online with our immersive Virtual Exhibitions! 

Insus Unearthed: A Journey Through Roman Lancaster

17 May - 10 November 2025

Our summer exhibition looks at how the Romans lived, worked and built the fort at the heart of our city. The very name of 'Lancaster' describes a fort (castrum) on the River Lune. A civilian settlement grew up around it, and the city as we know it developed from these ancient Roman roots.

For the first time, we're also running guided tours alongside this exhibition. There are only a few, so advance booking is recommended to guarantee your place! Find out more here: Story Tours.

100 Years, 100 Objects: Stories from the Collection of Lancaster City Museums

Ongoing

2023 marked the 100th anniversary of our museums. As part of our centenary celebrations we created a series of podcasts about objects in our collection. They were selected by members of our museum team, academics, and members of community groups, who chose their favourites from our collection of over 50,000 items. Most of these objects are now on display in the upstairs corridor at the City Museum, while others are part of our permanent displays in other areas of the City and Martime Museums.

In the Spotlight: a History of Black Performers in Morecambe

26 July - 2 November 2025

In the Spotlight highlights the dazzling contributions of internationally acclaimed performers who graced Morecambe’s theatres during the late 19th and early 20th century - a time of glamour, sophistication, and vibrant cultural exchange. Drop in to the Maritime Museum and rediscover a remarkable chapter in Morecambe’s cultural history, and one that celebrates resilience, talent, and the enduring legacy of Black performers who helped shape the town’s vibrant entertainment scene.

The stellar lineup of those who lit up Morecambe’s stages between 1850 and 1950 includes trailblazing stars of the Harlem Renaissance and Cotton Club eras, such as the charismatic Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson, the legendary Adelaide Hall, and the beloved James Herns (also known as Jimmy Cooney), who fell so deeply in love with Morecambe that he made it his home.

Their stories have been meticulously researched by Kirsty Roberts, a Lancashire-based Black historian and PhD student at the University of Central Lancashire. The university has a longstanding partnership with Lancaster City Museums and is committed to uncovering and sharing Black histories rooted in the region.

“I’m incredibly excited and honoured to be facilitating the return of these fabulous, internationally acclaimed performance artists to Morecambe. Morecambe was a destination to which Black artists repeatedly returned with enthusiasm for over 100 years and I can’t wait to celebrate this often-overlooked part of the town’s storied history.”

-Kirsty Roberts

• This exhibition is an expanded version of the one shown at the City Museum earlier this year. It features many objects from our collections and elsewhere which weren't included in the smaller exhibition.
• The exhibition will be accompanied by a publication with more details on the people featured.

Hoard of Hoards: Hidden | Lost | Stolen | Offered | Collected

Ongoing

This immersive exhibition literally uncovers the hoards that we have in the collection. From pre-history through to the Tudor period people have always stashed away their valuables for one reason or another. We take a look at each one and ask what was happening in Britain at the time and why the owners felt the need to hide theirs.

The Insus Unearthed exhibition at the City Museum will be followed by a Lancaster & District Arts Society Open Exhibition. A mini-exhibition in the upstairs corridor of the City Museum is also on the cards for September: Belle & Mary. This will feature objects in the collection connected to the Ruxton murders. September will mark 90 years since Buck Ruxton brutally murdered his wife Isabella (Belle) and their housemaid/nanny Mary. The exhibition (as the title suggests), will look more at the two victims, rather than Ruxton himself.

Meanwhile at the Maritime Museum we're planning a winter exhibition on spectroscopy, an important scientific technique in archaeology.

Our exhibitions change evey few months, so check back here for updates or follow us on Facebook or Instagram for all the latest announcements.