Discover more about the City of Lancaster, one of England’s Heritage Cities, from the pre-historic era through to today. Our immersive galleries are packed with objects and stories exploring every aspect of the history of this wonderful city and its people.
The impressive City Museum is housed in Lancaster’s former town hall, right on the edge of the busy Market Square. The elegant Georgian building was constructed between 1781-3 to the designs of Major Thomas Jarrett and Thomas Harrison.
The museum itself was founded in 1923 and its varied collection and dioramas lead visitors through the social and industrial history and archaeology of Lancaster, and the stories of the people who have made the city what it is today. Don't miss our fine art collection or the programme of changing exhibitions in our ground floor gallery.
The City Museum building is also home to the King’s Own Royal Regiment Museum, a fascinating insight into the military heritage of the city’s own regiment from 1680 onwards.
Shaping the Future
We're working on long-term plans for a complete redevelopment of the City Museum. Help shape the future by telling us what you'd like to see!
Thank you! Your feedback will help us to make the museums better places for everyone.
Opening Times
Temporary Partial Closure
The upstairs galleries at the City Museum will be CLOSED from Monday 23 February to Monday 9 March inclusive.
The shop and ground floor exhibitions will be OPEN as usual with FREE ADMISSION during this time.
This is to allow for a full renovation of our staircase and preparations for changing displays of artworks from our collection in the future.
Usual Opening Hours
Monday
10:30 – 16:00
Tuesday
10:30 – 16:00
Wednesday
CLOSED
Thursday
CLOSED
Friday
10:30 – 16:00
Saturday
10:30 – 16:00
Sunday
10:30 – 16:00
The City Museum is OPEN as usual for all spring & summer Bank Holidays. Closed Christmas and New Year.
Please check the web pages for our other museums to see their opening days and times, as each museum is different.
Dogs: Only assistance dogs are permitted in the museum. This is because even well-behaved dogs are curious, and they sometimes need the loo. We can’t risk it for the sake of our fragile museum objects, which might get knocked over by a very waggy tail, and other visitors who may be nervous around dogs.
Admission
Standard Tickets (Single Visit)
Lancaster District Residents
FREE
Children (under 18)
FREE – must be accompanied by a responsible adult if under 16.
1 Adult from outside the Lancaster District
£5
Joint ticket – 2 Adults from outside the Lancaster District
£8
Carer accompanying a disabled visitor
FREE
National Art Pass holders
FREE
Museums Association members
FREE
Multipass Tickets
Our weekly and annual passes are ideal for holidays or for regular visitors to the district, providing unlimited entry to all three of our museums:
The Lancaster City Museum guide is now LIVE on the Bloomberg Connects Arts and Culture app.
Download the guide anywhere and explore the museum at your leisure. It features exhibition highlights, interactive floor plans, audio guides and more. We'll be adding to this over time as well as creating new guides for our other museums.
Lancaster & District Art Society exhibition, 22 Nov 2025 to 8 March 2026. Photo by Robin Zahler.
From our rolling programme of exhibitions to talks, tours, kids' craft sessions and more, you can find details of events and activities at all our museums here:
The Shop @ The City Museum has an ever-changing range of locally produced and sustainable goods with a historical theme.
Everyone is welcome to drop in and browse the shop without paying for museum admission.
You'll find everything from rocks and fossils to Roman-inspired jewellery. Toys and t-shirts, cards, candles and ceramics, soaps, scarves, local honey, jam and chutney, traditional homewares and cleaning products, Lancaster-themed stationery and souvenirs, and of course a huge range of books on local history. There's something for everyone, whether you're into dinosaurs, witchcraft or women's history, militaria or the middle ages.
Don't miss our seasonal specialties, or the sale cupboard in the corner!
If you are driving pleaseDO NOTfollow satnav directions directly to the museum – we are in a pedestrian area. You will need to select a nearby car park as your destination, or use Lancaster’s Park and Ride scheme to reach us from the M6.
The exception to this is if you have a Blue Badge for disabled parking: there are spaces available in New Street, just behind the museum: get directions to New Street on Google Maps.
On Foot or by Public Transport
The City Museum is in the pedestrian area of the city centre, prominently positioned in Market Square. It is within easy walking distance of both the train and bus stations.
Look out for the finger post signs around the city, which will help you to find us.
There are cycle parking stands both in front of the museum in Market Square and behind the museum in New Street. Please dismount your bike when you enter the pedestrian area.
Toilets: There are NO public toilets or baby changing facilities available on site. The closest public toilets are located in the Marketgate Shopping Centre. These include an accessible toilet requiring a RADAR key. Keys are available for sale in the museum shop.
Wheelchairaccess: the museum is fully accessible via ramps and a stairlift (rated for 250kg), but please note that fire evacuation for wheelchair users from the upper floor of the City Museum relies on an Evac Chair and the presence of trained staff. This means that we are only able to provide access for one wheelchair user at a time to the upper floor. You must also be able to transfer yourself into an Evac Chair in the event of an emergency.
Wheelchair available: ask a member of staff if you'd like to borrow it.
Pushchairs: We can accommodate prams and pushchairs on the ground floor, but if you wish to take them upstairs you will need to carry them. Alternatively please ask the museum assistant at reception where you can leave your pram on the ground floor.
Parking: There is Blue Badge parking in New Street, behind the museum. Please note we are in a pedestrian area, so other visitors will need to park elsewhere and walk to the museum. There are several pay and display car parks within easy walking distance.
Digital Guide: The Lancaster City Museum guide is now LIVE on the Bloomberg Connects Arts and Culture app. Click here to get the app or view the guide.Featuring exhibition highlights, interactive floor plans, audio guides and more.
Every audio file has an accompanying transcript.
The app is screen-reader compatible.
Images all have alt-text
The text on the guide can be translated from English into 50+ languages (including the transcripts from audio tours).
Download the guide anywhere and explore the museum at your leisure.
We'll be expanding the guide over time, so expect even more in future!
Sensory backpacks: available to borrow for free from the front desk. Ideal for children and young people on the autism spectrum, the backpacks include ear protectors, communication cards, fiddle toys and more.
We are currently developing a new way for those with visual impairments to enjoy our collections. Find out more here: Touch and See.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call or email the museum for more details before your visit: 01524 64637, lancastercitymuseum@lancaster.gov.uk
Visit our Accessibility page for more details on accessibility in all our museums.
If you plan to visit us with a group of 12 or more people, please look at our Group Visits page. We offer a range of options from simple self-guided visits to talks, tours and hands-on activities.
If you’d like to bring a school group or other educational group, please look at our Learning page. We offer a range of options from simple self-guided visits to full-day structured sessions.
Would you like to join the Friends of Lancaster City Museum?
Membership costs only £10 a year for individuals or £16 for families, and comes with a range of benefits:
Support the Museum and help it acquire new treasures for future generations.
Free entry to all Friends’ talks and events (most talks £2 for non-members).
10% discount in the Museum Shops — perfect as Christmas approaches!
By joining, you’ll be helping to keep Lancaster’s rich history alive while enjoying a welcoming community of people who share your interest in local heritage.
