The King’s Own Royal Regiment Museum is based within Lancaster City Museum. The regimental galleries were opened in 1929 and the original collections were formed from historic items kept by the various battalions of the Regiment. Some objects date back to the very early days of the Regiment in the late 17th Century. In the 1930s a sizeable collection of objects, archives, books and photographs was built up. For more information on the collection and the history of the regiment visit www.kingsownmuseum.com.
Soldiers of the Regiment with their cycles in North Africa during the Second World War.
During the Second World War the museum was closed and the collections were based in a store, while the building (the former Lancaster Town Hall) was used by the Canadian Treasury. From the 1950s the museum continued to expand its collections, until the 1980s when even more rapid growth took place. The lower floor of the gallery tells the history of the Regiment from the 1660s to the 1960s, including a unique captain’s uniform from the 1760s – the oldest, most complete, British army uniform in the world.
Today, the museum team and Trustees are looking to address aspects of the colonial era legacy of the regiment. An exciting new project, funded through the Heritage Lottery, is currently researching and recording objects taken during the Abyssinian campaign in 1868. You can read more about this work here: Abyssinia Project.
Opening Times
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
Please check the web pages for our other museums to see their opening days and times, as each museum is different.
Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult
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)
The King's Own Royal Regimental gallery is included in standard admission to Lancaster City Museum:
Lancaster District Residents
FREE
Children (under 18)
FREE – must be accompanied by a responsible adult if under 16.
Carers accompanying a disabled visitor
FREE
1 Adult from outside the Lancaster District
£5
Joint ticket – 2 Adults from outside the Lancaster District
£8
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:
From talks and walking tours to our popular 'show and tell' sessions demonstrating military equipment from different eras, you can find details of events and activities at all our museums here: What's On.
Or keep up to date with all the latest news on social media:
The King's Own Royal Regiment Museum is located within Lancaster City Museum, Market Square, Lancaster, LA1 1HT.
By Car
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 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 main part of the King's Own Regimental Museum is accessible via ramps and a stairlift rated for 250kg. The small mezzanine area (including displays of medals & silverware) is accessible via a smaller domestic-style stairlift, but it is not possible to take wheelchairs up to this level. Please note that fire evacuation for wheelchair users 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 regimental museum. You must also be able to transfer yourself into an Evac Chair in the event of an emergency.
Pushchairs: We can accommodate prams and pushchairs on the ground floor of the City Museum, but if you wish to take them upstairs to the King's Own Regimental gallery 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.
Wheelchair available: ask a member of staff if you'd like to borrow it.
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 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.
If you are enquiring regarding research, such as asking for information about a specific soldier or campaign, please go to our Regimental Research Enquiries page.
Please be aware that the King's Own does not have a full-time team to respond to enquiries on a regular basis. It may take a little while for us to get back to you, but we will do so as soon as possible.
