List of museums on the Isle of Wight

This list of museums on the Isle of Wight, England contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit art galleries and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included.

To use the sortable table, click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order.

Name Image Town/City Region Type Summary
Bembridge Heritage Centre Bembridge East Local website, local history, culture, model railway, restored Operation Pluto pump
Bembridge Windmill Bembridge East Mill Operated by the National Trust, 18th century tower windmill
Blackgang Chine Blackgang South Multiple Amusement park with an exhibit based on the BBC 2 television series Coast about coastal erosion, and a reconstruction of a Victorian water-powered sawmill with displays of country trades and early working engines
Brading Roman Villa Brading East Archaeology Excavated Roman villa, preserved mosaic floors, coins, pottery, tools
Brighstone Village Museum Brighstone South Local information, local 19th century village life
Calbourne Water Mill Calbourne West Mill website, 17th century working water mill, small period rural activity displays including a kitchen, shed, dairy, laundry, fire station and bakery
Carisbrooke Castle Carisbrooke Central History Operated by English Heritage, historic motte-and-bailey castle where Charles I was imprisoned, exhibits about the castle, Charles I and local history
Classic Boat Museum East Cowes Central Maritime History of boat building, sailing, yachting, cruising and racing
Conflict, History and Remembrance Museum Cowes Central Military website, also called C.H.A.R.M, military vehicles, hardware, uniforms, weapons
Cowes Maritime Museum Cowes Central Maritime Model boats, located within Cowes Library
Dimbola Lodge Freshwater West Art Photography exhibits, home and works of celebrated Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron
Dinosaur Expeditions, Conservation and Palaeoart Centre Brighstone South Natural history website, fossils, palaeoart, children's activities
Dinosaur Isle Sandown East Natural history Fossils and life-sized models of the island's dinosaurs
East Cowes Heritage Centre East Cowes Central Local website, local history, operated by the Isle of Wight Society
Ferguson Family Museum Freshwater West Biographical website, inventor and engineer Harry Ferguson whose works are found in agriculture, aviation and motor racing, open by appointment
Fort Victoria Model Railway Yarmouth West Railroad website, located in Fort Victoria, model railroad layout
Isle of Wight Bus & Coach Museum Newport Central Transportation Buses and memorabilia
Isle of Wight Natural History Centre Godshill Central Natural history May not be open, includes shells, minerals, local fossils and dinosaur bones, stuffed birds and animals from Australia, butterflies and other insects, small British mammals, aquarium, crystal replica of Queen Elizabeth II's crown jewels[1][2][3]
Isle of Wight Postal Museum Newport Central Philatelic website, post boxes and postal equipment
Isle of Wight Steam Railway Havenstreet Central Transportation Heritage railroad and railway museum
Lilliput Antique Doll and Toy Museum Brading East Toy website, dolls, toys, dolls houses, rocking horses, tin plate toys, trains, teddy bears
Museum of Island History Newport Central Local website, island history, culture, fossils
Needles Battery Totland West Military Operated by the National Trust, mid 19th century military battery
National Poo Museum Mobile Zoology Dedicated to the preservation and display of faeces
Newport Roman Villa Newport Central Archaeology Reconstructed Roman villa with kitchen, garden, preserved bath suite with hypocaust underfloor heating
Newtown Old Town Hall Newport Central Multiple Operated by the National Trust, 17th century former town hall, exhibits of local and island political history, changing art and photography exhibits
Nunwell House Nunwell East Historic house Jacobean house where Charles I spent his last free night, military collections, gardens
Osborne House East Cowes Central Historic house Operated by English Heritage, former royal residence built for Queen Victoria and designed by Prince Albert, extravagant interiors, gardens, hothouses, Swiss cottage
Quay Arts Centre Newport South Art Arts centre with exhibit galleries
Shipwreck Centre and Maritime Museum Arreton Central Maritime website, diving equipment, artifacts recovered from shipwrecks, lifeboat, smuggling and fishing displays
Sir Max Aitken Museum Cowes Central Maritime website, located in an 18th-century sail maker's loft, houses nautical artifacts, marine paintings, models
St. Catherine's Lighthouse Niton South Maritime 19th century lighthouse open for tours
Ventnor Heritage Museum Ventnor South Local website, information, local history, culture, antiques
Wight Military and Heritage Museum Northwood Central Military website, tanks, artefacts, other vehicles, small arms and uniforms from the 1940s to the present day
Yarmouth Castle Yarmouth West Military Operated by English Heritage, one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, exhibits depicting its use in the 16th century and shipwrecks

Defunct

edit
  • Arreton Manor, now closed to the public[4]
  • The Brading Experience, also known as the Isle of Wight Waxworks, website
  • Dinosaur Farm Museum, Brighstone[5]
  • Isle of Wight Coastal Visitors Centre, Ventnor[6]
  • Sunken Secrets now Shipwreck Centre and Maritime Museum at Arreton

Albany Steam Museum.

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "4 bedroom character property for sale". Right Move. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Natural History Centre". Days Out with Kids. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  3. ^ "Natural History Centre". Daltons Business. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  4. ^ http://www.arretonmanor.co.uk/ Arreton Manor, closed to the public, except for our luxury Five Star bed and breakfast accommodation.
  5. ^ "Official site". Dinosaur Expeditions. Retrieved 16 March 2015. We have established the 'Dinosaur Expeditions, Conservation and Palaeoart Centre', a field centre based at the site of the former Dinosaur Farm Museum
  6. ^ "Update 2013: The Coastal Visitors Centre in Ventnor is now Closed". Isle of Wight Council, Coastal Managemrnt. Retrieved 20 November 2013.