The Friends, founded 1949, exist to support the work of Colchester’s Museums
Colchester Castle (open Mon-Sun)
Hollytrees Museum (open Mon-Sat)
Natural History Museum (open Tues-Sun).
It was set up as a charity (Registered Charity No. 310669) to encourage interest in the museums and their exhibits. We help purchase items and assist with special projects.
The collection at Colchester Museum holds over 200,000 records of objects, documents, artefacts and specimens: from Natural Science collections spanning millions of years, to a wide range of Social History objects. Significant collections include the internationally important Roman archaeology from Colchester, to world-class Art in Ipswich. Since 1949, over 120 items have been added to
the collection through The Friends. A list of Friends’ purchases over the past 50 years is available at acquisitions
Members enjoy a number of privileges such as FREE ADMISSION to Castle Museum at ANYTIME – please don’t forget to show your membership card! – and occasional SPECIAL VIEWINGS.
We also offer excursions – details of which can be found on our website.
There is a regular lecture series in the Spring and Autumn months, so between April – June and September – November. Subjects for our lectures usually include local events, people and places. We meet fortnightly at 7.30pm on Tuesdays (plus there are some daytime talks at 14.30) at Lion Walk Church, Colchester CO1 1LX – view this location on the map
Lectures are about 90 minutes in duration including questions. There’s a reduced charge of £2 per lecture for members and full-time students; £4 for non-members). No tickets are needed; just turn up and pay at the door. To become a member please complete a simple form on our membership page.
Visitors welcome!
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Can You Help?
If you have any information about the objects or belongings on the database of the museum collections that will help understand them better, or would like information corrected, please contact the Collections and Learning team at Colchester and Ipswich Museums at collections@colchester.gov.uk
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Some 800 people belong to the Friends, spread over individual, couple and family memberships. If you are interested in helping to support the work of Colchester Museums and would like to be involved in the rich heritage of Britain’s oldest recorded town, then why not join the friends?
