Your Visit
See, smell, touch and hear Chelmsford's past and explore Chelmsford's present and future at the Museum of Chelmsford! We are open daily, with a wide range of displays and changing exhibitions.
Welcome to the Museum of Chelmsford!
You can take a walk through Chelmsford's history, from the Ice Age, right through to the present day. See a mammoth, watch a princely Anglo-Saxon burial, and see stunning art by a Turner Prize winner!
Admissions and memberships
Visit the Museum of Chelmsford for just £4 per adult. Children, young people and carers come in for free. Children under the age of 16 years must be accompanied by an adult.
Purchase your admission from our reception desk when you visit. Alternatively, you can purchase a membership and enjoy free admission all year round!
Memberships can be purchased online today, or when you visit. Pick up a membership card on your first visit and be sure to keep it safe to show us whenever you pop in. It's that simple!
Plus, you get a great range of other benefits including discounts on events, our gift shop, and in the café. We’ll invite you to special member events, and you can book in to member only tours, including an exclusive tour of our store.
Attending as a group?
We ask that all groups please call ahead to book, so we can accommodate your visit.
By confirming a date with us, we can make sure your visit doesn’t clash with another group or school coming in that day, so you can enjoy our museum at your leisure.
Groups of over 10 adults will receive a 10% discount on all paying adults. By calling ahead and chatting to our team, we can prepare ourselves for your payment on the day.
Opening Hours
Our opening hours are:
April to October: 10am to 5pm daily (last entry 4pm)
November to March: 10am to 4pm daily (last entry 3pm)
We are open on bank holidays.
We are closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year Day.
Gift Shop
You can visit our gift shop right by the welcome desk. There is a range of gifts from pocket money treats to collectable keepsakes linked to our collections. Members of the Museum of Chelmsford get a 10% discount.
Facilities
There are toilets and accessible toilets available at the museum. Baby changing facilities can be found in both the men's and women's toilets. For full accessibility information, visit our super informative Accessibility page.
Oaklands Park
Oaklands Park is an established award winning park, covering around 12 acres of grounds within the historic quarter of Chelmsford. In the park you will find sports pitches, tennis courts, two play areas, a beautiful rose garden, and plenty of spaces to enjoy a picnic.
Feel free to eat picnics around the park. You might want to pack a picnic blanket as the picnic tables are popular.
Oaklands was first opened as a public park in 1930 and today boasts both Green Flag and Green Heritage status.
About our beautiful house
Did you know that the Museum of Chelmsford hasn't always been at Oaklands House?
Before we moved our objects and displays almost one hundred years ago, the house was owned by a series of now well-known Chelmsford families.
We've tried to gather as much information about what we know in one place! Have a read and find out more about our building's origin story.
The Hive café
The Hive can be found in the stunning Victorian House, situated in Oakland’s Park. The café has been built into the house’s original drawing room where the sunshine floods in through floor to ceiling windows throughout the day, allowing for breathtaking views of the surrounding park and Rose Gardens.
The Hive offers an extensive menu with a home-made feel and prides itself on serving fresh, tasty and locally sourced food, including vegetarian and vegan options. Children are welcome and their menu offers a selection of options for the little ones.
For group, the dining room at The Hive offers a bright, airy and open space that can accommodate private celebrations, dining and an attractive space for corporate events.
Find the Museum of Chelmsford
Museum of Chelmsford
Oaklands Park
Moulsham Street
Chelmsford
Essex
CM2 9AQ
The Museum of Chelmsford is located on Moulsham Street, near the junction with New London Road. We have a free car park at Museum of Chelmsford, with space for Blue Badge holders. Maximum stay is two hours.
More car parking options include:
Moulsham Street
CM2 0LF, 170 spaces
https://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/parking-and-travel/car-parks/moulsham-street-car-park/
Parkway
CM2 0DG, 97 spaces
https://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/parking-and-travel/car-parks/parkway-car-park/
Shire Gate
CM2 0SE, 183 spaces
https://www.parkme.com/lot/139732/shire-gate
Just Park
Private properties to park in nearby. Enter the museum postcode (CM2 9AQ) plus a date and time to view a map of available spaces.
https://www.justpark.com/uk/parking/chelmsford/
On road parking on areas of Moulsham Street
Permit holders only Z4 Mon-Fri 9am to 10am, no waiting Mon-Sat 10am to 11am
More information: https://sepp.traffweb.app/traffweb/1/TrafficOrders
Please check before you park.
The Museum of Chelmsford is located on a cycle route and has cycle parking facilities.
You can look at the cycle map to plan your journey.
The nearest bus stop to Museum of Chelmsford is on New London Road, at the junction with Moulsham Street opposite the Rising Sun pub.
The number 300 and C1 buses travel from Chelmsford train station (stand 5 and stand 11, respectively) to this stop. These stands are indicated with stars on the below image. Bus 13 also leaves from Chelmsford Station (stand 6) to this stop, but is less frequent.
You can also get the 46 and 351 busses to the BBC Essex stop and walk about 7 minutes to the museum.
You can look at First Essex to check which buses go to the museum.
The nearest railway station to Museum of Chelmsford is Chelmsford Station. The museum is about a 30 minute walk from the station or you can get a bus (see the above accordion). Find directions from the station and timetable information at Greater Anglia.