Guildford Museum is located within historic buildings next to Guildford Castle Grounds. It's free to visit. The museum is home to a permanent collection of objects from Guildford and the surrounding areas, dating from prehistoric times to the present day. The museum also runs a variety of changing exhibitions.
History of Guildford Museum
Guildford Museum is formed of four main buildings, with various smaller additions. These buildings, Castle Arch House, 48 Quarry Street, the gallery extension and the Muniment Room, date from the mid-16th century to the 1920s.
Castle Arch House is partly built using the walls from the gatehouse to the castle. The sheriff of Guildford Castle built the gatehouse in 1256. You can still see the remains of the arch that was part of the gateway.
The museum buildings have had various uses over the years. Castle Arch House was a high-class family home but was later split into five cottages. For many years, a girls' school used 48 Quarry Street and where the Muniment Room was once a garage.
Image Right: Watercolour of Museum front by Henry James Sage (1868 - 1953).
Image Left: Opening of new museum building 1911.
Watch this short video to find out more about the buildings that form Guildford Museum. The video was created with the help of our skilled volunteers.
Visiting Guildford Museum
Opening times
Guildford Museum is open Wednesday to Saturdays, 12 noon to 4.30pm (last entry 4pm).
Address
Guildford Museum Castle Arch Quarry Street GU1 3SX
There are various car parks and on-street parking places in Guildford town centre. Find out more about Guildford's car parks and .
Blue Badge holders can park at the metered parking almost opposite the museum in Quarry Street. There is a dropped kerb at the junction with Castle Street. Find out more about Blue Badge parking in Guildford.
On Foot
Guildford Museum is about 200 metres from the bottom of Guildford High Street.
The High Street is pedestrianised between the following times:
Monday to Friday: 11am to 4pm
Saturday: 9am to 6pm
Sunday: 12noon to 5pm
Public transport
Bus
Guildford Museum is about 500 metres from the Friary Bus Station. There is a step-free route across two roads and through White Lion Walk shopping centre.
Train
Guildford Museum is about 750 metres from Guildford Railway Station, on the South Western Railway line from London Waterloo to Portsmouth. There is a step-free route from the station across the River Wey into the town centre but with several roads to cross. This can be partially undercover by walking through The Friary and White Lion Walk shopping centres.
Our access guide will help you plan your visit to Guildford Museum. It gives details on how we can make your visit easier and more enjoyable especially if you are disabled or have particular access needs. We also want to let you know in advance about the things that we haven't yet been able to change to improve access.
Explore our local history from the age of prehistoric man to modern life and times. Discover more about famous people connected with Guildford and Surrey. Including garden designer Gertrude Jekyll and author Lewis Carroll. Enjoy our unique collection of needlework and toys. As well as free displays and exhibitions, we have a programme of events and activities for all ages.
We are open Wednesday to Saturdays 12noon to 4.30pm (last entry 4pm).
On the Trail of Guildford's History
Be a history detective! Search Guildford Museum, Quarry Street and Guildford Castle Grounds to find clues which tell us about the past.
Guildford's Quilt: Your Stories Stitched into History
Date: From Saturday 28 September 2024 to Saturday 15 March 2025
A display of embroidered panels made by local people illustrating the thoughts, feelings and acts of kindness that helped them through the COVID-19 pandemic. Assembled by Stitch Together, the hangings now serve as a touching reminder of an unusual time that everyone went through together.
Nature, Stitched with Style by Stitch Together
Date: From Saturday 28 September 2024 to Saturday 15 March 2025
In this display, we invite you to celebrate the skill of embroiderers, and to share their joy in the natural world which inspires their work. Flowers, foliage, fungi, and fruit are skilfully re-created with needle and thread. There are embroidered mice clamber, short quotes from poems and books are paired with detailed plant drawings made with stitches, reminding us of their powers to heal and soothe.
Totally Chaotic History Museum Trail
Date: From 19 October 2024 to Saturday 9 November 2024
This October half term, dive into Roman Britain at Guildford Museum. Join the Totally Chaotic History Museum Trail by Kids in Museums and Walker Books. It celebrates Greg Jenner's new book, "Totally Chaotic History: Roman Britain Gets Rowdy." Enjoy insights from Dr. Emma Southon and illustrations by Rikin Parekh.
Discover intriguing objects, give yourself a Roman name and design your own Roman outfit. Complete the activity sheet to receive your Totally Chaotic History sticker!
Design a mosaic and share your drawing on Twitter/X or Instagram. Use the hashtag #TCHMuseumTrail and tag @kidsinmuseums for a chance to win a book and a Double Art Pass plus Kids donated by Art Fund. Find out more about the Trail on Kids in museums. (opens new window)
Family Fun! Design your own museum board game
Date: From Saturday 26 October 2024 to Saturday 9 November 2024
Do you love a board game? Design your own board game based on the displays in the museum. We'll supply a template, resources, and lots of inspiration from the museum displays.
Free, donations welcome.
Suitable for ages 5+
Family Fun! Museum Christmas Trail
Date: Saturday 30 November to Saturday 4 January 2025
A fun trail around the museum looking for clues to different Christmas carols and songs.
Suitable for ages 6+
Family Fun! Make a Christmas Cracker or Decoration
Date: Saturday 21 December 12pm until 2pm
Join us to get ready for the big day and craft a handmade cracker or a decoration to hang on the tree.
Drop-in, suitable for ages 4+
Family Fun! New Year, New Choices
Date: Friday 3 January 2025 12pm until 2pm
Help friends and family choose their New Year's resolutions with this fun craft activity.
Drop-in, suitable for 5+
Family Fun! Wheels of Time
Date: Ongoing
Join Roamin' Rex as he travels through time (and around Surrey)! Collect a badge from each participating museum, including ours. For more details, visit Surrey wheels of time. (opens new window)
Soldiers of Surrey: A display from the Surrey Infantry Collection
Dates: available during opening hours
Free entry
June 6, 2024, is the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history. Surrey Infantry Collection display D-Day +80 commemorates this anniversary of the Normandy landings. Explore the role of Surrey men in the Allied D-Day landings through personal artifacts and technical objects.
Image courtesy of the Surrey Infantry Collection
A Tale of Two Torches: Austin Playfoot and the London Olympic Games
Date:From Saturday 20 July 2024 to Saturday 23 November
Marking the Paris 2024 Olympics, see the torches carried by Elstead's Austin who carried the Olympic torch in both the 1948 and 2012 London Games. See both of Austin's torches, carried in Guildford and Surrey on display, along with photographs and memorabilia from both Olympic Games.
You can also join in our Olympic Torch Family Fun activities. See details below:
A Tale of Two Torches: Austin Playfoot and the London Olympic Games
Entry, exhibitions and activities are free (unless otherwise stated). Donations are welcome.
Museum from home
Don't worry if you can't visit us, you can still have fun, learn and be inspired by Guildford's heritage at home! Take a look at our #MuseumFromHome activities below.
A relaxed environment where pre-school children can have fun and develop key skills. Children can learn communication, language, numeracy, gross motor and fine motor skills.
In the Scullery playroom children can:
role play with the toy kitchen complete with colourful fabric food
make a pizza and lay a table for dinner
try washing the Victorian way
join in with the traditional nursery rhymes printed on the walls
colouring and activity sheets with pencils and crayons
relax on a beanbag and read a washing or cooking themed book
view our display of old cooking equipment
Children should be supervised in the room.
The Scullery Playroom at Guildford Museum is supported by the European Regional Development Fund and HM Government through the Welcome Back Fund.
Guildford Games Collection Project
We are running a project to collect as many video games made by gaming studios within the borough as we can. These will be added to our permanent collection.
Discover Guildford's history from home with our online exhibitions.
Georgian Women Portraits by John Russell
Guildford Borough Council's Heritage Service holds over 35 original works by John Russell, including 19 female portraits. This online display features all the female portraits.
