Visit Ipswich Museum, free to the public, and open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm

Ipswich Museum’s founding purpose was to ‘promote the study and extend the knowledge, of natural history in all its branches’.

Victorian Natural History Gallery is lined with cabinets that are filled with exotic foreign wildlife including a rare sun species of giraffe, some of the first gorillas seen in Britain, an Indian rhinoceros and a large diorama of African animals builty in 1906.

The Olgivie British Bird Gallery is one of the most complete collections in the country. The collection was contributed to by Fergus Menteith Olgilvie (1861-1918) a keen sporstman - naturalist, who pursued his passion for the study of birds and orchids.

Suffolk Wildlife Gallery visit our very own life model of a woolly mammoth who will help you understand what happened after the Ice Age. What animals lived in Suffolk then? When did humans and animals come to live here? Are they a truly British species or invaders? See the wolf, bear and boar of wild Britain before the land was farmed.

The British Mammal Gallery displays a beautiful set of Victorian dioramas of British mammals in their natural habitats.

Suffolk Geology Gallery, the geology of Suffolk from 70 million years until 10,000 years ago is displayed in the geology gallery.

Ipswich Museum hosts a lively and year-round events programme. If you are looking for events in Ipswich, or actvities for children in Ipswich then you will find lots to see and do when you visit. Check out our events page for the latest events and activities at Ipswich Museum.

Collections - Ipswich Museum houses extensive collections behind the scenes which are available for study, research and inspiration. Visits are welcomed and available by appointment. These include extensive and fascinating zoology, egg, insect, mollusc botany and geology collections.

A museum that has something for everyone. To see more about the future proposals for the development of the Ipswich Museum click here.

Ipswich Museum is currently enjoying a loan of Egyptian artifacts from the British Museum. This is a long term loan and part of the British Museum’s commitment to share items of interest across the UK. For a complete list of British Museum - Exhibitions and Tours click here