iTravelUK > Attractions > Museums > England > Southwest > Devon
Lyn & Exmoor Museum
The Lyn and Exmoor museum is housed in one of the oldest houses in the village. Part of the exhibits are dedicated to a disaster and stole 34 lives. In 1952, the East and West Lyn Rivers flooded and wrecked havoc in the town. The displays include relics from the area and a reconstructed kitchen which dates to the early 18th century.
Totnes Costume Museum
Located within the oldest Tudor building in Totnes, the Totnes Costume Museum is home to a range of dresses, costumes and accessories from the Victorian Age. In this wonderful display, you'll find works by designers such as the Spanish Fortuny Mariano and Art Nouveau dresses and accessories made by companies such as Liberty & Co.
The Elizabethan Museum
Totnes experienced its heyday in the Elizabethan era when the town served as a thriving river port. The Totnes Elizabethan Museum is a fitting tribute to the town and its history. The exhibition itself is located within an Elizabethan building which was built for a wealthy, local merchant, Walter Kellond. As well as finding out more about Totnes and its past, you'll learn more about its residents such as Charles Babbage (1791-1871) who invented the 'analytical engine' an early version of the computer. You'll also find out more about other locals such as Sir Walter Raleigh and more general information on the history of Devon throughout the ages.
Merchant's House Museum
An attraction for anyone interested in social history, the Merchant's House Museum in Plymouth is a Jacobean town house situated just behind the Barbican. The four-storey building was constructed in 1608 for William Parker, then Lord Mayor of Plymouth. The Merchant's House Museum will take you back in time to the construction of the Great Western Railway and Brunel's railway bridge. Displays include the history of Plymouth, its tale of hardship during the Blitz and the subsequent rebuilding of Plymouth's devastated remains. You can also visit the Rich Man's Room, a Victorian classroom, the Tailor Room or learn more about pharmaceutical history and herbal remedies.
Plymouth's Dome
The Plymouth Dome is a hi-tech complex designed to bring to life Plymouth's history and the lives of its inhabitants. On your trip, you'll visit an Elizabethan street and watch audio-visual displays on the lives of Sir Francis Drake, Captain Cook and the Mayflower Pilgrims. Plymouth Dome also boasts an observation deck which monitors the harbour through radar and interactive computers. Other attractions at Plymouth's Dome include the new interactive Smeaton's Tower oil-room and an audio-visual display featuring a devastated Plymouth during the Blitz.
Plymouth Mayflower
An interactive exhibition displayed over three floors, the Plymouth Mayflower details the history of the Pilgrim Fathers, the city of Plymouth, Sutton Harbour and the historic Barbican. High-tech displays, interactive graphic panels such as the genealogy screen and models of historic ships such as the Golden Hinde and the Mayflower all contribute to making Plymouth's history a rather interesting experience. Head out to the terrace on the top floor of the Plymouth Mayflower for great views over the Barbican. You'll also find a tourist information office on the ground floor.
Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery
Situated near Drake Circus and the University of Plymouth, the City Museum & Art Gallery lies somewhat outside the main sphere of attractions. Nevertheless art buffs will enjoy the Cottonian Collection which comprises Reynolds material, some 7,000 fine prints, oil paintings, watercolours and Old Master and English drawings. As well as touring exhibitions, the City Museum & Art Gallery also displays collections of natural and social history and naval art.
Tavistock Museum
A small operation, the Tavistock Museum is run by volunteers from the Local History Society. Housed in a Grade II listed building, the Tavistock Museum exhibits permanent displays detailing the history of Tavistock and the surrounding area.
Bygones Victorian Museum
A privately owned museum, Bygones features Victorian and railway relics in exhibitions which will take you back in time. There's the Victorian street where you'll relive the shopping experiences of your forefathers and discover what type of items they purchased. You'll also see a twenty-eight foot railway model and find out more about how the steam engine changed England and the lives of her people. More attractions at the Bygones Victorian museum include Fantasyland of Myths and Legends (great for kids) and war history in the Trenches and Anderson Shelter.
Torquay Museum
At the Vivian Gallery, you'll be able to see a Victoriana collection which includes an 1840's doll house, writing materials and a collection of local pottery including pieces from Watcombe, Aller Vale and Mottoware potteries. On your visit, you'll also be able to see a cross section of some 3,000 years of body adornments. Your tour of the archaeological section will take you on a trip through the various key stages of prehistory. A unique display covers a sequence of stone tools excavated from Kent's Cavern. Other excavated pieces from Kent's Cavern are the oldest jawbone to be recovered in England (31,000 years old), Neanderthal tools and a skull. This section also provides more information on some of the best known figures in the advancement of evolutionary theory, Sir Charles Lyell, William Pengelly and Charles Darwin. Another key attraction is the Agatha Christie gallery devoted to the life and times of this popular crime fiction writer. You'll be able to see photos of life in Torquay at the time, personal artefacts and some of the objects which inspired her works.
If you're also planning on visiting Kent's Cavern, joint tickets are offered at a discount price.
Sidmouth Museum
Located by the Sidmouth Market Square, Sidmouth Museum is housed in a Regency cottage. It is dedicated to the history of Sidmouth and the Sid Valley. Naturalists will enjoy the variety of specimens retreived from the World Heritage Coast including fossils, rocks and mosaics excavated from the local environment.
Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery
An attraction for all the family, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery is housed in a Victorian building on Queen Street. A tour of this museum will take you across the world and back in time. On your visit, you'll be able a broad range of exhibits from the Archaeological, Ceramic, Clock, Fine Art, Foreign Natural History, Fine Art, Geology, Glassware, Local History, Silver, Sladen and World Cultures Galleries. The Museum also organises Volunteer Guided Tours every Thursday and second Saturday at 12pm. As well as a range of changing exhibitions, the museum also organises activities for kids.