Location: Cotswolds
Top Things to do in Cotswolds
Countries
The 10 Best Museums in Cotswolds, England
The Cotswolds (/ˈkɒtswoʊldz/ KOTS-wohldz, /-wəldz/ -wəldz) is an area in south central England containing the Cotswold Hills, a range of rolling hills which rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment, known as the Cotswold Edge, above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale. The area is defined by the bedrock of Jurassic limestone that creates a type of grassland habitat rare in the UK and that is quarried for the golden coloured Cotswold stone. It contains unique features derived from the use of this mineral; the predominantly rural landscape contains stone-built villages, historical towns and stately homes and gardens. The population of the District is about 84,000.
Restaurants in Cotswolds
1. Jet Age Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 599 reviews
Dedicated to the preservation of Gloucestershire's rich aviation heritage, Jet Age Museum is an all-volunteer, registered charity. We tell the story of the Gloster Aircraft Company, focussing on the first Allied jet flight. Our mission is to preserve the past and inspire the future by telling the stories of the people and places that put the County at the forefront of the aerospace industry.
Reviewed By 124harryp
Came here with my three year old on a saturday. She loved looking at the planes and getting to play in the various different plane cockpits. The ticketed tours of the larger planes are well worth it as well, staff are friendly and informative and for free admission and parking it's well worth a visit.
2. Art Couture Painswick Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 16 reviews
Art Couture Painswick (ACP) are a charitable organisation that exists to promote joy,excellence and innovation in wearable art through a biennial festival. ACP's stunning and inspiring gallery in the painswick centre offers the opportunity to experience an intimate appreciation and understanding of the craftsmanship involved in the many exhibited works of wearable art.
3. Broadway Luxury
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 8 reviews
Broadway Luxury is home to two floors of statement wall art, unique sculptures and artisan glassware by well known and emerging artists.
4. Binghams Art Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
Binghams Art Gallery has a selection of contemporary original oil paintings and sculpture by British artists varying in size and price. You are more than welcome to visit our gallery or look at our website
5. Snowshill Manor
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 709 reviews
Reviewed By St4ple - Redditch, United Kingdom
We visited Snowshill Manor after joining the national trust, myself, my partner and my 14 year old son. It was raining heavily on the day we visited, so didn’t spend too long in the gardens and made a quick dash to the house, although even from the short time we were in the gardens, they looked interesting and and well kept, with little outhouses and workshops to visit. The manor house is a large beautiful house, housing the amazing life long collection of Charles Paget Wade. Every room is a feast for the eyes, filled with interesting and quirky items he spent his life collecting and the National trust staff are very knowledgeable and on hand to talk to you about the wonderful items you discover in each room. This is a great place to visit on a rainy day as you can spend so long looking at the many items. I would definitely recommend visiting with plenty of time as there is a lot to look at, there is even a costume section where you can dress up!
6. Cotswold Countryside Collection
7. Cotswold Motoring Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,898 reviews
Located in the picturesque village of Bourton on the Water, the Cotswold Motoring Museum is a fascinating journey through the 20th century that the whole family can enjoy. The Museum is bulging with great cars, quaint caravans, precarious looking motorcycles, enamel signs and an intriguing collection of motoring curiosities! Brum, the BBC TV's little super hero car whose adventures start and end at the museum can be found here every day.
Reviewed By daisyhall - The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, United Kingdom
This is a very quaint very English type of museum like walking back in time to your grandparents garage. Great displays jam packed with memorabilia from the past so much to look at . Brilliant price admission £6.50 per adult. Great range and great for a motor enthusiast into collecting toy cars as there are so cars many in the cabinets dinky and Corgis from the past all the old cars are polished to perfection. A real novelty museum to bring children and grandparents . A collectors haven.
8. Holst Birthplace Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 155 reviews
Explore Cheltenham’s historic house, the Holst Birthplace Museum, where composer Gustav Holst was born in 1874. The house is a time capsule of 19th century life with a working Victorian kitchen, Victorian bedroom, scullery and nursery. Visitors can also experience a Regency Sitting Room, of the type popular when Cheltenham was a fashionable spa town. It is the only Regency domestic room open to the public in the town and contains an impressive art collection. Composer Gustav Holst’s life and times can be discovered in his Music Room, complete with the piano on which he composed The Planets. The museum hosts a range of exhibitions, events and children’s activities throughout the year; including the popular ‘Bake Back in Time’ events which use the working coal-fired range.
Reviewed By angelacQ2478IH - London, United Kingdom
This is the 19th century house where Gustav Holst was born in 1874 and is now a museum with exhibits on Victorian life in England. It has a working Victorian kitchen, bedroom, scullery and nursery as well as a Regency sitting room. The composer's life and times can be seen in the Music room with the piano on which he composed the Planets. At the top of the house there is a room with toys. There is a 30 minute video which is definitely worth watching and very informative. We came to see the exhibition ' A Victorian Childhood' which is on until 14th December 2019. They advertise Bake back in Time events using the working coal-fired range. There is a shop where they have guidebooks in French, German, Spanish and Japanese. The staff are all very enthusiastic and friendly. Entrance is £6.00 and £2 for children but you can get a family ticket for 2 adults and up to 3 children for £14, and all entrance tickets are now annual passes - you can come back as many times as you like in a year. It is closed on Sunday and Monday, otherwise open from 10.30am until 4pm.
9. Museum in the Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 230 reviews
The Museum in the Park is set in the beautiful grounds of Stratford Park in Stroud, Gloucestershire. Situated in a Grade II listed 17th Century wool merchant’s house; our collection tells the fascinating story of the Stroud District’s rich and diverse history. With over 4,000 objects on display, including dinosaur bones, historical paintings and even one of the world’s first lawnmowers, there is something to spark the interest of all of our visitors! In addition to the main displays in the mansion house, we have our modern extension which houses a small gift shop and café area, alongside a modern, purpose-built art gallery showing a varied programme of exhibitions. Behind this is Stroud’s ‘secret garden’ - a contemporary Walled Garden that will amaze and may well cause you to say 'wow'!
Reviewed By ksgoodwin169
We read about a craft fair being held in Stratford Park so decided to pay them a visit a good job we did as we came across the museum. When we went in it was absolutely magic and as we are in our 60s it brought back a lot of memories, well worth a visit. There is a lift which was very handy as I am partially disabled and struggle with stairs, on certain days there is a pop up cafe in the garden and can be accessed via a gentle winding ramp.
10. Dr Jenner's House, Museum and Garden
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 159 reviews
Situated in the historic market town of Berkeley, The Chantry is the striking Grade II* listed house where Edward Jenner lived for 38 years until his death in 1823. This is the house from which he pioneered vaccination against smallpox and it is now a museum celebrating his life and legacy. Discover how his work here eventually led to the eradication of smallpox and find out more about his other achievements before relaxing, as Jenner did, in an acre of peaceful gardens.
