Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery has twenty galleries over three floors with a diverse range of objects, from sea dinosaurs to magnificent art.

The museum is situated between the very tall H H Wills memorial building (University of Bristol) and Browns restaurant at the top of Park Street.

Visitor information

Opening hours

• Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm
• Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays, 10am to 6pm.

Free admission

Address

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
Queen's Road
Bristol, BS8 1RL

Getting there

• By foot or on bike: The museum is located on Queen’s Road just off Park Street and is only a five to ten minute walk from the city centre. There are several bicycle stands close to the museum where you could park your bike.
• By bus: Bus services numbered 1, 8, 8a, 9, 40, 40a, 41, 54 all travel past the museum up Park Street. For timetables please call traveline on 0871 200 22 33.
• By train: Bristol Temple Meads station is a 25 minute walk away. Clifton Down station is a 15 minute walk away, but both are served by the 1,8 and 9 bus services which would take you to the museum.
• By car: The museum is approximately two miles from the M32. You can park in any of the city car parks but the closest two are West End and Trenchard Street Car Parks both about five minutes walk away. Use Car Park Finder to check for their locations and facilities.

View a Google map showing Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.

What can I see?

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery has collections of regional, national and international importance. It is one of the few museums to have been awarded designated status by the government - the mark of an outstanding museum.

Ground floor

• Natural wonders - explore the natural wonders of our region.
• Ancient Egypt - step back in time to ancient Egypt and Assyria.
• Archaeology and world cultures collections in the Curiosity gallery. Under 7s can try out new activities in our popular play and learn space.
• Café and shop.

First floor

• Geology - take a journey through the last billion years of the history of the planet. Amazing fossils allow you to see traces of creatures that have evolved and become extinct on its ever -changing surface.
• Minerals - discover sparkling world of minerals, gemstones and crystals including the Bristol Diamond. Dinosaurs Meet the Bristol dinosaur and some of his friends, including the best-preserved dinosaurs ever found in Britain – the Scelidosaurus.
• Wildlife galleries - take a trip through the animal kingdom and see rare, endangered and extinct wildlife from the UK and around the globe.
• How Bristol has developed over the centuries through maps and prints - on the first floor balcony.
• Bristol Box Kite - a great view from of the Box Kite from first floor balcony.

Second floor

• Art galleries - discover Bellini, Cranach, Sisley, Bomberg, Hepworth and Beryl Cook –amongst other great artists in our seven art galleries. The French Art gallery is currently closed due to works to install a new lift.
• Pottery and ceramics - Exquisite craftsmanship and design showcased in our ceramic and glass galleries. British and European collections are displayed alongside locally made wares.
• Silver collection - a glittering display against a backdrop of paintings of Bristol as it was over 200 years ago.
• Eastern art - a stunning array of ceramics, carvings and glass from ancient China and Japan. Immerse yourself in the beauty of one of the best collections of Chinese glass outside Asia. The Eastern Art Gallery is currently closed due to essential maintenance works, reopens mid May 2012.

Family friendly areas

• Curiosity - Under 7s gallery
  Younger visitors can tell stories in our crystal cave, act out a performance on stage, bring stories to life using puppets, make a pot, or try the animuddle game- just some of the activities for you and your child to enjoy in the new mini-museum. The area is open daily 10.30am to 4.30pm. More about the under 7s gallery.
• Dinosaur resource area
  Create and draw your own favorite dinosaurs or fossils and explore online information about those amazing creatures!
• World wildlife resource area
  Draw your favourite animals, listen to different animal noises from all over the world and explore online wildlife information.

Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times in all of our family resource areas.

Exhibitions at the museum

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery has a dynamic exhibitions programme including photography, contemporary and fine art, as well as high profile touring exhibitions. Find out more about our exhibitions.

Shop

The shop is located on the ground floor and open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4.45pm, weekends 10am to 5.45pm.

We sell a wide range of products including:

• Bristol Blue glass.
• Local history books.
• Selected postcards and prints from the museum collections.
• Reproduction historical maps of Bristol.
• Prints by local artists, including work by Trevor Haddrell.
• Reproduction Egyptian artefacts, books and novelties.
• A range of children's toys, many at affordable pocket-money prices.
• Greetings cards – including a selection by local artists.
• Unusual high quality Russian dolls – Matryoshkas.

Café

The café is on the ground floor and serves fresh, homemade, fair-trade and organic food. Children's menu and highchairs available.

Café opening times:

• 10am to 4.45pm, Monday to Friday.
• 10am to 5.45pm, Saturday and Sunday.

Events

We organise a great events programme including workshops, arts and craft activities, exhibition events and tours, family fun days, holiday activities, summer walks and winter lectures. 

See the exhibitions and events pages for more details.

The ground floor front and rear halls are available to hire for corporate and private events, for more information visit the Venue hire page.

Access and facilities

There is level access entrance with a lift to the main entrance. Once inside we have lifts to some floors, but not to the lower art galleries or first floor balcony displays (installation of a new lift is in development)

• Baby change.
• Toilets (including accessible toilets on the ground floor)
• Wheelchairs.
• Loop system at reception.
• Café.

Improvements to Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

Works have begun to improve visitor facilities and create better access to collections through installing a new lift. The majority of collections will remain open during the works however please note that some objects will require protection or removal and the French Gallery and Assyrian Gallery will be closed.

The Eastern Art gallery is currently closed due to essential maintenance works, reopening mid-May 2012.