A fresh new welcome to the museum

When you step into the newly refreshed Welcome Space at the Powell-Cotton Museum, you’ll find more than just an introduction, you’ll find the story of a place shaped by people, passion and over a century of care.

Our new interpretation panels will guide you from the museum’s beginnings with founder Percy Powell-Cotton, who first imagined a gallery here in the 1890s, through decades of growth as new galleries, walkways and displays were added. What started as a small private collection beside Quex House soon became a place of public discovery — and it’s still evolving today.

Along the way, you’ll meet the many people who have cared for the museum from it’s founding to the present day: from curators and conservators to volunteers and front-of-house staff. Together, they look after thousands of specimens, historic archives and remarkable dioramas that continue to support vital research and help us to understand both natural environments and the history of collecting practices.

The displays also reflect honestly on the museum’s history, including the changing attitudes to wildlife and collecting,  while celebrating the knowledge these collections can still share.

Today, thanks to the work of the Powell-Cotton Trust, our museum remains open for learning, exploration and enjoyment, just as it was intended nearly a century ago.

Whether it’s your first visit or your fiftieth, the new Welcome Space is the perfect place to begin your journey.