My favourite 15 Museums in Kent + Practical Visiting Guide

If you’re like me and love exploring new places and learning about history, then you’ll definitely want to check out some of the best museums in Kent. Over the years, I’ve been to most of them and some, like the The Beaney in Canterbury or the Historic Dockyard Chatham I visit several times year as there is always something new to see.

In this blog post, I’ve put together my favourite 15 museums in Kent, including practical visiting information, ticket prices and what to see in each museum. I think it’s great that some of the museums are still free to visit (like the Maidstone Museum or Betteshanger Mining Museum), while others have a very sensible entry fee.

Many of the museums on my list are also in a historic buildings, which are great to visit in the own right. Some of the museums, such as the Powell-Cotton Museum have a lovely gardens as well as themed cafes, like the NAFFI cafe at RAF Manston History Museum.

1. Rochester Guildhall Museum

At the Rochester Guildhall Museum, you can explore the fascinating history of the Medway area and discover what life was like in Rochester through the ages.

The museum is housed in a beautiful 17th-century building that was once the town hall, and it’s filled with interesting exhibits and artefacts. You can see a full-size reconstruction of a Medway prison hulk, which was a type of floating prison used in the 18th and 19th centuries, and learn about the harsh conditions that prisoners faced.

There are also displays about the Roman period in Rochester, including ancient pottery and jewellery, as well as exhibits about the Victorian era and the town’s industrial heritage.

One of the most impressive features of the museum is the magnificent 17th-century courtroom, which was used as a setting in some of Charles Dickens’ novels. You can sit in the judge’s chair and imagine what it would have been like to be on trial in the past.

• Location: Rochester Guildhall Museum, 17 High Street, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1PY
• Opening Times: Monday: Closed, Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Ticket Prices: £5 Adults, Concessions for students & seniors

2. Dickens House Museum

I’ve really enjoyed my recent visit to the Dickens House Museum in Broadstairs. It’s a charming seaside cottage where the famous author Charles Dickens spent many summers with his family.

The museum is filled with fascinating objects and displays that give you a glimpse into Dickens’ life and work. You can see the very desk where he wrote parts of his novel “David Copperfield,” as well as original letters and photographs of the author. The museum has been carefully restored to look just as it did in Dickens’ time, with Victorian-era furniture and decorations that make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

There are also exhibits about the inspiration behind some of Dickens’ most famous characters and stories, including “Bleak House” and “Our English Watering-Place.”

• Location: Dickens House Museum, 2 Victoria Parade, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 1QS
• Opening Times:
• Monday to Sunday: 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM (April to October)
• Closed (November to March)
• Ticket Prices:
• Adults: £5.00
• Seniors (60+): £4.00
• Children (under 16): £2.00
• Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children): £12.00

3. The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge

The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge is a great museum to pop it to when you are visiting Canterbury. The museum has special areas for ancient Egyptian objects, including a real mummy, and a section about the history of Canterbury where you can see old coins, pottery, and other neat stuff from the past.

The art galleries have paintings and sculptures by famous artists, both old and new. Sometimes they even have special exhibits that change throughout the year, so there’s always something different to see.

• Location: The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, 18 High Street, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2RA
• Opening Times:
• Tuesday to Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Sunday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• (Monday Closed)
• Ticket Prices:
• Admission: Free

4. The Historic Dockyard Chatham

The Historic Dockyard Chatham is my favourite open air museum in Kent and I visit a few times a year. It’s a great museum, where you can discover the story of the dockyard and the people who worked there. You’ll get to explore cool galleries like Command of the Oceans and The Ropery, which will make you feel like you’re really there!

The dockyard has the biggest collection of old lifeboats in the UK. It’s exciting to imagine being on a lifeboat as it crashes through the waves. You’ll learn a lot about the history of ships and boats.

There are also three very old warships that you can go inside and explore. Another neat place is the No. 1 Smithery, which is like a treasure house full of interesting things to see.

The whole dockyard is huge! It covers over 80 acres and has lots of historic buildings, museums, and galleries. It’s a one-of-a-kind place that shows you how important shipbuilding was in Kent a long time ago.

• Location: The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Church Lane, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TZ
• Opening Times:
• Monday to Sunday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Winter: November to March)
• Monday to Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Summer: April to October)
• Ticket Prices:
• Adults: £25.00
• Children (5-15): £15.00
• Seniors (60+): £22.00
• Family Ticket (2 adults + up to 4 children): £65.00
• Under 5s: Free

5. Dover Museum and Bronze Age Boat Gallery

The Dover Museum is quite a special museum, because it’s here where you can see the Bronze Age Boat and other interesting objects that show you what life was like in the Bronze Age. You can see things like tools, weapons and even models of how people lived back then.

The Bronze Age Boat is more than 3500 years old and though to be the oldest boats that was once sea worthy. It was only discovered in 1992, when whey were digging foundations for a new road in Dover.

In the rest of the museum, you can explore the history of Dover from Roman and Saxon times until recent times. I particularly like the display about the brave men and women who attempted to swim the Channel to France over the years.

• Location: Dover Museum, Market Square, Dover, Kent, CT16 1PH
• Opening Times:
  • Monday to Saturday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Sunday: Closed (October to March)
  • Sunday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (April to September)
• Ticket Prices: Admission: Free

6. Sandwich Guildhall Museum

At the Sandwich Guildhall Museum, you can see the original copy of the Magna Carta from the year 1300.

The museum also has a Roman bowl from the 1st century, which is over 2,000 years old. It’s incredible to think about how long ago the bowl was made and used. There are many other cool objects and exhibits that tell the story of Sandwich from way back in medieval times until today.

The museum is in the old Guildhall building from the 16th century, which is interesting building to visit on it’s own. Afterwards you can explore Sandwich town and even walk to nearby Richborough Roman Fort to learn more about Roman history in Kent.

• Location: Sandwich Guildhall Museum, Guildhall, Cattle Market, Sandwich, Kent, CT13 9AH
• Opening Times:
• Monday to Friday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Saturday: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
• Sunday: Closed
• Ticket Prices:
• Admission: Free

7. Maidstone Museum

Maidstone Museum has a large collection of beautiful artwork with more than 600,000 items from all over the world. It used to be called the Charles Museum because a doctor from Maidstone named Thomas Charles gave his art and ancient objects to the town council back in 1855.

The museum is one of the biggest in Kent and is often referred to as one of the best in the whole southeast England.

The museum is inside a pretty old house called Chillington Manor, which was built during the time of Queen Elizabeth I and is right in the middle of Maidstone. My favourite bit is the separate part of the museum with the carriages and carts (in a different building opposite the Bishop’s Palace). It’s quite unusual and definitely worth seeing.

• Location: Maidstone Museum, St. Faith’s Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1LH
• Opening Times:
• Monday to Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (5 pm in the summer)
• Sunday: Closed
• Ticket Prices:
• Admission: Free

8. Ashford Museum

As you’d imagine the Ashford Museum has displays about the town’s fascinating history from prehistoric times to the present day. You can see things like dinosaur bones found nearby, Roman and Anglo-Saxon artefacts, and even a special exhibit about life in the trenches during World War I.

There are also photographs and information about how Ashford has changed over the years, including its role in the railway industry.

• Location: Ashford Museum, The Church Yard, Ashford, Kent, TN23 1QG
• Opening Times:
• Monday to Wednesday: Closed
• Thursday to Saturday: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
• Sunday: Closed
• Ticket Prices:
• Admission: Free

9. RAF Manston History Museum

The RAF Manston History Museum shows the fascinating history of the Royal Air Force base that was once located there. The museum has lots of displays, including old airplanes, helicopters, and even a real ejection seat! You can learn about what it was like for the people who worked at the base during different times in history, including World War II.

There are special exhibits about famous missions, like the Dambusters raid, and you can see photographs and other items that tell the stories of the brave men and women who served at Manston.

The museum also has a section dedicated to the history of the RAF’s search and rescue operations, with a real rescue helicopter you can climb inside.

• Location: RAF Manston History Museum, Manston Road, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 5DF
• Opening Times:
• Monday to Sunday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (4 pm on Saturday & Sunday)
• Ticket Prices:
• Adults: £6
• Children (under 16): £3
• Seniors: £5
• Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children): £18

10. Kent Police Museum

Where else to find out more about the history of police force in Kent then at the Kent Police Museum! The museum has lots of interesting things to see, like old police uniforms, badges, and other police equipment. You can even try on a real police helmet and imagine what it would be like to be an officer!

There are special displays about famous crimes and investigations that happened in Kent, with photographs and evidence from the cases. You can also learn about how policing has changed over the years, from the days of horse-drawn carriages to modern-day patrol cars.

One of the coolest things in the museum is a real police motorcycle from the 1980s and there is even a mock-up of an old police station, complete with a jail cell you can go inside.

• Location: Kent Police Museum, 11-13 Preston Street, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8NS
• Opening Times:
• Thursday to Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Ticket Prices:
• Admission: Free

11. Canterbury Roman Museum

The Canterbury Roman Museum is very different to other museums, because the museum is built around the remains of an actual Roman house. You can see the mosaic floors and walls that have been preserved for over 1,500 years and they are still in their original location.

You can step back in time and discover what life was like in the ancient Roman city of Durovernum Cantiacorum, which is now modern-day Canterbury.

There are lots of fascinating objects on display, like pottery, jewelry, and even a rare Roman helmet. You can learn about how the Romans lived, worked, and played in Canterbury, and see how they influenced the city we know today.

One of the highlights of the museum is the reconstructed Roman marketplace, where you can imagine yourself shopping for food and goods just like the ancient Romans did. There are also interactive exhibits where you can try on replica Roman armour and learn about Roman engineering and technology.

• Location: Canterbury Roman Museum, Butchery Lane, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2JR
• Opening Times:
• Monday to Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Ticket Prices:
• Adults: £11
• Children (under 16): £5.50
• Seniors (65+): £9
• Students: £9
• Under 5s: Free
• Annual Members – Free – tickets from £15 pp or £20 per couple for a year

12. Royal Engineers Museum

At the Royal Engineers Museum, you can discover the fascinating history of the British Army’s Royal Engineers and their incredible contributions to military engineering and innovations. The museum is housed in a former military barracks and displays a vast collection of objects, vehicles, and equipment used by the Royal Engineers throughout their history.

You can see a large collection of Victoria Crosses awarded to Royal Engineers for their bravery in battle. There are also displays about the Engineers’ role in building and maintaining military infrastructure, such as bridges, roads, and fortifications.

You can see real examples of military engineering, including a World War II Bailey Bridge and a modern-day mine-clearing vehicle. The museum also has interactive exhibits where you can try your hand at building a bridge or defusing a bomb using replica equipment.

• Location: Royal Engineers Museum, Prince Arthur Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 1UR
• Opening Times:
• Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM – all year round (closed Christmas & New Year)
• Monday: Closed (unless it’s a Bank Holiday)
• Ticket Prices:
• Adults: £17.50
• Seniors (60+): £15.00
• Children (5-16): £8.00
• Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children): £45.00
• Under 5s: Free
• Tickets are valid for 12 months and you can visit as many times as you like

13. Margate Museum

Whenever I visit Margate, I usually also pop in to the local museum. I quite like the oldfashioned way how this museum collection is put together and displayed. The museum itself is in a historic building, which was once an old police station and magistrates’ court. Inside, you’ll find a fascinating collection of exhibits and artefacts that tell the story of Margate from ancient times to the present day.

You can learn about the town’s maritime heritage, including its role as a major port and its famous lifeboat service. There are also displays about Margate’s thriving tourism industry, which began in the 18th century when visitors flocked to the town to enjoy its sandy beaches and healthy sea air. You can see vintage posters and photographs that capture the excitement and glamour of Margate’s heyday as a popular seaside resort.

The museum also explores some of the town’s most famous residents and visitors, including the artist J.M.W. Turner, who was inspired by Margate’s stunning seascapes, and the poet T.S. Eliot, who wrote part of his masterpiece “The Waste Land” while staying in the town.

The museum also looks after the nearby Tudor House in Margate, which is currently closed down for a complete re-furbishment.

• Location: Margate Museum, Market Place, Margate, Kent, CT9 1ER
• Opening Times:
• Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM (last entry at 2:15 PM)
• Closed Monday to Friday
• Ticket Prices:
• Adults: £2.00
• Children (under 16): £1.00
• Seniors: £1.50
• Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children): £5.00

14. Betteshanger Mining Museum

This museum is one of the newest museums in Kent, which only opened a couple of years ago. It’s lovely to see that in the Betteshanger Mining Museum you can finally explore the fascinating history of the Kent Coalfield in one place and discover what life was like for the miners who worked there. The museum is based on the site of the former Betteshanger Colliery, which was one of the largest and longest-running coal mines in Kent.

Inside the museum, you can see a range of exhibits that tell the story of coal mining in the area, from the early days of exploration and discovery to the height of production in the 20th century. You can learn about the dangerous and difficult conditions that miners faced underground, and see some of the tools and equipment they used to extract the coal.

One of the highlights of the museum is the interactive exhibit where you can experience what it was like to work in a coal mine. You can walk through a recreated mine tunnel, complete with sound effects and lighting, and imagine what it would have been like to spend hours underground in the dark and cramped conditions.

The museum also explores the social history of the Kent Coalfield, including the lives of the miners and their families who lived and worked in the area. You can see photographs and memorabilia from the mining communities, and learn about the strikes and struggles that shaped the industry over the years.

You can easily spend the whole day here, because outside the museum, you can explore the nature trails and wildlife habitats that have been created on the former colliery site. The area has been transformed into a beautiful country park, with walking and cycling trails, a fishing lake, and plenty of opportunities to spot local wildlife. You can borrow bike or walk around the trails and then head for the museum cafe, which is open at the same time as the museum.

• Location: Betteshanger Park, Sandwich Road, Deal, Kent, CT14 0BF
• Opening Times:
• Wednesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Monday and Tuesday: Closed
• Ticket Prices:
• Admission: Free (but there is a small charge for parking if you are arriving by a car)

15. Powell-Cotton Museum

At the Powell-Cotton Museum you can explore fascinating collection of natural history and cultural artefacts from around the world. The museum was founded by Major Percy Powell-Cotton, a British explorer and big game hunter who travelled extensively in Africa and Asia in the early 20th century.

The museum has an impressive collection of taxidermy animals, which includes specimens from Africa, Asia, and the Arctic. You can see everything from tiny birds to giant elephants, all preserved with incredible skill and detail. The animals are displayed in realistic poses and settings, giving you a sense of what they would have looked like in their natural habitats.

You can also see a collections of weapons, clothing, jewellery, and other objects from Africa, India, and Tibet, among other places.

The museum is housed in a beautiful Victorian mansion, which was once the home of the Powell-Cotton family. You can explore the grand rooms and hallways of the house, which are filled with period furniture, paintings, and decorations.

Outside the museum, you can stroll through the lovely gardens and grounds of Quex Park, which include a Victorian walled garden, a pond, and a woodland walk. You can also visit the on-site café and gift shop, which offer refreshments and souvenirs.

• Location: Powell-Cotton Museum, Quex Park, Birchington, Kent, CT7 0BH
• Opening Times:
• Friday to Sunday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM + Bank Holiday Mondays and Wednesday & Thursdays during school holidays (all open only during the main season 15th February – 31st October)
• Closed Monday to Thursday
• Ticket Prices:
• Adults: £9
• Children (5-16): £7
• Seniors (60+): £8
• Under 5s: Free
• Annual memberships are also available from £35 per person (plus £8 per child)

This blog post was originally published on 12 February 2025 and last updated on 12 February 2025