Museum of Richmond


The Museum of Richmond in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is located in Richmond's Old Town Hall, close to Richmond Bridge. It was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 28 October 1988.
An independent museum and a registered charity, it is supported by Richmond upon Thames Borough Council. Hilda Clarke chairs the board of trustees; John Lee, Baron Lee of Trafford is deputy chair. Its curator is Esme Loukota.
The museum's displays, from medieval times to the present day, relate to the history of Richmond, Kew, Petersham and Ham which, until local government boundary changes in 1965, formed the Municipal Borough of Richmond. Its rotating exhibitions, education activities and resources, and a programme of events cover the whole of the modern borough. The museum's highlights include: 16th-century glass from Richmond Palace; a model of Richmond Palace; and a painting, The Terrace and View from Richmond Hill, Surrey by Dutch draughtsman and painter Leonard Knyff, which is part of the Richmond upon Thames Borough Art Collection.
The museum publishes a quarterly newsletter and organises a programme of talks. Admission to the museum, which is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays, is free.

History

The museum was created in 1983 by local residents led by local historian John Cloake. Its first curator was Kate Thaxton.

Exhibitions

The museum's current exhibition is Queen's Road: 500 Years of History, about Queen's Road, Richmond, a historic road that runs from Sheen Road to the top of Richmond Hill. The exhibition has been running since 1 February 2020 and is .
The museum's previous exhibitions include:

2010s

's headquarters in Richmond
The museum's publications include:
is Royal Patron of the museum. Its other patrons are author and broadcaster Anita Anand, broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough, Richmond hotelier Greville Dare, actor, novelist, screenwriter and film director Julian Fellowes, TV presenter and author Bamber Gascoigne, Lady Annabel Goldsmith, and broadcaster, writer and politician Lord Watson of Richmond.