Museums are a cultural hub of information - with incredible reflections on past civilisations, somewhere that houses traditional techniques or artwork that stokes conversation, and in Hertfordshire we have been blessed with plenty! Take a read to learn about what you could learn...
de Havilland Aircraft Museum
A name that is synonymous with the aviation industry, from wartime to today, the de Havilland Aircraft Museum celebrates the company’s roots in Hertfordshire and how it shaped aircraft that are key to both civilian and wartime life. On a visit to the museum you will be able to tour around jet aircraft from WW2 to modern day civilian, with special experiences for those wanting a guide around aircraft cockpits and more.
Celtic Harmony
An ever evolving outdoor Prehistory centre and museum, Celtic Harmony Camp combines reconstructed Iron Age roundhouses with ancient and reproduction artefacts such as Paleolithic cave and Iron Age roundhouses, plus a small museum of Prehistory objects. With its costumed Educators, Celtic Harmony has been bringing Prehistory to life for 25 years, and is open to schools during term time and special family events during school holidays. Plus, in 2024 Celtic Harmony will be opening to local families every third Saturday of the month for Family Saturdays, meaning that even more local people will benefit from Celtic Harmony’s natural woodland surroundings and Prehistory education.
Watford Museum on Tour
While the Watford Museum is currently closed, the town has brought the museum on the road! From October 2023, right through to 2025, when the new museum reopens in the Town Hall, there will be an events schedule that hosts the likes of historic fire brigade vehicles through to Heritage Open Days (in September). Keep an eye on their What's On page for more info!
Roman Museums
With the Romans' conquest of the UK bringing one of the fastest accelerations of technology, we are bound to have remnants of their work, and Hertfordshire is no exception. Right across our county we have remains and plenty of artefacts. Take a trip to the Roman Baths in Welwyn, where you’ll be able to take yourself back to and enjoy a 3rd century ancient Roman Bath House with plenty of preserved remains and hands on activities for kids. If you’re in St Albans head to the Verulamium Museum which is on the site of one of our country’s largest Roman cities. On offer are plenty of mosaics and artefacts of daily Roman life with the Roman city wall just a short wander away.
St Albans Museum + Gallery
If you’re in St Albans but want to find out more than just Roman history, head to the St Albans Museum + Gallery which showcases the rich history of the city and its locale but also national and world heritage. No visit to this space is ever the same as it promises a rich programme of events from art exhibitions to stories of the local community – be sure to visit their What’s On page to explore before you head over!
Look out for: Running until the 4th July is the 'Women doing everything, everywhere, all at once' exhibition. A celebration of the female archaeologists of the 1930s Verulamium digs, this exhibition shows what uncovering a Roman city is like - from the mud-splattered notebooks and diaries, sepia photographs and then meet four ancient women who left their mark on the city through life-size figures and soundscapes.
Stevenage Armed Forces Day
On the 22nd June 2024, the town of Stevenage celebrates all of the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community, past and present. Hosted around the Event Island and Town Square, there will be activities including singers, toy soldiers and the likes of a Royal Guard Stilt Walker, plus WWII Spitfire and CPR demonstrations. This years one is also even more poignant after the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Mill Green Museum
Flour is the basis of many of our foods and has been for hundreds of years, so understanding where this particular piece of our food comes from is incredibly important. The 18th Century Mill Green Museum is a restored and working watermill in Hatfield, which gives a rich history of how the mill works. If you want to take a little piece of the museum home with you, purchase some organic, stoneground wholemeal flour fresh from the mill, or even better savour some sweet treats and light lunch made with metres from the mill at The Miller's Kitchen.
Natural History Museum Tring
Synonymous with understanding the world of Mother Nature, the Natural History Museum has a branch in Tring which makes for a perfect informative day out. Based on the collection of Lionel Walter Rothschild, there are three floors and various galleries with unique collections, and an ever changing exhibition programme, so get ready to get up close to the likes of cassowaries and elands.