Enriching the community…
Royston Museum, housed in the old Congregational Church School Room on Lower King Street, contains wonderful stories of local people and the events that have shaped the town and its surrounding villages along with the many fascinating exhibits that represent them.
The building itself has a fantastic history having also served time as an American Red Cross Service Club in WWII as this evocative image illustrates.
The museum is run by Royston Town Council and is enthusiastically staffed by Curator, Jenny Oxley and Museum Assistant Amy Judd, who are supported by a dedicated team of volunteers and a thriving Friends Group. Five trustees nominated by the Local History Society oversee the museum collection.
Museum staff and volunteers ensure that the collection of more than 25,000 items is well documented and conserved so it is available for local history research and education. Highlights of the collection include the Royston Crow Newspapers and the beautiful 1855 Printing Press.
The ambitious Royston Tapestry project which was started in 1993 and depicts scenes from 64 million years of Royston’s past is now over 78ft in length and is nearing completion. Watch this space for more news!
Royston Museum hosts a wide range of community events and activities. Alongside regular kids craft activities, this year a Stone Age Family Fun Day, a Viking Day and a spooky Halloween event are among the many events planned.
The regularly changing art exhibitions and community displays are well worth a visit and there are monthly book sales, toddler music and dance sessions and groups for knitting, reminiscence and the museum’s Youth Members.
Did you know that outside standard opening times, the museum provides a venue for schools and organised group visits? Or that staff and volunteers go out into the community to deliver talks and workshops? The museum offers something for everyone – what interests you?
