Our Visit England accredited museum is housed in the former offices of Benskins Brewery. Telling the story of Watford past and present, the museum has displays of local history, industry and archaeology. These include Watford at War, Print and Brewing and a display on Watford Football Club - which includes some fabulous Elton John memorabilia.
We have brought in new arrangements to keep everyone safe whilst visiting the museum in our beautiful 18th Century Grade II listed building. This includes new safety and hygiene arrangements. We're limiting visiting times to start with to Saturdays and you are asked to book in advance for a timed visit to the museum, giving information that we will keep for 21 days in line with Track and Trace guidelines.
We have brought in new arrangements to keep everyone safe whilst visiting the museum in our beautiful 18th Century Grade II listed building. This includes new safety and hygiene arrangements. We're limiting visiting times to start with to Saturdays and you are asked to book in advance for a timed visit to the museum, giving information that we will keep for 21 days in line with Track and Trace guidelines.
Services
We know 2020 was a tough one for most people, but 2020 has also been a year where the people of Watford have shown incredible community spirit. Working with Watford Council and Mayor Peter Taylor we are creating a digital archive to commemorate all the high points of the year.
Whether it be examples of residents going far and beyond to support people in their community, acts of kindness by neighbours or just something that put a smile on your face in 2020.
Whether it be examples of residents going far and beyond to support people in their community, acts of kindness by neighbours or just something that put a smile on your face in 2020.
Local photographer Faraz Ravi has been photographing the trees in Cassiobury Park and Whippendell Woods for the past 3 years. Faraz uses the traditional photographic process of capturing on film and printing in the darkroom. The prints are then chemically toned to add a warm or cool tint.
The process is slow and expensive but provides the opportunity to give each photo a considered interpretation and realise the image on uniquely beautiful and timeless silver gelatin paper.
The process is slow and expensive but provides the opportunity to give each photo a considered interpretation and realise the image on uniquely beautiful and timeless silver gelatin paper.
The artist was inspired to draw this artwork after being given a donated guitar whilst at one of the New Hope residences. I really like bridges and I have come to regard this photograph as symbolic of recovery from a particularly dark phase in my life, i.e. passing from one side to the other. With the help of New Hope, I was in a much better frame of mind.
This May marks the 75th anniversary of VE Day, celebrating the end of the Second World War. In this exhibition we are looking back at this time and how the community in Watford banded together during Britain's greatest crisis. Whether it was time, money or even scrap metal, everyone had a contribution to make.
Watford Museum, located in the beautiful Grade II listed Benskins Brewery mansion, houses over 30,000 items. It is a fantastic place to learn about Watford's heritage and can help bring past and present culture to life. As well as playing home to regular comedy and music nights, there are lots of innovative and artistic events and workshops making it an unparalleled destination for creatives.
Reviews (15)
Brass Balls Comedy
Jul 28, 2021
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Jane Stevens
Jul 26, 2021
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Vivienne O'Brien
Mar 25, 2020
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Daniel Morais
Nov 29, 2019
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The Watford Museum is a mirror of the city’s history and their citizens in the last two centuries of contemporary English history. We can discover trace elements about the Paleolithic tribes in the local, the Iron Age, Roman Britain, until the Victorian Era and the 20th century and the development of the new technologies and transports. Of all the collection, the opening gallery about the participation of England and Watford citizens in WWI and WWII, was the highlight of the visit. A space that ethnographically caricatures Watford City.
Jan Springham
Nov 03, 2019
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I was born in Watford in 1942 - the daughter of George Dear, a dedicated, hard working and loyal detective serving in the Hertfordshire Constabulary and Daphne (nee Palmer) who had lived at Croxley Green with her parents Len Palmer a local shoe repairer and his wife Maudie Palmer before marrying my father. We lived at Watford until the early 1950s… when my father was promoted and we had to move to Hertford. We all had a deep love and loyalty to Watford and, over the years, we obviously had gathered lots of family memorabilia, a scrapbook of my father’s police career - nothing of great
Vicky Goutis
Oct 02, 2019
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It was interesting to visit. Lots of rooms and loads to see, perhaps too much. Also modern information on Watford FC. The only room with paintings was very disappointing - looked more like a large storeroom.
There was a good collage exhibition from the Watford Recycling Arts Project and the small pop up tearoom (1st Saturday monthly) with home-made cakes was a really good idea.
There was a good collage exhibition from the Watford Recycling Arts Project and the small pop up tearoom (1st Saturday monthly) with home-made cakes was a really good idea.
Paul Brotherhood
Aug 25, 2019
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Robbob Tun
Jun 29, 2019
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Sue Coco
May 30, 2019
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Lynda Bullock
May 14, 2019
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Dufus Wombat
Oct 14, 2018
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Visited the fire museum section which is across the road behind the fire station. This was on an open day so there were a range of both vintage and modern fire engines on display. Inside the museum building there were displays of equipment, uniforms and photos of incidents attended by the brigade. Well worth a visit.
Rupert Arran
Jul 26, 2018
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Andrew Lalchan
Jan 20, 2018
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A. K. Rajeshkumar
Aug 15, 2017
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Sue Butler
Oct 14, 2016
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