Swaffham Museum Opening Hours and Admission Details

Swaffham Museum is generally open Monday to Friday 10am–4pm and Saturday 10am–1pm, with a 3pm close on weekdays in November and December. It closes for the winter from the Monday before Christmas until the Saturday before 14 February. Adults pay a small entry fee, while children, carers and Art Pass holders are always free; occasional donation-only days also apply. The museum occupies a Georgian building with no wheelchair access above the ground floor, though assistance and guide dogs are welcome throughout, and all dogs are allowed in the shop.

Opening hours at a glance

The winter closure is a single continuous period, so if you are planning a visit in January or early February, check before travelling — the museum reopens on the Saturday before 14 February.

Admission and who gets in free

• Adults: a small entry fee applies.
• Children: free.
• Carers: free.
• Art Pass holders: free.
• Donation-only days: the museum occasionally runs days when entry is by donation rather than the standard fee.

The museum is run by volunteers and financed from these small entry fees and donations, so the admission charge directly supports its operation. If you are visiting specifically to use the research facilities — maps, books, documentation and artefacts — note that personal and group research access is by appointment.

Access and practical visiting notes

The building's Georgian layout means the upper floor is not wheelchair accessible; the ground floor is. Assistance dogs and guide dogs are welcome in the museum, and all dogs are welcome in the shop.

The museum also hosts the Swaffham Information Centre at its entrance, along with a gift shop, and offers event-booking services — useful if you want to combine a visit with local information or tickets for something else.

Location and contact

Museum of Swaffham, 4 London Street, Swaffham, Norfolk PE37 7DQ.

For appointments (research visits, school or group bookings, guided tours of Swaffham) and for volunteer application forms, contact the museum directly through the details on its website. New volunteers are always welcome.

What you can see

The museum covers the social history of Swaffham and surrounding villages from the Stone Age to the present, with galleries on social history, town stories, the Pedlar legend, archaeology and Howard Carter. Local figures featured include Howard Carter, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Knyvet Wilson VC, prize fighter Jem Mace, Biggles author W.E. Johns, and the Pedlar of Swaffham and his dog. It also runs an educational service for schools and the local community.