11 Museums to Explore in Bedfordshire

Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum is a beautiful museum that is little the site associated with the initial ironstone railway, that is house to a collection of working steam and diesel locomotives. It includes 8 locomotives within the collection, 7 running on steam, the other a diesel engine, plus over 30 items of rolling stock. The museum is owned byThe Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Trust.

A beautiful museum that tells the story of the Bedford man who wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress, one of the greatest novels in the English language. It includes a mixture of sets and scenes highlighting key aspects if his life, and a wide selection of objects and examples of his works. The John Bunyan Library contains 3,000 books and is open by appointment to researchers.

Shaw's Corner was the primary residence of the renowned Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw; The house was designed very much in the Arts and Crafts style with stained glass windows and hearts cut into the banisters. It tells the story of his life and gives a great description of much of his life. The Arts and Crafts interiors are small yet beautiful. The garden contains a revolving summerhouse where Shaw used to work.

The Panacea Museum is a beautiful Victorian house that was part of the community’s headquarters. It tells the story of the Panacea Society and other similar religious groups. The museum also incorporates several other buildings, set within the gardens, that formed the original community'scampus’. The museum is open every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday between February half term and the end of October.

Rushden Transport Museum is housed in the beautifully restored Victorian Midland Railway Station which once formed part of the Wellingborough to Higham Ferrers branch line. It comprises a vast collection of transport-related artifacts from the Rushden area, giving visitors a nostalgic glimpse into its past. Rushden station has been preserved by the Rushden Historical Transport Society. The station building is fully intact and open with no admission fee.

The Shuttleworth is an aeronautical and automotive museum located at the Old Warden Aerodrome, Old Warden in Bedfordshire. It is one of the most prestigious in the world due to the variety of old and well-preserved aircraft. The Shuttleworth Collection puts an emphasis on restoring as many aircraft as possible to flying conditions, in line with the founder's original intention.

St Neots Museum is a friendly local museum Housed in a former police station and court building, telling the story of a busy market town on the River Ouse, from prehistoric times to the present day. It is also home to the original goal cells where prisoners were detained and local history including the story of the railroad that reshaped the town in 1851 and local domestic life as it’s changed over the ages.

There’s so much to discover at Stockwood, which includes Beautiful gardens, interactive exhibitions and the largest carriage collection in Europe. The discovery centre displays collections of local social history, archaeology, geology and rural crafts. It also houses the biggest collection of horse-drawn carriages in Europe, the Mossman Collection.

The Higgins Bedford is a majestic art gallery and museum in Bedford. The museum is home to the Cecil Higgins Collection of fine and decorative arts, which features work by the designers William Burges and Edward Bawden.

The Wellingborough Museum built-in 1892 as an indoor swimming pool by David Dulley, a brewer in the town. Today, the museum welcomes visitors to explore a range of exhibits. This beautiful museum displays the collection of artefacts owned by the Winifred Wharton Trust, previously shown in The Heritage Centre at Croyland Hall in Wellingborough.

Wardown House, Museum and Gallery is situated in the beautiful landscaped Wardown Park, on the outskirts of Luton town centre. The house was formerly the home of the Scargill family, then a military hospital and is now a museum and gallery. It was one of two free admission museums situated in Luton which are part of the charitable trust, Luton Culture.