Portsmouth Museum And Art Gallery

Portsmouth Museum stands in a red-brick building with stone dressings and tile roofs on Museum Road. It occupies part of the old Clarence and Victoria Barracks, built in the 1890s. The museum block survived when the rest of the barracks were demolished in 1967. It became a museum in 1972 and is now a Grade II listed building. Six museums belong to Portsmouth Museums, all run by the city council. The museum is worth visiting for its wide-ranging collections. Richard Lancelyn Green’s Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Collection includes first editions, letters and film memorabilia. The local history galleries show what life in Portsmouth has been like over the centuries. Football fans will find memorabilia from the 1939 and 2008 FA Cup Finals. Fine and decorative arts span from the 17th century to the 1950s, with changing displays. Visitors find rooms reconstructed to show life in different periods. The ‘Living in Portsmouth’ section shows typical homes through history. ‘No Place Like Pompey’ and ‘Portsmouth at Play’ explore local identity and leisure. Sculpture, ceramics, furniture and textiles fill the art galleries. The museum is closed until October 2026 for a major exhibition.