Museum of Croydon

The Museum of Croydon sits inside the Croydon Clocktower arts building in the centre of Croydon. It occupies the upper ground floor and shares the lower ground floor with the Riesco Gallery. The museum tells the story of the London Borough of Croydon and its people through historical and cultural objects. It opened in 1995 as Lifetimes, then reopened in 2006 under its present name after a major redesign. The Riesco Gallery displays Roman and Anglo-Saxon finds alongside Chinese ceramics collected by Raymond Riesco. The museum is worth visiting for its innovative approach to local history and its varied collections. It won awards for its interactive displays when it first opened. Exhibits include items from the life of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, early stock from the local IKEA store, and artefacts from Crystal Palace football club. The art collection holds over two thousand works, many by artists with Croydon connections. The museum once held national accreditation for its standards. Visitors find two main gallery entrances marked ‘Then’ and ‘Now’, letting them follow the story forwards or backwards in time. The Riesco Gallery on the lower floor shows Roman brooches, Anglo-Saxon shield fittings and Chinese porcelain. Hands-on displays and multimedia stations bring the past to life. The art collection includes works by Bridget Riley and Malcolm McLaren alongside earlier artists. The building itself forms part of the visitor experience, linking history, culture and community.