Grosvenor Museum

The Grosvenor Museum stands in Chester, a city in Cheshire, England. It occupies a Grade II listed building of red brick and sandstone, designed in free Renaissance style with Dutch gables and a red tile roof. Above the entrance are carved figures representing Science and Art, while the entrance hall features Shap granite columns and a mosaic of the city arms. The museum’s full title reflects its focus on natural history, archaeology, science and art for Chester, Cheshire and North Wales. It opened in 1886 after a campaign led by the Chester Society for Natural Science, Literature and Art, founded in 1871 by Charles Kingsley. The museum is worth visiting for its long history and important collections. It began with a donation of £4,000 from the First Duke of Westminster and land in Grosvenor Street. The first curator, Robert Newstead, served for over thirty years and later became a freeman of Chester. In 1953 Graham Webster created the Newstead Gallery, and in 1955 he opened the first period room, a Victorian parlour. The museum also holds the largest public collection of paintings by Louise Rayner, with 23 works, and owns six recorders by Peter Bressan, including the only complete set in the country. Inside, visitors find archaeological items from the Roman period, a Victorian parlour arranged with period furniture, and a gallery dedicated to Roman tombstones. The Webster Roman Stones Gallery won Museum of the Year in 1993. The Education Service on the top floor offers learning activities for children. Temporary exhibitions are regularly arranged, and the museum welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year.