Roman Chester
There are two Roman galleries. The first tells the story of
Chester’s legions and fortress, with displays on the army, fortress
buildings and everyday life, which includes coinage, pottery, glass
and metalwork. The second houses a nationally important collection
of Roman tombstones, found in the 19th century having been re-used
in the city walls. The stones hold important evidence about the
lives of the soldiers, slaves, women and children who lived in
Chester during the Roman period.
Silver Gallery
Silver is one of Chester’s greatest contributions to the visual
arts in Britain, and the Grosvenor Museum houses a national
important collection. The gallery displays four hundred years of
Chester hallmarked silver, together with Chester race trophies,
Cheshire church plate and secular silver, and silver from the
Marquess of Ormonde’s collection. Please note: this gallery is on
the first floor and has no disabled access.
Art Gallery
Paintings spanning half a millennium tell the story of art in
and around Chester, with the work of regional artists, views of
Cheshire and North Wales, portraits of local people, and the art
they collected. The pictures are complemented by sculpture and
furniture, and every summer there are loans from the Duke of
Westminster’s outstanding collection. Please note: this gallery is
on the first floor and there is no disabled access.
Natural History Gallery
The gallery covers the history of Chester's Victorian
naturalists, local species, geology and the history of life on
Earth. Please note: this gallery is on the first floor and
there is no disabled access.
Period House
The Period House, has rooms on three floors dedicated to
significant periods in history. The rooms are themed around
everyday life, and highlight the different living conditions
through the centuries. These include a Stuart dining room, Georgian
drawing room Victorian entrance hall, kitchen, parlour, bedroom and
school room, Edwardian bathroom and 1920s nursery. Please note: you
will find the parlour, entrance hall and kitchen on the ground
floor. Other rooms are on the first and second floor and there is
no disabled access.
Costume Gallery
Located on the first floor of the period house is a changing
display from the costume collection. Please note: this gallery is
on the first floor and there is no disabled access.
Lecture Theatre
When not in use you are welcome to visit the lecture theatre
where there are a number of paintings and sculpture on display.
King’s Arms Kitchen
The King’s Arms Kitchen is the interior of a public house of the
same name orignally found in Eastgate in the city centre. The
‘Honourable Incorporation of the King’s Arms Kitchen’ was a
gentleman’s club which met in the ‘Mayor’s Parlour’ of the pub. The
group was formed as a ‘mock’ corporation in about 1770 after a
quarrel amongst civic officials. The boards around the walls show
the names of past Mayors and Town Clerks of the Honourable
Incorporation.
Other Collections
Collections not on permanent display are exhibited as part of
the special exhibition programme. These include for example
significant Medieval and Civil War collections. For further
details, or to access the collections, please contact the relevant
member of staff. Contact details can be found by following the
link to the Museum’s
Staff page.