Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

The museum had lots to offer with a wide range of exhibits and interactive elements. It’s a bit like the Tardis, it looks quite small upon first entry but it keeps going! We spent at least 2 hours in the museum. Perfect for a rainy day. Entry is free with a recommended donation fee but no obligation to do so. There is a cafe and gift shop with lots of options to buy/eat.

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery is honestly an amazing place to learn about history and culture. The building itself is beautiful and feels grand the moment you walk in. It has that classic museum atmosphere that instantly makes you slow down and take everything in. Seeing Alfred the gorilla in person was a real highlight. He truly feels like the goat of animals in the museum and there is something powerful about standing in front of him and realising how important he was to science and to Bristol itself. It is one of those exhibits that sticks with you long after you leave. The Bristol Boxkite was another favourite. The level of detail is incredible and it is fascinating to see such an early piece of aviation history up close. Knowing it was built in Bristol makes it even more special and you can really appreciate the craftsmanship and ambition behind it. Doris the Pliosaurus was on another level. She is massive and slightly intimidating in the best way. The display does a great job of helping you understand just how dominant these creatures were and it feels like you are standing face to face with something from a completely different world. The historic wagon was also brilliant. The design is stunning and it is easy to imagine how much work and skill went into building it. It gives a real sense of everyday life from another time and adds so much character to the gallery. The Egyptian section was incredible as well. The artefacts are fascinating and the mummy coffins are beautifully detailed. There is something humbling about seeing items that have survived for thousands of years and the way they are presented makes you want to learn more rather than rush through. They also have a cafe inside which is a nice touch. It is perfect for taking a break, sitting down with a drink and reflecting on everything you have seen before heading back around the galleries. On top of all that the staff were great. Very knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the museum which makes the experience even better. Overall this place deserves high praise and is easily one of the best cultural spots in Bristol and somewhere you can return to again and again.

This is one of the free activities one can do while in Bristol. It's quite a family outing place and greta to take your kids. For adults obviously you will be happy to see Banksy just as you enter the museum. There is also cafe and seating place so if you get tired or want to have a quick bite you get the option. Museum can be easily located and transportation to the museum is also easy.

A fun museum which offers various exhibits. It is rather large and houses interesting objects, such as a collection of minerals and taxidermies of various animals. It spans several floors.

Highly recommended when you’re in Bristol! 💛 The exhibits and art pieces are amazing, the staff are super lovely and helpful, and there’s even a cozy café onsite ☕ Plus, they have an interactive area for kids — perfect for families too!

There is free entry and a variety of exhibits to suit most tastes and interests. I personally enjoyed the Natural World of South-West England, the fossils and mineral sections. Having said that, the art gallery and Egyptian sections were also interesting. Compared to the museums in London and Cardiff, this museum seems to be quite small but it still fits in a good number of exhibits. What I did notice was that the lighting in some areas was quite poor which detracted from the experience. Overall, though, I found this an enjoyable experience which passed away a couple of hours nicely.

Such a fantastic musuem! We spent a couple of hours in here at the weekend and it was brilliant. They have Egyptians, Dinosaurs, Natural History and lovely art galleries upstairs. They also had an exhibition for The Wildlife Photographer Of The Year which was such a pleasant surprise! It was free entry but you had to pay for the Wildlife Photographer bit. Definitely worth checking out if you're in town.

I visited here in June 2025. It is a surprisingly large museum with a very eclectic mix of exhibits and galleries, ranging from early aviation. Dinosaurs, ancient Egyptian, pottery and paintings

Free museum (donations welcome), very nice collection. In particular, I enjoyed the animal display of those found in and around the Bristol area and my spouse was excited to see the Banksy. We loved seeing the anti-racism display as well. There were several good options for children as well and we saw a school class enjoying the exhibits. We hadn't planned on this stop but popped in when we happened across it. The building is also beautiful! Worth stopping in!

For a smaller museum, this one is of the must stop learning experiences anywhere. It has an real diversity of art, science, and history that works for any family or lifelong student. It is free of charge but they do ask for 5 pound donations (optional).

We have been a few times as there is often an exhibition we want to see. It's not too big that you see too many things and are overwhelmed. And live the cafe.

I don't make an effort to come here as much as i should, working 5 minutes down the road and working part time i should be gutted! Many a time i used to come here as an art student, sat on the floor with my sketchbooks and pencils for sometimes hours. Surrounded by the inspirational works of others waiting to create my own piece of art. I was never moved nor asked to pack up and go home. This museum really nourishes art and genuinely appreciates it in awe. It allows others to do the same and so many people look at art but don't actually look. Not taking a photo or talking, just seeing the work and love that went into creating something unique. Anyway!! Multiple levels of varying distinction so much to see... Egyptian and local natural history on the ground floor. Cafe and bathrooms along with cloakroom. Play area for kids, gift shop and information desk. Upper floors include french portraits, statues, dinosaurs, sea creatures and fossils, crystals, taxidermy stuffed animals ranging from a lowland gorilla, hippo to the famous dodo and gazelle, gypsy caravan, gorgeous piano's from 1700 upwards, ceramics, silver and glass work. Not forgetting the famous story high vintage airplane! It's fantastically FREE but donations appreciated, suggested donation £3...worth so much more. I've been coming here since a child and it's only gotten better and better. It seems to be a lot more interactive which is only a good thing. One of, if not the BEST place to take your kids i'd say from about 5 years old onwards i'd say. old enough to appreciate and learn. So much to do in the surrounding area and they have loads of great, unusual exhibitions. Check out their website!! I wish i could give 6 stars....but there is no 6th star!

Perched at the top of Park Street and Park Row the city museum is in a suitably grand building (Edwardian Baroque, fact fans) with grand staircases and the sort of rooms you find in old libraries. There is a room for changing exhibitions but the rest has themes that are quite static. My favourite is a walkway with maps of Bristol in chronological order. You can walk round and see the city grow (or diminish if you go anti clockwise!). They have an Egyptian area, Natural History and geology section as well as lots of art of course. It is free with a donation pot by the door.

Stood in the pouring rain, huddled with my best friend under a failing umbrella, it's hard to imagine that my first thought was "I'm so excited about getting into this Museum". But the museum in question was playing host to Bristol's finest Banksy's exhibition. Ashamedly this was one of only two visits I've made to the museum. Because historical artefacts don't just present themselves to local museums regularly - a lot of the long-term collections fall into the 'once-you've-seen-'em-you've-seen-'em' variety. So a second visit felt somewhat redundant. But if you haven't been before, a walk around the taxidermy and natural history exhibitions is interesting and worthwhile. So if you feel in need of a cultural boost, take a look inside and keep an eye on their website for up-coming exhibitions and events

I went here a few weeks back for the first time in years, though I'm ashamed to admit that, like apparently everyone else this side of the equator, I was drawn in by the Banksy exhibition. For all of those who weren't so lucky to get in, it was a comic masterpiece, though any further comment on that won't much help you as it's finished. It is also hard to assess from that visit just how good the museum itself is, as the idea was that Banksy had 'remixed' the whole building, adding humorous touches of his own to the normal exhibits, and after a while it became extremely difficult to work out what remained from the old museum and what has been sabotaged by the camera shy graffiti artist. What I can say for certain is that local legend Alfred the gorilla is still proudly on display; they have some Beryl Cook originals depicting the Old Duke and the harbour's boat tours (I didn't know but apparently she lived here for a while); and it's free to get in. Certainly worth a look even now Banksy's mischievous scrawl has been unfortunately removed.

I also visited the City Museum during the Banksy takeover and was more than impressed by both the interior and exterior of the building. Despite the four hours spent queuing, the Banksy exhibition was definitely worth viewing. The museum itself towers above the city, at the top of the famous Park Street, a retail must for any Bristol visitor and resident alike. Stroll in here if you've run out of money but aren't ready to go home yet; the museum offers a great collection, combining informative natural history displays to famous artworks. Perfect for the kids on a rainy weekend.

A great museum that is stuffed full of interesting exhibits and wonderful art. There is an emphasis on natural history with geological displays, dinosaur bones and a lot of taxidermy on offer but expect to find other treasures like a gypsy caravan, a big jewellery collection and the newly revamped Egypt galleries. It makes for a great free place to take children. The cafe is great value as well.

I went to Bristol Museum also for the Banksy exhibition. It was a fantastic exhibition without a doubt. I was lucky that when I went, I only queued for over an hour and in glorious sunshine! Lucky! My favourite shop when I visited San Francisco last year was a shop called Loved to Death. Sadly my holiday fund didn't include 250 dollars to spend on a stuffed gerbil dressed as the queen of hearts. However if I ever need to get a morbid taxidermy fix, I can always just visit the Bristol Museum. It has a really fine collection of stuffed animals and birds, sadly none dressed as the Queen of Hearts though. Hmmm maybe I should sneak in and perform a banksy stunt of my own. If you spy a stuffed fox mysteriously dressed up, now you know who is responsible? ;-)

Other brilliant things do happen here! It's not just Banksy exhibitions! Although it is nice to have the museum back after all the madness of what was a fantastic exhibition. There are two different reasons to go here. Firstly for the items on permanent display (amazing art, dinosaur fossils etc...) that doesn't change. There are some really beautiful paintings here that everybody should see. Secondly, it's for the exhibitions that tend to last for a few months at a time, some better than others but all worth a look (especially for free). And the best thing about this museum is that it's in the heart of everything; at the top of Park Street, between Clifton and the centre of town. I love walking past on a weekday afternoon, noticing they've changed the exhibition and spending some time having a look round; a perfect and peaceful way to spend an afternoon. The exhibitions are always completely different, from installations & sculpture to illustrations & drawings, all produced by the best artists around. They actually got an exhibition coming up this month that I can't wait to see. Called Art from the New World: A Big Brash exhibition of the new American Art Scene. This is the type of thing that should be fully supported in Bristol & I hope to see you there.

This is Bristol's main museum and art gallery, with a fantastic range of exhibits housed in an equally impressive Edwardian baroque building right next to the Wills Memorial building at the top of Park Street. Many people will have first visited this gallery (from far and wide) to see the high-profile exhibition of pieces by graffiti artist Banksy. This was just one of a series of changing exhibitions that take place at the venue throughout the year, such as the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition (my favourite!) - alongside permanent exhibitions of art, some of which are of international importance. The museum has many fantastic displays, such as those of Britain's natural history, but my favourite section of all is the Egyptian area. It's full of fascinating ancient artefacts, and completely transports you to another place and time. Another great thing about Bristol's museum is that it really tries to engage younger people, with family museum trails, workshops, activities and special events. In the Dinosaur Resource Area, for example, children are encouraged to draw their own favourite dinosaurs and find out more about the creatures - while in the World Wildlife Resource Area they can hear the noises made by animals from all over the world. And since the museum is free, it's somewhere you go for just half an hour or so after a shopping trip to Park Street, to see the current exhibition or even have a cuppa in the café.

Perhaps best known for the Banksy Exhibition of last summer, Bristol's council run museum and art gallery has so much more on offer than animatronics and graffiti. The BBC Wildlife Photographer of The Year exhibition comes here every winter and in the past couple of years there have been a wide range of exhibitions from drawing and photography to child and adult friendly exhibitions like the Curiosity area. The permanent exhibitions range from traditional oil paintings to china and an extensive coin collection. Popular for school trips, adults can learn plenty about the local area through this museum and the fact that you can visit for free means you can take as much or as little away from you trip as you want. Not literally obviously, unless it's from the gift shop, and even then they'll probably ask you to pay for it...

Bristol's main, council-funded museum, Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery features a range of permanent exhibitions (from outdated stuffed animals to Chinese pottery), art collections, changing exhibitions (usually of art) along with a cafe and shop. The overall impression gives one of being slightly behind the times. Some of the exhibits could do with being changed (stuffed animals, I'm looking at you) and compared to the ultramodern museums you'll find in London there is little that is innovative or interactive. The building is absolutely stunning, and there are some interesting art collections by Bristol artists or maps of the old city worth dwelling on. Like most museums it also houses a decent collection of French impressionists. Some of the changing exhibitions have been very good as well. However, you're unlikely to spend more than an hour or two perusing them all. Entrance is free but the museum is seldom overcrowded, except for last summer's hit Banksy exhibition which spawned queues up to eight hour's long. Which strikes as a timely lesson for the museum that it should modernise a bit?

The Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery has been rising in it's status over the years. Perhaps their smartest move to date has been to embrace Banksy as an asset to this city, by letting him take over the museum for a surprise exhibition that drew in hoards of crowds and extremely long queues. It was great because a traditional art gallery opened it's doors to an art very current and popular. I would definitely say, that since then, more people have been checking out the exhibitions they are putting on. It's a great gallery to walk into, always having a variety of exhibits on each different levels. The first and second floors hold more permanent exhbitis; like stuffed animals (love them) and dinosaur bones; and the ground floor ones rotate more. I would recommend grabbing a booklet when you're walking past, to see what's going to be on. It's a museum that's quite 'traditional' compared to London museums, but all in all, I find it quite lovely and you can tell they are changing it up these days to get more interesting work in.

I like Bristol. A lot! I've been there a few times and have only had fun. Of course, I had been fortunate to be there covering Bristol's fantastic art scene. My last visit was to check out the opening of Art from the New World, a huge exhibition at the City Museum and Art Gallery featuring works by 49 of America's edgiest contemporary artists. The venue was great. I mean, any museum with a work by Banksy as part of its permanent collection is pretty cool, right? Situated in an Edwardian Baroque building with a range of objects from dinosaurs to classic works of art, Bristol's City Museum & Art Gallery provided plenty of space for the opening night crowd and for the roving humans-as-installation-pieces created by LA artist Gary Baseman. Massive works, particularly Buff Monster's Installation for Art from the New World, were allowed the breathing room to wow viewers and the space for said viewers to see such pieces with proper perspective. The museum is located atop Queen's Road in the city centre. Spend any amount of time in Bristol and you'll inevitably come across it. When you do, pop your head in. You'll be glad you did. More about the Art from the New World show: http://whitehotmagazine.com/articles/world-city-museum-art-gallery/2071 http://www.juxtapoz.com/Current/a-look-at-the-art-from-bristols-art-from-the-new-world

What can I say about the City Museum? It's just like any other museum really. At this point my boyfriend is sniggering at me because of the description (I can't type so use voice recognition software... disconcerting when someone else is in the room!) But I'm really not sure what else to say. It's a lot of old stuff in one building. The council website for it says that it has been awarded designated status, which apparently means that it's outstanding. So that's a good thing. It's got all the usual exhibits - the Egyptian one is my favourite but is closed at the moment, and it has a nifty section on animals that live in the surrounding countryside of Bristol. Rock on.

It's free, which is always nice, and is a good place to take the kids for an hour or so. The museum is split over several floors, If you have a pushchair, there is a lift, but you have to find a member of staff to operate it for you, which gets old very quickly when you realise there's 3-4 floors. The revamped Egypt section, but seems to be smaller than the old one, there is lots of natural history. the annual wildlife photography exhibition is always worth seeing.

There's a huge number of things to do in Bristol Museum. The art gallery is fantastic, along with the various animals and birds on display with a great section devoted to dinosaurs and an impressive new egyptology department with thousands of ancient artifacts and statues from the period. It's a great place to visit with kids, and despite what other reviewers may have said there's a lot of facilities where children can learn. Just as you enter there's an interactive facility where museum staff teach children various historical things depending on the theme of that particular month, and its great to see the all the families visiting and having a great time. Bristol City Museum, to me, is one of my favourite places from my childhood and I'd like to think that if and when I'm lucky enough to have children I'd like to introduce them to history just like my parents did, which is right here.

The City Museum and Art Gallery is a really good day out for all the family. Theres enough here to keep everyone entertained along with a smart cafe and gift shop. They normally have a travelling exhibition showing, these have included Wildlife Photographer of the Year, along with many other prestigious exhibitions. Well worth a visit!

Lovely Museum I've visited the museum twice, once with an adult friend and once with a young baby and both times I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. There are a good range of exhibits for all ages with everything from dinosaurs to minerals to stuffed animals to art to Egyptian and local history. There's something there which should interest everyone. As a keen pianist I find the beautiful pianos on display fascinating. All the exhibits have good accompanying information. Staff are very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable and they are never too far away if you get lost or are after more information. The café is nice with some delicious-looking cakes available. It's great for pushchairs and wheelchairs with lifts inside and wide spaces to manoeuvre. There's a nice baby-feeding room for privacy and peace and a separate baby-changing room, which is thankfully not linked to the ladies' toilets so can be easily accessed by men too. The only problem with this room is the toilet seat had come off but I just used the other toilets. It's a lovely building with lots of character and charm and a great place to spend time. It's free to enter.

Banksy has taken over the Bristol City Museum and is causing hour long queues we stood in the rain for almost two and spent the same time again inside. It's a unique project and well worth a visit - it all ends at the end of August. Still, it's not the same as seeing great street art in the street, or coming across a guerilla exhibition (I was lucky enough to see a Banksy installation amongst rats in Westbourne Grove a few years ago). Also not sure if you can actually call this art; a lot of it is rather predictable and silly. And then again you come across a few little surprises. It is free to get in, but I am sure they will raise a lot of funds selling postcards and posters. It's a shame they didn't produce a catalogue and leave the books to the commercial outfits all over town. Go see, before it's gone! I suppose afterwards the museum will revert back to being a very average natural history museum.

Bristol Museum is free and I've used it on more than one occasion to get out of the rain and dare I say, go to the toilet. As a museum in it's own right it's not particularly amazing, but then again it is free, so what do you expect? The best thing about it by far is the taxidermy part up stairs and towards the back. This has quite a large collection of stuffed animals from all over the world and in some cases, down the ages. If my memory serves me correctly there's a giant Bengal tiger that was shot by George V, but I might be wrong and do forgive me if you get there and it was George VI (definitely either one of them) Recently it was host to the world famous Banksy exhibition, but alas that has finished, so don't go there now expecting to see some amusing street art

Worth visiting for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibitions.

Pleasantly surprised as back in the 80's as a kid I loved the museum but the 'tuck shop' as it was was pretty crappy. Now it has some great food and drinks and of course the museum is beautiful.

Free museums can so often be disappointing- look at what has happened to the Science Museum in London since it is has become a free museum. The City Museum in Bristol is fantastic, not a disappointment at all. In recet months the museum has housed the infamous Rolf Harris portrait of the Queen and the Love exhibition with painting from such 'legends' as Raphael and Tracey Emin- both very different sides of the art spectrum. Even if you have a spare ten minutes, go inside and look at the permanent and temporary exhibtions, even the building itself is a real splendour.

This is a grest museum although i dont feel that theres much for the kids to do here. There are some fantastic local history displays and i love the crockery collections there is also a fantastic dinosour display

Beautiful old style museum. Boys had a great afternoon here. Tea room lovely too.

The museum is friendly and approachable. I have been to two or three exhibitions and their collections were quite impressive. They often host childrens' activities and displays, lots of interactive stuff during the holidays and most things are free. The building is wonderful and old although I don't know much about architecture. The location is very local right at the top of park street. I would recommend it as an essential stop for a bit of culture in Bristol.

The Bristol museum is a great place to while away some time. It's free to get in which is great because if there is nothing new for you to see you haven't lost any money by going in to have a look. They have some really interesting exhibitions and the annual wildlife photography exhibit is a real highlight for me. A lot of the content doesn't change so once you've seen it, you've seen it but nevertheless there is lots to look at here. I don't have children personally but the place seems very child-friendly and often has signs outside advertising things for children and families to do there. There is a cafe where you can grab a coffee and i love looking at the old portraits upstairs of Bristol scenes. There is lots of natural history and wildlife stuff too including a local wildlife section. A great place to have available.

Its a nice afternoon out that makes a change from shopping - informative and thought provoking for adults , the kids weren't as captivated as I hoped however we all enjoyed it. Would be great if they could add some exciting interactive stuff for younger visitors to really get their attention and encourage a real interest in their history and art exhibits. The cafe is very nice - was impressed.

This is an art gallery and museum alongside each other and both offer FREE entry! Child friendly with monthly interactive workshops for 5-12yr old kids also with a permanent childrens trail in the Art gallery, and a play area in the world wildlife room. There are exhibits on eygptology, natural history, ceramics, fossils and beautiful minerals.

Bristol's Art museum perched on the busy street called Queen's Road is a hidden gem. Small yet bursting with paintings & artefacts, a trip here should please art enthusiasts who like cosy and intimate settings. Entry is free and the museum is open 7 days a week!

The Bristol Museum was made world famous in 2009 when the highly elusive and controversial street artist Banksy decided to put on an exhibition there. Previously, one of the most popular exhibitions was the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, which visits annually. But this Banksy exhibition blew that clear out of the water pulling in more visitors in a matter of weeks than the museum usually gets in a whole year. Queues formed for hours before the museum opened (at 10am) with some people waiting more than five hours to get in. I managed to sneak in with the press pack on the last day and I have to say, it was pretty impressive. Rooms and rooms full of Banksy originals, each seemingly questioning the consumer society we live in. And the museum was the perfect venue, in Banksy's hometown. It kind of looks empty now, but it does host a heap of other exhibitions throughout the year and at least you shouldn't have to queue!

Whilst it is best known for the recent Banksy exhibition, which brought in record numbers and plunged the museum into chaos, this is a good museum which is often overlooked. There are galleries upstairs filled with paintings which are both beautiful and educational, some of which are so delicate they have to be kept in a climate-controlled gallery (you will need a sweater in this gallery - it's pretty chilly). There are visiting exhibitions which last a few months, so there is always something new, but the permanent exhibits are outstanding. The fossils and minerals which reveal what the local area has been like over millions of years are particularly worth a look, as are the stuffed exotic animals - though the beady glass eyes can be a little creepy. The Egyptian exhibit is very well presented, with informative displays on life, death and the afterlife in Ancient Egypt. There is even a mummy in a case, though you have to watch a little video and press buttons to say that you're sure you want to see it, as evidently some people are uncomfortable with encountering an ancient dead person. In all, this is a place where history really comes alive - and the scars in the stone where the building was bombed during the Blitz are a real reminder that history is all around us.

We had a bit of free time between "better" attractions, so we popped into the museum. Wow, were wrong about this one! We wound up spending a lot more time than expected here. This museum has so much to offer that half a day can pass before you know it. Most impressive!

I've been going here for as long as I can remember. Particularly loved the gipsy caravan and Egyptian mummies. Great for adults and totally awesome for kids, there's everything, rocks, dinosaurs, butterflies, fish, lions, birds and lots of buttons to press. Great afternoon for anyone. The art gallery is well laid out and has a constant flow of quality work hung all throughout the year.