Opening Hours
Normal Opening times
- Monday to Thursday: 10am to 4pm (last entry to Museum is 3:30pm)
- Friday and Saturday: 10am to 1pm (last entry to Museum is 12:30pm)
- Sunday : Closed
Bank Holidays
- Open every Bank Holiday except Christmas and New Year.
Museum Shop and Visitor Information
Our museum shop and Visitor Information Centre opening hours are the same as the Museum.
Admission
- Adults: £4
- Young person 5-18: £2
- Family (1 or 2 adults and children): £9
- No charge for:
- Under 5's
- Accompanying carers
- Friends of Swaffham Heritage - become a friend of Swaffham Heritage
- National Art Pass Holders
Food and Drink
- Food and drink are not to be consumed on the premises please.
Toilets / Baby-changing Facilities
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The Museum has staff toilets that can be made available to visitors but, due to the layout of this listed Georgian building, these toilets are not accessible to wheelchair users and they have no baby-changing facilities.
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There are public toilets in the Town Hall, accessed through the corridor at the back of the Museum, and in the town centre, two hundred yards from the Museum.
Getting Here
The museum is easy to find in the centre of Swaffham with ample parking very nearby.
Swaffham is a market town in the Breckland District and English county of Norfolk. It is situated 12 miles (19 kilometres) east of King's Lynn and 31 miles (50 kilometres) west of Norwich with regular buses running from Swaffham to King’s Lynn and Norwich where there are railway stations.
Address
4 London Street
Swaffham
Norfolk
PE37 7DQ
Directions
Parking
There is free 2 hour parking right outside the Museum and in the Market Place, with more, all-day, free parking behind the Museum in Theatre Street.
If visiting on a Saturday it is advisable to park in Theatre Street (PE37 7HF) as market-stalls occupy most spaces in the Market Place.
Access
The Museum is housed on three levels in what was a Georgian home. The layout of this listed building does mean there may be access difficulties for some visitors.
The ground floor has two large Galleries - the Ben Emmerson Room and the Carter Connection. These have level access.
The Archaeology Room is situated mid-way between the ground and first floors by a short staircase and a stairlift is available if required.
On the first floor are the remaining two galleries, accessed via a staircase:
- It is also possible to gain access to the David Butters Room via an elevator situated in the Town Hall part of the building, but this is not always available on Friday afternoons and Saturdays.
- Room 5 is adjacent to the David Butters Room but only accessible via three steps from the landing.
Regrettably, we are unable to accommodate wheelchair users to galleries on the first floor but can accommodate one mobility scooter or wheelchair at a time on the ground floor.
Accompanying carers are offered a complimentary ticket.
Assistance dogs are also welcome.
Whilst the Museum welcomes all families, the stairs arrangement may require babies to be carried and pushchairs left safely in the reception area.
There are no wheelchair accessible toilets in the museum.
Group Visits
Other than family groups, please contact us in advance to ensure we have no other groups booked in.
- Discounted entry for pre-booked groups of 10 or over
- Illustrated talks on aspects of historical Swaffham including
- The development of Swaffham and its market
- The relationship between the parish church and the town
- Was Swaffham a wool town?
- 19th century Swaffham
- Howard Carter - his family, life and work
- Other topics are available
- Guided group walks around Swaffham
- For details and costs contact the Museum Curatorial Manager.
Visitor Information Centre
Whilst visiting Swaffham Museum, there are many other things to do in the area before and after your visit so why not plan a full day of activities or an overnight stay.
The Visitor Information Centre is located in the Museum Shop.
- Here you will find a wealth of information about the area, covering around 50 mile radius, with a large selection of leaflets on the visitor attractions. We also have bus timetables and a good selection of maps.
- Our stands have everything well displayed and easily accessible.
- The opening hours are the same as the Museum Shop.
- You can call or email the Visitor Information Centre for further information.
In addition to the information in our Visitor Information Centre, you can visit our Tripadvisor page to find nearby restaurants, attractions and accommodation to plan your trip around Swaffham in Norfolk.
Activities and Things To Do
- Explore our history by walking the circular trail around Swaffham.
- Visitors will find a wide range of road and footpath maps in our Shop for those wishing to explore Swaffham and the surrounding area more thoroughly.
- For walkers, we have compiled a document with a list of website resources for you.
- We have also compiled a document list of many other sights, attractions and things to do in the Swaffham area, marked on a useful location map.
- Browse Swaffham Landmarks on Tripadvisor.
Accommodation
- We have compiled a document list of Hotels, Inns and B&Bs in Swaffham and the surrounding area.
