Ipswich Museum — Attraction in Ipswich

2021: So much has changed since I last visited, approx 2012. It has all been suitably updated and appears modern (as far as a museum can seem modern) and clean. The displays are engaging.

The staff are knowledgeable and friendly. They said we could take as many photos as we liked as long as we didn't use flash. We spent ages in the first big hall with all the animals in. We enjoy going to the zoo, but to see a giraffe, gorillas, wolves, zebras and other animals we see at the zoo, so close, was very intriguing for my children (4 and 6). We used the little magazine they sell for 50p and got a 50p pencil too. My 6 year old enjoyed searching for the animals inside and ticking them off.

All of the artefacts are genuine and the animals are all real animals, beautifully taxidermied (except for the giant mammoth - which a staff member told me has the same hair that Chewbacca has in Star Wars).

The punishment chairs for whipping and dunking were rather disturbing to my children and couldn't be avoided as were on the main route. My only suggestion for improvement would be to have this disturbing area to one side in an offset room with a warning label to parents that children may find it disturbing (so they can choose to avoid it)

We spent an hour inside and hadn't finished but it was closing time. The staff used an old police rattle to alert us that it was time to leave. I liked that touch.

Well...

A great place to visit with family or with children.

This museum combines exhibitions of the Natural History, exhibiting several species of animals preserved by scientists in Victorian times. Most striking and attracting attention is a preserved mammoth welcoming visitors at the museum’s entrance.

Additionally, the Ipswich museum contains several interesting skeletons, such as a head of a whale, hanging below a room’s ceiling or the one of a boa constrictor.

Several other exhibitions enrich Museum’s offer. They include the history of the Two World Wars. Some rooms depict quite realistically the barracks, gas masks, rockets, bunkers, sand pits and many other war essentials. Also, visitors can see information about the Polish legions and the allies who fought the enemies with Britain.

There is an interesting section about East Anglia and early settlements in Ipswich. The exhibition mentions Boudicca who fought the Romans in East Anglia in the First Century AD. Additionally, there is a vast section that mentions impact of the Puritans who have been quite prominent in the Ipswich area around the 16th and the 17th centuries.

Finally, the museum contains a selection of exhibitions from other cultures. They include African art and culture, Egyptian history and explanation of the mummification process, Buddhism and Islam’s essentials and...

This place is a hidden gem. Never been before and lived here for years. Went on Saturday around 11am. It wasn't too busy which I loved as I suffer with anxiety and being around crowds. Going into the museum your greeted with a welcome desk, a lovely little shop and a view of the museum infront of you. The staff are absolutely lovely and really helpful.

Me and my partner wandered around for a couple of hours! I was shocked by how big the place was. So many interesting bits of information. I took quite a few pictures although it was hard to take some due to reflections and light.

This place has a lot to offer. Very informative and fun things to look at.

I read previous reviews which only gave a few stars and they are absolutely embarrasing. Someone leaving a review saying they fell down the stairs and the place is a bit run down?. What?

The whole of the museum was clean and tidy and very well looked after. The toilets were tidy and clean and even the gift shop looked pleasing.

A few more people did come in as time went on, but it's spacious enough to let people past without being too close.

This museum really was lovely to walk around and I will...