Derby Museums

(Derby, Derbyshire, England, UK)

The museums of Derby really couldn't been more different, with the Museum of Industry and History being amongst the city's most visited and important. Celebrating Derby's rich manufacturing heritage and industrial innovations, the Museum of Industry and History is housed in a historical mill, which dates from the early part of the 18th century and was once used to produce silk thread on a massive scale.

Located on the Friar Gate (Friargate) and just off Stafford Street, the Pickford's House Museum is to be found within a traditional Georgian town house and is owned and managed by Derby City Council.


Very close by and literally no more than a minute or two away by foot, the Derby Gaol (Friar Gate Gaol) and its evening ghost walks offers something for those with an interest in the supernatural.

Museum of Industry and History

Address: Silk Mill Lane, Derby, Derbyshire, DE1 3AF, England, UK
Tel: +44 01332 255308

***Please note that from April 2011 this attraction is being closed until further notice***

Also known as the Derby Industrial Museum or simply the Silk Mill, the Museum of Industry and History fondly remembers its origins and enjoys high visitor numbers each year. As well as providing detailed information about the history of the city's silk production and the machinery infrastructure involved, the Museum of Industry and History always covers different aspects of the diverse industrial achievements that the city has become so famous for, such as mining, quarrying and its highly productive iron foundries. Particular importance is given to the development and research involved in making Rolls Royce aero engines, as well as the former Derbyshire railway industry. With a number of interactive displays, the Power Gallery is a good addition and a firm favourite with younger visitors.
Open hours: Monday - 11:00 to 17:00, Tuesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 13:00 to 16:00
Admission: free

Pickford's House Museum

Address: 41 Friar Gate, Derby, Derbyshire, DE1 1DA, England, UK
Tel: +44 01332 255363
Dating from the early 1770s, Pickford's House was designed by leading English architect of the period, Joseph Pickford (1734 to 1782), who had strong connections with the city and actually built this elegant Palladian-style house for himself, as both a home and an opportunity to showcase his work at its finest. Now a Grade 1 listed building and a notable museum, Pickford's House is filled with antiques and ornate furnishings and historic costumes, and appears very much as it would have when Pickford and his family lived here.
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 13:00 to 16:00
Admission: free

Derby Gaol / Friar Gate Gaol

Address: 50 - 51 Friar Gate, Derby, Derbyshire, DE1 1DF, England, UK
Tel: +44 01332 366651
The city has long been known as one of England's most haunted, along with York. Visitors to the lovingly restored Derbyshire County Gaol will learn all about the city's resident ghosts, a series of which are believed to haunt the gaol's two prison cells, named the Debtor's Cell and the Condemned Cell. Some of the prisoners actual graffiti still remain here, along with carved notches in wood, indicating the number of days remaining before execution. Over recent years, innumerable paranormal sightings have been witnessed here and the gaol has become so well known that it has even appeared on Living TV's 'Most Haunted', presented by Yvette Fielding. The Friar Gate Gaol now run regular ghost walks around the city (from Agard Street and Saddler Gate), which last approximately three hours and include a candlelit supper.
Open hours: Saturday - 11:00 to 18:00, private tours can be arranged during the week for a small charge
Admission: free