May 18 marks this year’s International Museum Day. Operating since 1977 the day was launched by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and each year highlight the work and challenges that museums around the world are facing.
With a rich history, Chester makes an ideal place to spend the day and, here, we reveal three options loaded with antiquity that you can explore.
Grosvenor Museum
Offering free entry, the Grosvenor Museum is a perfect choice for a low-cost way to honour the May event. A treasure trove of Chester history, it’s an excellent place to explore the city’s past from its impressive art collection to the Ridgeway Silver Gallery that highlights hallmarked Chester silver. It also boasts Roman tombstones complete Georgian home with nine rooms, all perfectly preserved.
Cheshire Military Museum
Based inside Chester Castle, the Cheshire Military Museum promises an action-packed tour of the past. From learning about the Cheshire regiment and exploring conflicts in the Malayan Jungle to in-depth experiences of WWII and medal collections, the museum has many a tale to tell.
Sick to Death
Dedicated to the history of medicine and disease, Sick to Death is spread over two ancient towers on Chester’s Roman City Walls. Filled with scary skeletons, gory tales and interactive installations, the museum might not be for the faint of heart but is enormously informative and entertaining. Thankfully International Museum Day falls on a Sunday this year as Sick to Death is only open at weekends.
If you’re in the city on the day this May, you can show Chester’s museum’s some support by dropping by for a visit.
