Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

Queen's Road
Bristol
City of Bristol
BS8 1RL
England

Website

www.bristol.gov.uk/museums

E-mail

General enquiries

general.museum@bristol.gov.uk

Telephone

0117 922 3571

Fax

0117 922 2047

All information is drawn or provided by the venues themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.

Bristol’s premier museum and art gallery houses important collections of minerals and fossils, natural history, eastern art, world wildlife, Egyptology, archaeology and fine and applied art.

Venue Type:

Museum, Gallery

Opening hours

Open Monday -Friday, 10am-5pm
Weekends 10am-6pm

Admission charges

Admission free

Additional info

For a reminder of your visit, the Museum shop contains award-winning merchandise, including reproduction prints from the Art Gallery's collections, greetings cards, a wide range of books for all ages and interests, unusual gifts and Bristol-branded gifts to name just a few. To view the stock and for more information, visit the Museum Shop web page.

The Geology, Applied Art and Eastern Art collections at Bristol's City Museum & Art Gallery are Designated Collections of national importance.

Among the Designated applied art collections with a strong Bristol connection are important collections of delftware and glass. Also designated are Bristol's geology collections and fine and applied arts from the Far East, including the celebrated Schiller Collection.

Part of Bristol Museums’ Designated Collections related to Bristol’s role as a manufacturing city and major seaport is on display here. Other parts of these collections can be seen at Georgian House, Red Lodge, and Blaise Castle House Museum. Please contact Bristol Museums for more information if you wish to see a specific item.

At Bristol's City Museum & Art Gallery there is a choice of galleries situated upstairs full of artworks: Old Masters, French School, British Collection, Modern Art and the Bristol School.

Alongside in the adjoining galleries, the decorative arts collections can be found: Eastern Art, Ceramics, Silverware and Glassware. On the lower floors - a fine collection of glittering minerals, ancient fossils and a large archaeology gallery showing the South West's geographic formation. Close by is the World Wildlife Gallery containing many examples of endangered or extinct animals, including the much-loved Alfred the Gorilla.

The popular Egyptology gallery contains real mummies besides other items and situated next door is the hugely impressive wall decoration made over 3,000 years ago - the Assyrian Reliefs. A natural history gallery contains examples of aquatic habitats in the south west of England and an interactive map of local wildlife sites and a freshwater aquarium containing fish typical of the region. Throughout the Museum and Art Gallery material from other countries can be seen, including pottery and clothing.

Collection details

Science and Technology, Religion, Photography, Natural Sciences, Fine Art, Decorative and Applied Art, Costume and Textiles, Coins and Medals, Aviation, Archaeology

Key artists and exhibits

Old Masters, French School, British Collection, Modern Art and the Bristol School
Eastern Art, Ceramics, Silverware and Glassware
Archaelogy / fossils
Egyptology / mummies
Assyrian Reliefs
Pottery and clothing
Natural history
Endangered or extinct animals, including the much-loved Alfred the Gorilla
Designated Collection

Exhibition details are listed below, you may need to scroll down to see them all.

Exhibition: Pharaoh: King of Egypt

16 March — 21 July 2013 *on now

Pharaoh: King of Egypt presents the splendour and power of the ancient kings and queens in this major touring exhibition from the British Museum.

Encounter life-size statues and sculptures from royal palaces, beautifully carved stone reliefs from ancient temples and intricate jewellery and papyri.
While many of the surviving objects project the image pharaoh wanted us to see, the exhibition invites you to explore the realities and challenges of ruling this dynamic and unique civilisation.

After a blockbuster tour around the UK, this is the final chance to see these amazing treasures outside of London. Don’t miss out!

Suitable for

Any age

Where

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

Admission

Adult: £5.00 Child: £3.00 Concession and OAP: £4.00
Family Ticket £10 (2 adults and 2 children or 1 adult and 3 children)

Website

http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/leisure-and-culture/pharaoh-king-egypt-exhibition

Pharaoh: King of Egypt

16 March — 21 July 2013 *on now

This exhibition features highlights from the British Museum’s superb collection of ancient Egyptian objects. The exhibition is the largest UK loan of Egyptian artefacts ever undertaken by the British Museum showcasing wonderful examples of sculpture, jewellery, jewellery, palace ornamentation, papyri and funerary objects.

While many of the surviving objects project the image pharaoh wanted us to see, the exhibition also explores the realities and challenges of ruling this dynamic and unique civilisation. The role of kingship in ancient Egypt is explored.

Also on display will be Bristol Museum & Art Gallery’s exceptional collection of rare Belzoni watercolours explaining the layout and decoration of the tomb of pharaoh Sety I and tomb objects. These will be displayed in Temporary Exhibitions Gallery 2 on the second floor.

Suitable for

Any age

Admission

5/£4 concession. Children £3 (under 5 years Free)
Family, school and group discounts available.
Special free entry days – dates TBC

Website

http://www.bristol.gov.uk/museums

Roman Empire: Power & People

20 September 2013 — 12 January 2014

Empire: Roman Power & People will be a unique touring exhibition, combining some of the most fascinating objects from the British Museum’s collections of Roman, Romano-British and Romano-Egyptian material, never before displayed together in this way. It will explore the story of the Roman Empire and its impact both locally in Britain and much further a field in the East. It will provide the opportunity for visitors across the UK to see these objects in their local areas for the first time.

The exhibition will contain over 70 British Museum pieces on display. The Museum will also be displaying Roman and Romano-British material from its own collections.

Suitable for

Any age

Admission

£5/£4 concession. Children £3 (under 5 years Free)
Family, school and group discounts available.
Special free entry days – dates TBC

Website

http://www.bristol.gov.uk/museums

Exhibition: Roman Empire: Power and People

21 September 2013 — 12 January 2014

Roman Empire: Power and People will be a unique touring exhibition, combining some of the most fascinating objects from the British Museum's collections of Roman, Romano-British and Romano-Egyptian material, never before displayed together in this way. It will explore the story of the Roman Empire and its impact both locally in Britain and much further a field in the East. It will provide the opportunity for visitors across the UK to see these objects in their local areas for the first time. The exhibition will contain over 70 British Museum pieces on display. The Museum will also be displaying Roman and Romano-British material from its own collections.

Admission

Adult: £5.00 Child: £3.00 Concession and OAP: £4.00

Pharaoh: reborn

20 April — 29 September 2013 *on now

Watercolours by Italian explorer Giovanni Belzoni of the tomb of Pharaoh Sety I. The display will show the journey of the pharaoh after death through the underworld.

Suitable for

Any age

Where

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Second Floor

Admission

Free

Website

http://www.bristol.gov.uk/museums

Maria Thereza Alves - Seeds of Change: A Floating Ballast Seed Garden

1 June — 30 September 2013 *on now

Working with Brazilian artist Maria Thereza Alves, designer Gitta Sschwendtner and the University of Bristol Botanic Garden, Arnolfini has utilised a disused grain barge to create a Ballast Seed Garden, visible from Castle Park and accessible through a public art programme

Suitable for

Any age

Events details are listed below. You may need to scroll down or click on headers to see them all. For events that don't have a specific date see the 'Resources' tab above.

Archaeology Day School: An Introduction To Archaeology Methods

22 June 2013

Discover the truth behind Time Team! Join Bristol Museum’s own field archaeologists to find out about archaeological methods and techniques. Get involved in the post excavation process and learn how an archaeological survey is carried out. Plus take an archaeological tour of Castle Park.

Please note, this even takes place at St Nicholas Church, St Nicholas Street, Bristol, BS1 1UE.