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Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday 11am - 5pm

Ipswich Museums

Name: Ipswich Museums
Address: High Street, Ipswich, IP13QH, GB
Telephone: 01473 433551
Rating: 5

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Ipswich Museums

Explore Ipswich’s past with stories that will inspire you.

This fascinating and unique museum gives you the opportunity to meet the famous woolly mammoth, the elegant towering giraffe and other wonderful curiosities from the natural world.

01/12/2025

Bright colours. Big names. Brilliant vibes. Colour Shape Pattern is open at Christchurch Mansion. Come see Hockney, Magritte, and more: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/colour-shape-pattern

29/11/2025

Join us for our Christmas Tree Festival this Christmas! 🎄

From Tuesday, 25 November 2025 to Sunday, 4 January 2026, get in the festive spirit with our annual Christchurch Mansion Christmas Tree Festival!

Explore the Mansion and spot all of the trees which have each been decorated by a different community group in Ipswich. ✨

28/11/2025

Christmas has arrived at the Mansion! 🎄

The Mansion is decorated up for the festive season, with Christmas magic all around! ✨

Come and give the Mansion a visit this December.

We are open🎄

Tues - Thurs: 10am-4pm
Sat: 10am - 4pm
Sun: 11am - 4pm

26/11/2025

It's time to get your thinking hats on! 🧠

We are hosting our very own Christmas Quiz here at the Mansion with Suffolk broadcasting legend Stephen"foz" Foster🙌

Tickets cost £8 per person which includes a welcome drink and bar snacks, with a bar available all evening! 🥂

The winning team will also win a mystery prize... 👀

This event is suitable for ages 18+ and tickets are on sale now, just head to our website to book. 👇

https://ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/events/quiz-night/

25/11/2025

Christmas is coming to the Mansion! 🎄✨

We’ve been busy decorating the Mansion, including our doll house! 🏠

We had so much fun doing this and can’t wait to show you the whole Mansion decorated up for the festive season. 🎅

24/11/2025

Fierce, fearless and full of colour, Grace Hartigan (1922–2008) brought raw emotion and electric energy to every canvas she touched.

A leading figure of American Abstract Expressionism, Hartigan was one of the few women at the heart of New York’s post-war art scene. She painted alongside Jackson Po***ck and Willem de Kooning but refused to be overshadowed, forging a style that blended bold brushwork with hints of figuration, myth and memory. She once said, “I cannot expect even my own art to provide all the answers — only to hope it keeps asking the right questions.”

Hartigan’s works, some of which are now on display in Colour Shape Pattern, buzz with vitality. It’s messy, powerful, and unapologetically human. Come and experience the force of Grace Hartigan’s vision now until 22 February 2026. Let your eyes follow the chaos and find the beauty in it: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/colour-shape-pattern

23/11/2025

Caught in porcelain, but still managing to pull a face.

This 18th-century youth is meant to be a graceful little figure holding flowers, but his expression suggests he’s just been told something mildly shocking. The sash and floral base make him look elegant, yet that wide-eyed stare makes it hard not to laugh.

Objects like this remind us that even centuries ago, artists sometimes captured expressions that feel instantly familiar. We’ve all pulled a face like this when words just won’t do.

Come and explore more quirky pieces in our collections at Christchurch Mansion: https://ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/visit/christchurch-mansion/

22/11/2025

Find the perfect present in our gift shop this Christmas! 🎁✨

With handmade jewellery inspired by our Colour, Shape, Pattern exhibition, we also have loads of presents suitable for the family, with our range of fun board games! 🎲

Don't forget our Woolly Mammouth teddies too, perfect for the little ones this Christmas (And the adults too) 👀

Visit our gift shop today and find your perfect Christmas present!

21/11/2025

This portrait shows Charles Vesey of Hintlesham Hall, the eldest of six sons. The Vesey family had lived at the Hall, situated between Ipswich and Hadleigh, since the reign of Henry VIII. Charles inherited the estate, continuing a line that had already been established for generations.

His portrait reflects the fashions of the late 1600s, with long, slightly curly hair, possibly padded for volume, and fine lace at the collar. But beyond the style, portraits like this were also statements of family legacy. For the Veseys, owning Hintlesham Hall linked them firmly with Suffolk’s landed gentry.

The painting was purchased from W. H. Booth and now hangs in the North Corridor at Christchurch Mansion, keeping the story of the Vesey family connected with Suffolk’s heritage. Visit today: https://ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/visit/christchurch-mansion/

20/11/2025

And here’s how our photo, Tavern Street, looks today! While the shops may have changed, some of the architectural bones are still there.

A clock still marks the hour, now part of Tower Ramparts Shopping Centre. And though the trolleybus wires are long gone, the street remains a key part of Ipswich’s town centre life.

Did you ever visit the Picture House? Or queue under those awnings for a sale at H. Samuel?

20/11/2025

This week is week, with the theme being "What do you stand for?" 🙌

The theme celebrates the power of young people to shape communities and society through social action.

As part of Ipswich Museums getting involved, one of our Young Associates, from
Ipswich Museum Young Associates (IMYA) has written a blog post about their time at IMYA! ✨

Head to our website to find out what they are up to and how they are helping entice young people with local museums. 👇

https://www.ipswichmuseum.co.uk/2025/11/ipswich-museums-young-associates-meet-the-team/

20/11/2025

Step into 1930s Ipswich for today’s 🕰️✨

This street scene features some iconic names, and of course, that striking clock. Overhead wires hint at the trolleybuses that once trundled by, and the Picture House sign draws the eye.

Do you remember shopping here? Share your memories (or your best guesses!) below 👇 We’ll reveal the modern view this afternoon!

Address

High Street
Ipswich
IP13QH

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	11am - 5pm

Telephone

01473 433551

Website

https://ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/

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