Folkestone Museum

Folkestone Museum occupies the ground floor of the town's striking Victorian town hall on Guildhall Street, in the heart of the old town. The free museum reopened in 2017 following a major redevelopment and now presents the history of Folkestone and the surrounding East Kent coast across a series of bright, well-curated galleries.

Displays trace the area from its earliest beginnings, including finds from the Folkestone Roman Villa on the East Cliff and Bronze Age and Iron Age artefacts uncovered along the coast. Further galleries explore the town's heyday as a fashionable Victorian and Edwardian seaside resort, its role as a major cross-Channel port, and the dramatic story of the Folkestone Harbour and the millions of soldiers who passed through on their way to the Western Front during the First World War.

Interactive exhibits, a fossil collection drawn from the nearby Gault Clay cliffs, and rotating temporary shows make the museum a good rainy-day stop. It sits within easy walking distance of the Creative Quarter, Harbour Arm and seafront, making it a natural starting point for exploring the town's heritage.