Northampton Museum & Art Gallery

The Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, located on Guildhall Road was originally established in 1865, it moved to its current site in 1884. After a series of extensions, the museum closed for a major £6.7 million expansion project from 2017 to 2021, reopening in July 2021.

The museum is internationally renowned for housing one of the largest collections of shoes in the world, featuring over 15,000 pairs. This collection, which spans from the Ancient Egyptians to the present day, has been designated as being of international importance. The ground floor displays a portion of the footwear collection through two dedicated galleries: Life & Sole, which includes a re-creation of an old shoe factory, and Followers of Fashion, which traces the history of footwear fashions.

Beyond its primary focus on shoemaking, the museum offers a broad range of art and cultural exhibits. The art collection includes works by renowned artists such as J.M.W. Turner and Stanley Spencer. Visitors can also view Oriental ceramics, Italian art from the 15th to the 18th century, and exhibits detailing Northampton’s local history, including ancient relics and archaeological finds. The museum also acts as a cultural hub, hosting educational programs, workshops, and rotating exhibitions.

Northampton Museum and Art Gallery is free to enter, typically open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday from 12 pm to 5 pm.