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Kendal Museum
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Kendal Museum

See all things to do
See all things to do
Kendal Museum
4
133 reviews
#9 of 39 things to do in Kendal
Natural History Museums • History Museums
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Thursday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
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About
Founded in 1796, Kendal Museum's fascinating collections include local and global archaeology, history, geology and natural history.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
120 within 3 miles
Pedro's Casa
579
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Spanish • Vegetarian Friendly
Cafe Olive Kendal
185
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Cafe • Mediterranean • European
Corner 124
964
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Mediterranean • European • British
The Joshua Tree
285
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Cafe • British • Vegetarian Friendly
Cottage Kitchen
248
0.3 mi$ • Cafe • British • Vegetarian Friendly
The Bristly Hog
168
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Quick Bites • Cafe • British
Baba Ganoush
503
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Quick Bites • Cafe • International
Thai Kitchen In Lakeland
250
0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Thai • Vegetarian Friendly
Bangkok 7 Thai Restaurant
319
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Thai • Vegetarian Friendly
Relish No. 37
257
0.3 mi$ • Cafe • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
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Attractions
29 within 6 miles
Outside In Kendal
16
313 ftPlaygrounds
Sleddall Hall Antique Centre
3
388 ftAntique Shops
Quaker Tapestry Museum
185
0.2 miSpeciality Museums
Blackhall Yard, Artisan Shopping
9
0.2 miShopping Malls
Kendal Castle
495
0.5 miCastles
Westmorland Shopping Centre
43
0.3 miShopping Malls
The Antiques Emporium
56
0.3 miAntique Shops
Kendal Unitarian Chapel
8
0.3 miReligious Sites
Brewery Arts
462
0.5 miTheaters
Kendal Library
6
0.3 miLibraries
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
133 reviews
Excellent
68
Very good
42
Average
14
Poor
5
Terrible
4
bertrumted
Manchester, UK6 contributions
Must See
Nov 2022
WOW I found this place by accident when getting lost around Kendal centre. I decided as I couldn't find the museum, I was looking for that I would pop inside. The disabled access into the building was good and the staff came straight away to open the door. The museum was an eclectic mix of Kendal life with Geology and an amazing array of stuffed animals, i thought I wouldn't like this room, but I have to say I was amazed at the animals on display, there were what seemed like hundreds of animals from Butterflys, birds, and animals from around the world I particularly liked the stuffed dodo. I would def recommend it to anyone who was looking for something a little different and an hour or more to spare. An amazing model of a ship is held there which was interesting. There's so much I can't do it justice.
Written November 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kendal M
Thank you so much for visiting the museum and for taking time to leave lovely feedback. We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed your visit. We all look forward to seeing you again soon. Many thanks again.
Written November 18, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Peter R
1 contribution
Kendal Museum visit
Oct 2022
A small gem of a museum, part of Kendal College, preserving an eclectic mix of collections, passionately accrued by local enthusiasts during the early to mid 20th Century. There are local and civil medals, clothing, school uniforms and artisan implements from the late 19th Century; a large collection of fossils and minerals, all meticulously labelled, from local mines and caves; antiquities of neolithic man, Egypt and Rome; Roman, ;Saxon and Medieval hammered coins; pottery;, man traps and other gruesome metal torture implements from the 18th and 17th centuries. In a lower basement is a substantial collection of taxidermy specimens of mammals and birds from all parts if the world. From a zoological perspective they give an impression of what the live animals, birds and butterflies, would have looked like, many of whom are now rare or extinct. There is even a reconstruction of a Dodo, of which no complete specimen remains. Finally the museum supports local artists with a hall dedicated to holding exhibitions displaying their works. A disfferent artist is featured every fortnight.

Amongst the specimens is a small gift shop and cafe, The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The modest entrance fee is valid for the whole year. There is plenty to revisit again, as the range of collections cannot be fully absorbed or appreciated in one visit.
Written October 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kendal M
Thank you so much for visiting the museum and for leaving such a lovely review. What an amazing, spot-on summary of the museum, too! The kind comment like yours make it all worth it. We look forward to welcoming you back again, soon. Many thanks again.
Written November 4, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jack B
1 contribution
Great for young children - accessible and entertaining!
Oct 2022 • Family
Took my 3 year old daughter in as it was nearby to where we were staying. She is often very nervous in new places but she loved it so much that she asked to come back again after lunch.

The puzzles and play area were really accessible and entertaining for her and the staff were very kind and friendly.

A lot of work has clearly been done to make this place more interesting and accessible for children and I hope it is rewarded with the custom it deserves.

I'm certain we'll be back again.
Written October 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kendal M
Thank you so much for visiting the museum and for the lovely feedback. It has put a big smile on our faces! It's a great pleasure to hear that your daughter enjoyed the visit. We all look forward to seeing you and your daughter again soon!
Written October 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Moira W
Ayr, United Kingdom10 contributions
Lots of interesting things to see
Sep 2022
Great way to spend a few hours on a very wet day. Very mixed bag of things to see. The room with all the stuffed animals was a bit disconcerting though, didn't stay in there very long.
Written September 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kendal M
Thank you for visiting the museum and for leaving the review. We have been working on the plan to make some changes to the World Wildlife Gallery, and to add the additional space as the interpretation room. We can hopefully explain the background and the modern purpose of the Victorian taxidermy collection, in a better way than it is now. I hope this helps for your future visit. Thank you again for visiting us and we all look forward to welcoming you back again, soon.
Written September 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
annemarie599
Mannheim, Germany18 contributions
a treasure trove of information
Aug 2022
I was more than pleasantly surprised by the exhibits and the information that we could gain about the area and history.
I would highly recommend a visit to families with primary school children and of course primary school classes too.
The staff were so very friendly and the atmosphere extremely relaxing.
The coffee bar provided us with a good coffee which we drank outside at a table in front of the main entrance. An extremely interesting & pleasant experience. Thanks.
Written August 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kendal M
Thank you so much for visiting us and for the lovely feedback. We are delighted to hear that your visit was enjoyable. Many, many thanks again and we look forward to seeing you again very soon.
Written September 9, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lilly
Kendal, UK1 contribution
Great!
Jul 2022 • Couples
Friendly staff. The taxidermy section was very educational as it highlights many conservation issues.
Written July 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kendal M
Thank you for visiting the museum and for leaving the review. We look forward to seeing you again, soon!
Written July 9, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
rubia_rache
Kendal, UK32 contributions
A brilliant museum.
Jun 2022 • Family
A brilliant museum with loads for kids to do and also super interesting for adults. We love this place and visit monthly probably. The annual membership offer is fantastic (a year’s entry for the price of one visit).

The taxidermy collection is huge and although I initially felt a little uncomfortable about it initially once I learnt that it was an incredibly valuable teaching resource back when it was created (as it was the only way people could see and learn about animals before the internet and tvs) I felt much better about it and enjoyed showing my daughter all the different and interesting animals.

Our daughter has such a good time every time we visit. The staff are also wonderful and so friendly. We love it.
Written June 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kendal M
Thank you so much for the lovely comment! We all love seeing you at the museum. We are so glad to hear you enjoy your visit every time too. We have a series of exhibitions planned over summer too, so please pop back in to check them out. We all look forward to seeing you soon.
Written June 9, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Can_we_get_some_mayo
Kendal, UK7 contributions
Something for everyone
Jun 2022 • Family
I've been coming to the museum with my wife and two year old daughter fairly regularly over the last few months. The £5 entry is very reasonable, especially considering this gets you in for the whole year. The display cases are so full of interesting things that you can always find something in them that you missed the last time. Some of the rooms change what's on show from time to time too.
There's plenty to interest adults but also loads for kids to see and do. There are interactive exhibits and a small play area with toys and puzzles. The taxidermy collection is really extensive and a great place to learn the names of animals.
The gift shop has a lot of books and toys and is also a great place to start a rock collection! The staff are lovely and always make you feel very welcome.
There's just so much variety here. One minute you're looking at the terrifying man-trap (yes, that is now my wife's nickname) and the next you're reading about mummification. There's something for everyone here and it definitely has repeat value. Well worth a visit.
Written June 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kendal M
Thank you so much for leaving the lovely comment! We all love seeing you at the museum. We are also very glad to hear you enjoy your visit every time. We have a series of exhibitions over summer too, so please pop back in to have a browse. Exciting times! We all look forward to seeing you soon. Many thanks.
Written June 9, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
chrisdonnelly
2 contributions
Outstanding museum
May 2022
The whole experience was great. All contents were really interesting, and very varied, from the history of Kendal, to artefacts and creatures from near and far. The staff were extremely helpful, courteous, friendly and knowledgeable. We took up their kind offer of being able to return anytime for free over the next year, and will certainly visit again. A must for people of all ages, and especially educational for children too. Highly recommended.
Written May 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kendal M
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback. We now have downstairs gallery open for summer and you can browse art exhibition. We look forward to welcoming you back soon!
Written June 4, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
mjk27
Carnforth, UK76 contributions
Small museum
Apr 2022 • Family
A nice little museum not too expensive and lots packed in to a small space. Not the biggest museum but was different and lots to interest young children. The staff were very friendly too
Written April 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kendal M
Thank you so much for visiting us and for the lovely comment! We look forward to seeing you again.
Written May 21, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Kendal Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Kendal Museum
Kendal Museum is open:
  • Thu - Sat 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Kendal Museum tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 2 Kendal Museum tours on Tripadvisor