What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 4:30pm Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm Thursday 10am - 4:30pm Friday 10am - 4:30pm Saturday 10am - 4:30pm Sunday 1pm - 4:30pm

Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery

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Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery

Built as a royal palace over 900 years ago, now part of Norfolk Museums Service. Norwich Castle: Royal Palace Reborn OPEN NOW Part of Norfolk Museums Service.
(1398)

The medieval Castle building is currently closed for major redevelopment work. The museum and art galleries remain open, subject to temporary closures of some areas due to construction work. Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery is packed with treasures to inspire and intrigue visitors of all ages. One of the city’s most famous landmarks, it was built by the Normans as a Royal Palace 900 years ago.

Now a museum and art gallery, it is home to some of the most outstanding collections of fine art, archaeology and natural history. Please note that this account is monitored Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm so there may be a slight delay in our response outside of working hours.

14/06/2026

It’s been a year since we sealed three small time capsules into a cavity in the wall of the Castle basement. We invited contributions from community groups and partners across Norwich, asking each group to select or create an object to represent our fine city.

This Refugee Week, we’re highlighting the contributions of New Routes and English+ to the Norwich Castle Time Capsule Project. Inspired by the lives and experiences of refugees and people seeking sanctuary, Refugee Week 2026 is a celebration the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

New Routes’ time-capsule object was a small mosaic home, a reference to Refugee Week 2024 which took ‘Our Home’ as its theme. English + created a silk print of the word ‘Welcome’ in all the languages currently represented at English+, alongside a photo taken at Norwich Cathedral which hosts an English language class.

Thank you to everyone who took part.

ArtatWork CIC
Dussindale Primary School
English +
New Routes
Norwich Cathedral
Norfolk County Council
Norwich City Council
Taverham High School
Norwich Castle staff

And of course thanks to the players of The National Lottery who supported our Royal Palace Reborn Project with a grant of £13m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

You can find out more information about Norwich Refugee Week and Norwich Castle Time Capsule Project here:

https://newroutes.org.uk/news-3/refugee-week-norwich-2026/

https://www.museumscollections.norfolk.gov.uk/article/70301/Norwich-Castle-Time-Capsule-Project

12/06/2026

We’re so pleased to be shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year!

Our café is open to museum ticket holders and those just passing by. Come along and discover why our quiche is fit for a king! 👑

11/06/2026

✨ Download Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app, to unlock a new guide to Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery.

✨ Find out more about:

The Gallery of Medieval Life: A British Museum Partnership
The Great Hall
The Chapel
The King’s Chamber

Enhance your visit to an finalist with our new digital guide.

You can download the Bloomberg Connects app via the link in our bio, or find us in the App Store or on Google Play.

Supported by

10/06/2026

We’re thrilled to have won Brand Growth at the Gather Awards for Norfolk Museums Pass: Access All Eras 🎉

From rethinking the pass as a product to repositioning it as a county-wide experience, this work was all about helping more people discover everything our museums have to offer – while building a more sustainable future.

Huge thanks to all involved: Arts Council England, Fabbrica, and our brilliant teams across Norfolk Museums Service 💛

📷 Images by Beth Moseley
🦜 'Pietre dure' table-top, 'Galleria dei Lavori' with Paston coat-of-arms. We’re extremely grateful to the and for their support with this acquisition, on display now at . If you haven't visited recently, we're shortlisted for Museum of the Year!

Congratulations to all the Brandland winners:

Brand Story: Brand Narrative by

Brand Identity: Steven Gizicki - Music for Film by .studio

Brand Communication: Old City, New Attitude by

Brand Growth: Norfolk Museums Pass, Access All Eras by Norfolk Museums Service

Young Blood: Grid Girls by .design

Brand for Change: , Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2025 Campaign by

Brand for Planet: Davos Baukultur Alliance, Changing the Culture of Building by

09/06/2026

Think the medieval period was drab? Think again! Bright colours, lush fabrics and of course Big Sleeves were en vogue with Norman nobles, as these glorious recreations show. These costumes have been meticulously researched by curators and hand-made by our incredibly talented team of costume volunteers, many of whom also worked on the Norwich Friends Tapestry which hangs in the King's Chamber. Some of these beautiful pieces have been created for our staff to wear in character as 12th-century inhabitants of Norwich Castle, while others can be found in the castle's Great Hall just waiting to be tried on. That's right, you too can unleash your inner Norman!

We're so grateful for the dedication, skill and enthusiasm of our textile volunteers, who continue to create new pieces as well as keeping the existing ones looking their best. 🪡

If you haven't visited yet, come and see for yourself what makes us an Art Fund finalist. Don't forget to tag us in any photos of you in your finery - we love to see it!

08/06/2026

⌛️ Last chance to check out In Proximity!

If you haven’t had the chance to visit one of our largest open art show yet, it will be closing its doors on Tuesday 16th June. Come and see for yourself what makes us an Art Fund finalist

In Proximity features the work of 87 local artists, bringing together paintings, drawings, ceramics, photography and film - don’t miss out!

05/06/2026

We love seeing your photos of Norwich Castle, like this atmospheric shot from a follower on Instagram!

Whether you've snapped a Norman selfie or captured stormy skies over the battlements, we want to see it! Tag us in your pictures and each month we'll pick our favourites to share, where it'll be admired by all the best people on Facebook (because only the very best follow us, naturally 💅).

If you haven’t visited yet, come and see for yourself what makes us an Art Fund finalist.

02/06/2026

What have our Museum Trainees been up to?

Every Friday is a dedicated training day, delivered by our highly experienced members of staff. The days are structured to build knowledge of many different areas of the Museums sector and designed to provide both theoretical and hands-on experience.

🏛️ Exploring museums and art galleries across Norfolk Museums Service and beyond
🏺 Learning how to pack and store historic objects
🗣️ Discussing access and safeguarding with our fantastic learning team
🥽 Helping with the deep clean of Norfolk Collections Centre
✒️ Getting hands on with our design team

And yes, that's Annabelle holding a Mammoth's tooth!

27/05/2026

Did you know guide dogs are trained to work in public spaces such as museums? 🐾

Norwich Castle recently hosted a day of training led by Guide Dogs UK Puppy Development Advisor Jay. Say hello to Zalia, Sade, Bob and Syd (and their volunteer puppy raisers!) as they navigate the galleries - and some have a go at stairs for the very first time!
We’re convinced the pups were especially excited by this Neo-Classical sculpture by John Gibson, as well as the Macro family’s beloved pet spaniel that appears in these two paintings from the 1730s by Peter Tillemans and Francis Hayman.

Thanks for coming Zalia, Crystal, Martie, Reuben, Mojo, Sade, Bob and Syd, you’re welcome back anytime!

Address

Castle Meadow
Norwich
NR13JU

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	10am - 4:30pm
Thursday	10am - 4:30pm
Friday	10am - 4:30pm
Saturday	10am - 4:30pm
Sunday	1pm - 4:30pm

Telephone

+441603493625

Website

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

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