PIN Museum of Richmond

Richmond under one roof

Richmond, a borough of south-west London, was voted one of the city’s best boroughs in 2018. During medieval times it grew into a royal borough and is today an area known to be something of an epicentre of arts and fashion. It is also blessed with a museum dedicated to its rich history – the Museum of Richmond.

The initiative to create a local museum was started under the leadership of local historian John Cloake to preserve Richmond’s history and to educate visitors. Along with a dedicated committee of local residents, John Cloake worked on this vision for several years before the museum was formally opened in 1988 by the Queen.

The museum contains many permanent displays, taking visitors through the history of the Borough from prehistory to the 21st century. The displays cover the vast scope of lived experiences in the local area, ranging from royalty at Richmond Palace to the hard life of those in the Richmond Workhouse to the actions of local men and women during World War II. As well as sharing the varied and intriguing history of Richmond through permanent displays, the Museum also has two temporary exhibitions a year on local places, people, and events, plus a vibrant learning programme for local schools and families.