Discover hidden treasures with group visits to Shropshire Museums’ Collections Centre in Ludlow
Group travel organisers are invited to experience life behind the scenes at the Shropshire Museums’ Collections Centre in Ludlow.
This vast museum store is designed to care for some of the county’s most important heritage collections including fossils, archaeological artefacts, historic costume, social history and art; all of which help to tell the story of Shropshire.
Curator led tour of Shropshire Museum’s Collection Centre
As well as caring for the thousands of artifacts that are not currently on view in a museum, the Collections Centre also offers prebooked groups the opportunity to explore the collections during guided tours, education programmes and research experiences.
During the visit, groups enter the curatorial store and discover how collections are preserved, studied and brought to life by the dedicated staff and volunteers.
A range of tailored group tours is available to suit different interests, visit lengths and budgets. The 45-minute Introductory Store Tour (£12.50 per person, groups of 10–20) offers a fascinating overview of the collections, perfect for first-time visitors. For groups seeking a more immersive and detailed experience, the Behind the Scenes Group Tour and Talk (£120 for up to 20 people, lasting two hours) combines a guided visit with refreshments and an illustrated talk exploring the history of the collections and the work of the museum service.
The Dig Deeper Tour and Handling Session (£20 per person, groups of 6–15) provides a hands-on opportunity to get up close to selected objects, making it particularly popular with specialist interest groups and lifelong learning audiences.
Alex Wagner, Shropshire Council portfolio holder for culture, said:
“The Collections Centre Experiences offer something you simply don’t get in a traditional museum visit. The store tours give groups the chance to go behind the scenes and see the breadth of Shropshire’s collections – from archaeology and geology to fine art and natural history – while also discovering the work that goes into caring for these objects for future generations. It’s an engaging and memorable experience, particularly for groups with a shared interest in history, heritage or lifelong learning.”
The collections themselves span a remarkable breadth of subjects, from archaeology charting over 10,000 years of human activity to fine art, natural history, geology, costume and social history. Groups can encounter everything from Roman finds and Bronze Age artefacts to internationally significant fossil collections, as well as paintings and everyday objects that tell the story of Shropshire’s people and places.
A visit to the Collections Centre can also form part of a wider day out in Ludlow, one of the UK’s most celebrated historic towns. Groups can explore the dramatic setting of Ludlow Castle, wander through atmospheric historic streets lined with independent shops, visit the magnificent parish church of St Laurence or sample local produce at the town’s renowned food retailers and restaurants.
For bookings and further information, contact:
Shropshire Museums Curatorial and Collections Team
Email: smcc@shropshire.gov.uk or visit. Shropshire Museums’ Collections Centre – Shropshire Museums
