Worthing Museum & Art Gallery first opened its doors to the public in 1908, however by early 2004 its future was in the balance, amidst much controversy and uncertainty. Worthing Borough Councillors consulted the public on whether the museum and art gallery should be closed in April 2004, in order to save money. A public campaign was launched to save the museum.

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• How to support the museum
• How to get there
• Opening times
• Links

How to support the museum

• Visit the museum
• Tell a friend about the museum
• Join the Friends of Worthing Museum

Visit the museum
The museum contains thousands of artefacts and dozens of exhibits including:

• fossils that are millions of years old
• Stone Age items including flint tools, antler pickaxes and bone shovels
• a large variety of Bronze Age tools and weapons
• Roman artefacts including pottery and coins
• Saxon coloured glass beads, gilt-bronze jewellery and glass beakers
• many models depicting various periods in the town's history
• information and displays concerning fishing, Downland sheep and wildlife
• large quantities of printed ephemera including bills, tickets, trade cards and programmes
• a huge collection of Victorian toys and dolls, jigsaw puzzles, board and card games
• all kinds of old household equipment faithfully displayed in situ (eg cottage kitchen)
• a fine collection of drinking glasses dating from the early 18th century onwards
• a vast costume collection spanning three centuries of fashion, from about 1700 to the present
• a varied textile collection that embraces all aspects of needlework and domestic furnishings dating from the early 18th century, plus pictures in wools and silks the earliest of which dates from 1650
• a large pottery collection, including earthenware, stoneware and porcelain, dating from the 18th century onward

Tell a friend about the museum
The best form of advertisement is recommendation. Tell your friends about Worthing Museum & Art Gallery. Admission is free.

Join the Friends of Worthing Museum
If you would like to get more involved, why not join the Friends of Worthing Museum? Members meet monthly and often volunteer their free time helping with events. Pick up a leaflet from the Museum Shop.

Worthing Museum & Art Gallery threatened with closure?
In fact, the museum was never closed. Perhaps its future was never really in any doubt. However, had the museum and art gallery been closed, much of the town's heritage would have disappeared. Visitors and residents would no longer have been able to enjoy the variety of temporary exhibitions that are organised every year, as well as all the activities associated with them - talks, demonstrations, workshops, etc. Local schools, community groups and day centres would no longer have been able to enjoy the education outreach service offered by the museum.

Comments were addressed to: Bill Parsons Worthing Borough Council Portland House Richmond Road Worthing

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