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Museums Heritage Centres

15 active businessesStory

Fourteen museums and heritage centres across the Bailiwick — the oldest 1927, the newest 2014. Wartime heritage forms the largest specialist cluster: five WWII occupation-heritage operators, five military museums, four sites preserving German fortifications. Six run by Guernsey Museums; six concentrate in St Peter Port, two on Alderney. —

Operating since 1560

10 of 15 have a recorded year
160016501700175018001850190019502000

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Alderney Museum

Alderney·Attraction

Part of The Alderney Society

✦Active since 1966

accessible restroomalderneyaccessible parkingcharityaccessible entrance

Building is the Old St Anne's Public School, built in 1790 by Governor Jean Le Mesurier. The Alderney Society was founded in 1966 in the basement of the Island Hall. The States of Alderney offered the old school building at peppercorn rent. Volunteers renovated it and the museum…

Phone+441481823222
Webalderneymuseum.org
Emailinfo@alderneymuseum.org

Folk & Costume Museum

Castel·Attraction

Part of The National Trust of Guernsey

✦Active since 1968

free parking lotnational trust managedaccessible parkingaccessible entrance

First opened in 1968 with a collection of traditional farm implements donated by Advocate Walter Langlois, growing into a rich representation of Guernsey folk and island life. Set within 18th century stable complex of Saumarez Park.

Phone+441481255384
Webnationaltrust.gg/places/folk-costume-museum
Emailfcm@nationaltrust.gg

German Occupation Museum

Forest·Attraction

✦Active since 1966

privately ownedaccessible parkingaccessible entrance

Opened in 1966 in an outbuilding on Richard Heaume's parents' farm; Heaume was born in 1944 during the occupation and grew up collecting shells and bullets from a former Luftwaffe firing range on the family farmland; continuously expanded since opening

Phone+441481238205
Webwww.germanoccupationmuseum.co.uk
Emailinfo@germanoccupationmuseum.co.uk

The Cider Barn

Sark·Attraction

Part of La Société Sercquaise

✦Oldest in this niche

466-year heritage (1560)

society runcharity

Built as a house by Sark's first Seigneur Helier De Carteret in the 1560s on the site of older church buildings and a 12th-century cemetery. Around 1620 his grandson adapted it for cider making with a press and horse-drawn crusher. Later served as armoury and arsenal until…

Phone+441481832788
Websocsercq.org/museum
Emailsecretary@socsercq.sark.gg

La Société Sercquaise

Sark·Attraction·Est. 1975

✦The only nature & conservation group here

charity

Housed in the 1841 Girls' School building, shared with Sark's Tourism Office/Visitor Centre. Maintains comprehensive herbarium for Sark since 1980. Discovered previously unknown bat species in 2023. Compiled CD of recordings of Sark's Norman French language in 2009. Published…

Phone+441481832345
Websocsercq.org
Emailwildlife@socsercq.sark.gg

Fort Grey Shipwreck Museum

St Pierre du Bois·Attraction

Part of Guernsey Museums, States of Guernsey

✦Active since 1976

states owned

Built 1804 as military defence during Napoleonic Wars by Thomas Henry of Clos du Valle. Sold by War Office to States of Guernsey in 1891 for £185. Used by German forces in WW2 (Widerstandsnest Graur Turm). Restored and converted to shipwreck museum in 1976.

Phone+441481265036
Webmuseums.gov.gg
Emailmuseums@gov.gg
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Hauteville House

St Peter Port·Attraction·Since 1927

Built c.1800 by an English privateer. Purchased by Victor Hugo on 16 May 1856 using revenues from Les Contemplations. Hugo lived here during exile 1856-1870 and returned in 1872, 1875, and 1878. Donated to the City of Paris in March 1927 by Hugo's descendants (Jeanne, Jean, Marguerite, and François Hugo) during the centenary of Romanticism. Major renovation 2008-2009; interior restoration funded by François Pinault (£2.6 million) with reopening 7 April 2019.

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“Purchased by Victor Hugo on 16 May 1856 using revenues from Les Contemplations.”

Hauteville House is the historic house-museum in St Peter Port where Victor Hugo lived during his 15-year exile from France (1856–1870). Hugo designed and decorated the five-floor interior himself and wrote Les Misérables, Les Travailleurs…

Guernsey Museum & Art Gallery

St Peter Port·Attraction·Est. 1978

Part of States of Guernsey

bailiwick widestates owned

Opened in 1978 combining collections from three former island museums. The design incorporates the old Victorian bandstand from the garden and won the British Museum of the Year Award in 1979. The Rona Cole Art Gallery was added in 2012, named after Helen Rona Cole, the first…

Phone+441481226518
Webmuseums.gov.gg
Emailmuseums@gov.gg

Victorian Shop & Parlour

St Peter Port·Attraction

Part of The National Trust of Guernsey

free street parkingnational trust managed

Believed to be the earliest complete medieval building in St. Peter Port. Acquired by the National Trust of Guernsey in 1983 and restored as a Victorian-era shop with original artefacts including a traditional wooden till.

Phone+447781106461
Webnationaltrust.gg
Emailemc@nationaltrust.gg

German Underground Hospital

St Andrew·Attraction

✦Active since 1942

The German Underground Hospital (Ho.40) and Ammunition Store (Ho.7) were constructed by forced labourers during the German Occupation of Guernsey. Site work began in early 1942 and was largely complete by early 1944. 29,823m³ of rock was excavated and 9,053m³ of concrete poured…

Phone+441481235261
Webgermanundergroundhospital.co.uk
Emailinfo@germanundergroundhospital.co.uk

Castle Cornet

St Peter Port·Attraction

Part of Guernsey Museums (States of Guernsey)

states owned

Built c. 1206-1256 as a Norman castle on a tidal island. Survived French sieges (1338, 1380), held for Royalists during the English Civil War for 9 years (1642-1651), keep destroyed by lightning strike on magazine in 1672 killing the Governor's wife. Used by German forces in…

Phone+441481226518
Webmuseums.gov.gg/CastleCornet
Emailmuseums@gov.gg

German Naval Signals HQ

St Peter Port·Attraction

Part of Guernsey Museums (States of Guernsey)

states owned

Last operational German naval Signals HQ, running until Liberation Day 9 May 1945. Used Enigma code machines that were being decoded by Bletchley Park. Part of the Atlantic Wall fortification system. The nearby La Collinette Hotel served as the HQ of the German Naval Commander…

Phone+441481226518
Webmuseums.gov.gg
Emailmuseums@gov.gg

Alderney Library

Alderney·Organization

independentvolunteer runalderneyaccessible entrance

Alderney Library is a volunteer-run community library on Alderney, offering book lending, a Channel Islands reference section, a children's area, audio books, photocopying, and broadband access. It houses the Alderney Bayeux Tapestry and is linked to Guernsey Library for new…

Phone+441481824178
Webalderneylibrary.com
Emailalderney-library@hotmail.co.uk

Rona Cole Art Gallery

St Peter Port·Attraction·Est. 2012

Part of Guernsey Museums (States of Guernsey)

states owned

Rona Cole Art Gallery is a permanent gallery within the Guernsey Museum at Candie in St Peter Port, established in 2012 and named after Helen Rona Cole (1938–1994), the museum's first director. It holds approximately 200 artworks from the museum's collection, arranged…

Phone+441481226518
Webmuseums.gov.gg/RC-Art-Gallery
Emailmuseums@gov.gg

La Valette Underground Military Museum

St Peter Port·Organization

La Valette Underground Military Museum is a museum housed within former German military tunnels in St Peter Port. It offers visitors insight into Guernsey's military history, with a particular focus on the island's occupation during World War II. The museum serves both residents…

Phone+441481722300
Webwww.lavalette.uk

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