The Novium Museum

The Novium Museum Chichester District's award-winning museum, uncovering 500,000 years of history through an extraordinary collection of artefacts.

Explore exhibitions, events and learning for all ages in our contemporary building above a Roman bath house. Opening times:

Tuesday - Friday: 10:00 - 16:30
Saturday: 10:00 - 17:00

Happy Sussex Day! ✨ A day for celebrating the history, heritage and culture of Sussex, Sussex Day falls on 16 June every...
16/06/2026

Happy Sussex Day! ✨

A day for celebrating the history, heritage and culture of Sussex, Sussex Day falls on 16 June every year – the Feast Day of St Richard of Chichester, Sussex’s patron saint.

The date marks the anniversary of the enshrinement of St Richard’s remains on 16 June 1276. First buried in the nave of Chichester Cathedral, he was later honoured with a shrine behind the high altar, which became an important place of pilgrimage.

Sussex Day has been celebrated across the county since 2007, after the idea was suggested to former Conservative MP Henry Smith during his time as leader of West Sussex County Council.

🫶 You can share in the Sussex pride with this Sussex sew-on patch, available to buy in The Novium Museum shop. The patch combines a series of symbols synonymous with the county, including the six yellow gold martlet birds as featured on the Flag of Sussex.

Browse our online shop: https://shop.thenovium.org/products/sussex-sew-on-patch?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sussex_day_2026

Tickets are selling fast for our latest evening talk, ‘Tudor Cultural Heroines and The Amberley Panels’ on Tuesday 4 Aug...
16/06/2026

Tickets are selling fast for our latest evening talk, ‘Tudor Cultural Heroines and The Amberley Panels’ on Tuesday 4 August, 6.30pm.

The one-hour talk, led by Professor Anthony Musson (Historic Royal Palaces) and Professor Kate Giles (University of York) from the Henry VIII on Tour project, will look at The Amberley Panels in the context of Henry VIII’s Royal Progress to Sussex in 1526.

We’ll also be joined by Christine Kimbriel (Hamilton Kerr Institute, University of Cambridge) and Tom Bobak (Bobak Conservation), who will give an overview of the full conservation and restoration planned for the panels ahead of their return to The Novium Museum in 2028.

🎟️ Tickets for the talk are just £1 and spaces are limited, so we encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment.

👉 Full details and book tickets: https://shop.thenovium.org/collections/tours-events/products/tudor-cultural-heroines-and-the-amberley-panels?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=amberley_panels_talk

Make the most of our summer opening hours and spend Father’s Day at The Novium Museum on Saturday 21 June ☀️ Dads can en...
15/06/2026

Make the most of our summer opening hours and spend Father’s Day at The Novium Museum on Saturday 21 June ☀️

Dads can enjoy free entry to Elmer and Friends: The Colourful World of David McKee on the day 🌈

Pop in on Sunday and ask for a complimentary Dad ticket at the front desk.

Tickets are available in person only on Sunday 21 June and can’t be booked online in advance.

Explore Elmer and Friends: https://www.thenovium.org/elmer?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=elmer_fathers_day

Our summer opening hours start today! ☀️ Between 14 June and 13 September, The Novium Museum will be open to visitors on...
14/06/2026

Our summer opening hours start today! ☀️

Between 14 June and 13 September, The Novium Museum will be open to visitors on Sundays, from 10am - 4pm.

If you’re at today (14 June), pop over to The Novium Museum across the road on Tower Street to say hello 👋

Explore three floors of exhibitions, including our latest exhibitions ‘Made in Chichester District’ and ‘Elmer and Friends: The Colourful World of David McKee’.

If you’ve popped into The Novium Museum recently, you might have spotted this gorgeous Elmer jewellery range in our shop...
12/06/2026

If you’ve popped into The Novium Museum recently, you might have spotted this gorgeous Elmer jewellery range in our shop 😍

Brighton-based designer-maker Laura Danby teamed up with Andersen Press in 2024 to create this official Elmer jewellery range, guaranteed to bring a pop of colour to any outfit 🌈

We’ve officially sold out of the earrings, but the necklace, brooch and keyring are still available while stocks last. Pop in to the museum to take a closer look - or buy via our online shop.

Browse our online shop: https://shop.thenovium.org/collections/elmer-and-friends?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=elmer_jewellery

Our new exhibition, ‘Made in Chichester District’, opens tomorrow 👀Making has always been part of Chichester District – ...
12/06/2026

Our new exhibition, ‘Made in Chichester District’, opens tomorrow 👀

Making has always been part of Chichester District – from prehistoric flint tools created for survival to the large-scale modern manufacture of goods to sell both locally and nationally.

This free exhibition celebrates the people, skills and industries that have helped shape the local area. It brings together objects and stories from the museum’s collection to explore how people across the district have made, crafted and manufactured goods throughout history.

🎟️ Find ‘Made in Chichester District’ on the first floor of The Novium Museum from Saturday 13 June 2026. The exhibition is free to visit, with donations welcome.

👉 Find out more and plan your next visit: https://www.thenovium.org/made-in-chichester?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=made_in_chichester

Last week, we were delighted to host secondary school student Robson at The Novium Museum for a week of work experience....
11/06/2026

Last week, we were delighted to host secondary school student Robson at The Novium Museum for a week of work experience.

As part of the placement with us, students have the opportunity to work on a ‘Object in Focus’ project, which gives them insight into and experience of curating an exhibition.

Robson chose to focus on a selection of First World War militaria: Chichester crested china souvenirs made by, or in the style of, William Henry Goss. A pioneer in this style of pottery, Goss started his factory in Stoke-on-Trent in 1858. Although he died in 1906, the popularity of collecting crested china peaked around 1914, and his factories continued production until the 1930s.

The objects researched by Robson are part of a collection of nearly 250 pieces of Chichester crested china cared for by The Novium Museum. They contain a curious quirk – on every piece, the Chichester coat of arms differs from the official grant of arms made to the city in 1570.

Robson said: “These objects are interesting because the Chichester coat of arms has been painted differently to the official version awarded in 1570. This is especially strange as the pottery was made from the 1800s through to the First World War – long after the coat of arms had been made official.

“It was fun to research them, as there is a lot of history that I didn’t know before starting the Object in Focus project. Working on the project has also given me experience for future study at college and university.”

You can see Robson’s Object in Focus project on display in The Novium Museum’s first-floor gallery now.

Plan your next visit here: https://www.thenovium.org/plan-your-visit?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nov_work_exp

Looking for a memorable venue for your business or community group’s next meeting or event? 👀 The Novium Museum has two...
08/06/2026

Looking for a memorable venue for your business or community group’s next meeting or event? 👀

The Novium Museum has two spaces available to hire, depending on the size and format of your event – from smaller meetings and talks in our Woolstaplers meeting room (check out that view!) to evening events surrounded by thousands of years of local history in our ground-floor Roman Chichester gallery.

If you’re looking for some inspiration…

👉 In March, we were delighted to host law firm Irwin Mitchell’s International Women’s Day event in the museum’s ground-floor gallery, featuring a panel of speakers discussing women’s experiences, careers and leadership.

📚🎶 On Thursday 9 July, we’re looking forward to welcoming the South Downs Poetry Festival to The Novium Museum for ‘Blake, the Beats and the Downs’ – an evening of visionary poetry and jazz-inspired music celebrating William Blake, the American Beats and the South Downs (for more details and to book tickets, please visit: https://www.sdpf.org.uk)

If you’re planning a visit to The Novium Museum in the next couple of weeks, please note the following temporary gallery...
04/06/2026

If you’re planning a visit to The Novium Museum in the next couple of weeks, please note the following temporary gallery closures:

👉 ‘The Selsey Tramway’ exhibition in the museum’s first-floor library will be closed for essential maintenance work from Thursday 4 June 2026. The work is expected to take two weeks to complete.

👉 The first-floor foyer is also currently closed while we install a new exhibition, following the final day of ‘Every Step of the Way’ on 30 May. We look forward to reopening the gallery on Saturday 13 June with a new exhibition, ‘Made in Chichester District’.

Thank you for your patience during these temporary closures, which allow us to update the galleries and improve the visitor experience for everyone.

Plan your next visit to The Novium Museum: https://www.thenovium.org/visit

Don't miss your last chance to see 'Every Step of the Way' at The Novium Museum Created as part of a collaborative proje...
29/05/2026

Don't miss your last chance to see 'Every Step of the Way' at The Novium Museum

Created as part of a collaborative project celebrating the 100-mile South Downs Way, the exhibition brings together artwork inspired by the trail.

The exhibition also features archaeological objects from The Novium Museum's collections, helping to tell the story of the South Downs through both art and heritage.

If you haven't visited yet, tomorrow (Saturday 30 May) is your final opportunity.

The Novium Museum is open from 10am - 5pm, and admission to 'Every Step of the Way' is free.

Find out more: https://www.thenovium.org/everystep

Address

Tower Street
Chichester
PO191QH

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 4:30pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+441243775888

Website

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