Windsor and Royal Borough Museum

The museum is located on the ground floor of the Guildhall, Windsor’s town hall that was built by Sir Christopher Wren (who was from Windsor) in 1689. Since the formation of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in 1974, many of the council’s functions are administered from neighbouring Maidenhead although the Guildhall is still used for ceremonial purposes particularly weddings.

In April 2005, this building was the location for the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles and later the same year the Guildhall hosted a civil partnership ceremony between Sir Elton John and David Furnish.

What to see at the Windsor and Royal Borough Museum

The museum’s collection spans from prehistoric times to the present day. Objects on display include a 100,000-year-old mammoth tusk, Bronze Age, Roman and Saxon artefacts as well as more recent artefacts from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

There are also displays about the lives and accomplishments of local residents that are brought to life through the museum’s audio tour.

Visiting the Windsor and Royal Borough Museum

The museum is on High Street right in the centre of Windsor. It is very close to the castle, a five-minute walk to Windsor and Eton Central railway station and a seven-minute walk to Windsor and Eton Riverside station.

Tours of the Guildhall are sometimes offered to museum visitors (these are included in your museum admission charge); however, these tours do not always operate depending on whether the Guildhall is being used for official functions. It is well worth taking a tour if you have the opportunity.

It is a small museum and it shouldn’t take much longer than half an hour to see everything, perhaps a little longer if you also take a guided tour of the Guildhall.