If you’re squeamish or easily shocked, then Sick To Death – offering a look at the history of disease and medicine – is probably not for you. Located across a couple of 700-year-old towers in the city’s walls around Water Tower Gardens, the museum is open every weekend and is packed full of whiffy pongs, gory tales and more skeletons than you could shake an ulna at. Children will love the interactive exhibits – face swap with a plague victim, anyone? – while there’s also a fully restored Victorian Camera Obscura letting you see Chester from a different angle.
Museums in Chester
Sick to Death
Grosvenor Museum
St. Michael's Church
Grosvenor Museum
Opened in 1886, the Grosvenor Museum by Grosvenor Roundabout incorporates a wide range of exhibits including paintings, musical instruments and extensive areas designated to the Roman and Victorian eras. Over 100,000 visitors flock to the museum each year to discover more about the region’s rich art and silver heritage and, thanks to the recreated Victorian parlour, get a real taste of life in the 19th century.
Entry is free but they suggest a donation of a few pounds per person. Perhaps most fascinating is their extensive Roman collection, including the Draconarius Tombstone which dates back to AD 175. Their natural history collection is also well worth a look, covering species local to Chester and the region’s geology, whilst also tracing the history of life on Earth with a series of fossils, taxidermy and geological samples.
Chester History and Heritage
Housed in St. Michael’s Church in the centre of Chester, Chester History and Heritage is a great place to get more information on the city and its history. Packed full of photographs detailing the city’s people and its streets, you can also trace your family lineage back if you have Chester roots.
Cheshire Military Museum
Located in Chester Castle, the Cheshire Military Museum is an action-packed museum dedicated to the military exploits of the region and its Cheshire Regiment. Spanning military engagements from the 17th and 18th centuries through to WWI and WWII, it showcases the modern armed forces, as well as giving an in-depth look at the castle and its place in history. The museum includes an extensive medal collection, an explanation of army ranks and terminology to help explain the exhibits, while their Malayan Jungle Scene and Northern Ireland exhibits bring recent conflicts into sharp focus.