The Museum

The Riding School

The Riding School, with its roof of Baltic timber, is the main indoor display area of the Museum.  Displays illustrate the archaeology and history of Rutland, rural trades and occupations, domestic life and farming. They include the tools and equipment of village tradesmen - the cooper, shoe-maker and the tinsmith. The former local brewery, Ruddles, is also covered, and there is a simulation of a farm kitchen of the turn of the century.

The Mezzanine

The mezzanine affords a fine view of the Riding School and has cases showing objects from Rutland life from Prehistoric times through to the present day.

The Garden

Thanks to the efforts of the Friends of the Museum and Oakham in Bloom, supported by individual donations and grants from Community Champions in Rutland and Cory Environmental Trust, the museum garden has been transformed into a beautiful and accessible garden for visitors to enjoy and relax in.
The success of the project has now been recognised twice, with a Judges Award in the 2007 East Midlands in Bloom awards and in 2008 with the East Midlands in Bloom Special Award for the Best New Permanent Landscape. The competition is always fierce and it is a great honour for our Museum Garden to have been selected for these awards.

The Poultry Hall

The Poultry Hall was originally owned by the Rutland Agricultural Society, who used it for poultry competitions.
Today it houses an exhibition on Crime and Punishment, which includes the only surviving New Drop gallows in England. 
The Poultry Hall also includes displays of rural trades such as dairying, smithing, wheelwrighting and of farm tools.