Activities and Events

A variety of exciting activities, workshops and events take place in the museum galleries, the community rooms and out in the town. These include getting hands on with museum objects, art sessions, memory cafes and ‘behind-the-scenes’ tours of the museum stores. Keep checking back regularly to see what’s coming up.

Latest Events:

Full details about our upcoming events:

Super Silly Museums Trail

We are participating in the ‘Super Silly Museums Trail’ being run by Kids in Museums and Scholastic UK who have created this fun activity trail for families to mark the release of Super Silly Museums by much-loved illustrator Nick Sharratt.

Don’t forget to share a picture with us on Twitter (@NewtonsPlace), Facebook or Instagram (@Newton.Abbot.Museum) of one object you have found in the museum that matches an object on the Super Silly Museums activity sheet using the hashtag #SuperSillyMuseums!

Pick up the trail when you’re in the Museum or download the trail here!

Museum: Make and Create

For June Museum Make and Create is a bit different to normal to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. We are having a special drop-in session on Sunday 5th June in Courtenay Park. See the ‘Fly your Flag’ listing below for full details

St Leonards Tower

Wednesdays 10am-1pm. Free to visit, donations welcome

The medieval clock tower opens for the summer season on 18th May

Find out more here

Museum: Make and Create SPECIAL – Fly your Flag

Sunday 5th June – In Courtenay Park

Visit our stall in Courtenay park to help commemorate the Queen’s Jubilee by making flags sharing what you celebrate most in life. 

Upcoming Relaxed visits

Saturday 28th May, 1:00pm – 3:00pm

Free entry and no need to book!

Newton Abbot Museum welcomes anyone who might benefit from visiting the Museum at a quieter time.

Explore our galleries in a calm and relaxed environment where we will ensure our sound levels are reduced. There will be a quiet space available away from the galleries, and you are welcome to borrow our new sensory bags and ear-defenders.

These sessions are great for visitors with Autistic Spectrum Disorder or other communication and sensory needs and their families / carers but are suitable for all.

To help you prepare for your visit we have made a visual story which you can see if you click here. For other access information please visit our Museum Access page.

If you have any questions about the Museum’s relaxed visits or require any further information please email [email protected] or phone 01626 201121

Later in 2022

9th-18th September: Heritage Open Days

(A country wide event: this years theme is Inventions)

Newton Abbot Museum Event day: Saturday17th September

Event details coming soon!

Temporary Exhibitions

9 April – 3 Sept: Picturing the Past

Award winning artist Christy Burdock presents drawings inspired by Newton Abbot: ‘a community high in trust and contentment, steeped in history and heritage’.

In the museum space during usual opening times

Hear about the works in the artist’s own words here

Upcoming exhibition:

Torquay Pottery Society Special Exhibition ‘Fired for Royalty’ – 15 Sep – 13 Oct 2022

Royal Commemoratives from the Torquay and South Devon potteries. This EXHIBITION is being presented by TPCS in commemoration of the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Find it in the main museum space on the ground floor (button 1 on the lift)

***

Within the community rooms, the museum and local groups/schools can hold regular exhibitions of collections and artwork.

There is always something new to see and do in the museum – even for regular visitors. Every month, a different group or school chooses a new item for our ‘Object of the Month’ case. The photo wall has a new theme each month, with historic images of local places, people and events from different eras. The ‘Your Space’ case is updated regularly with displays of collections or artwork by the local community. Our ‘Recent Donations’ area allows us to display the very latest objects that have been added to the museum collection. In addition, our bespoke gallery cases have a flexible design so that displays can be easily updated and changed and the objects swapped with items in our stores.

Do you have an idea for an exhibition or display you’d like to do? We’d love to hear from you – please contact us with your suggestions.

You can find details of Town Council events here

You can view our museum gallery of past events and activities here or explore past temporary exhibitions and the museum collection here

The community rooms in Newton’s Place are available for hire, full information is on The Town Council’s website here