Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery

About

Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery is an exceptional regional museum housed in the gorgeous Chillington Manor, an Elizabethan manor house. Come and discover the hidden gems where the collections boast a rich and impressive variety of historical objects, fine art and natural history. It is home to internationally significant collections, especially Ethnography, Japanese Decorative Arts, Ancient Egypt, Archaeology and Costume. Don't miss the 2700 year old Egyptian mummy. The Museum also has woodblock prints by famous Edo period woodblock print masters. These include Hokusai's ‘Great Wave off Kanagawa’ and ‘Red Fuji'.

Established in 1858, Maidstone Museum houses over 660,000 artefacts and specimens. It first opened as the Charles Museum, following the bequest of Dr Thomas Charles of Maidstone who left his library, art collection and antiques to the town.

There are lots of hidden galleries to explore in the oldest part of the building and children love the roar of the dinosaur in the Earth Heritage Gallery. Maidstone Museum is very interactive and a fun experience for children where you can pick up one the exciting trails packs, travel back in time and explore the myths and legends behind the museum’s collections. Or you can grab an Ipad and let Spike the dinosaur guide you around, have a go at digging fossils or try on some costumes on your way round!

Throughout the year there is a great schedule of special events and temporary exhibitions so you are sure to find something going on no matter when you visit.

On the last Thursday of every month at Museum Lates you can experience the museum after dark and get involved in some great interactive activities. There are also many great tours of the building and the collections which run every month.

The Queens's Own Royal West Kent Regimental Museum is an independent museum that has been housed within Maidstone Museum since 1960. It tells the story of this famous local regiment and is packed with fascinating, colourful and thought-provoking exhibits.

Before you go stop by the café end enjoy a warm drink and a delicious cake to refuel before visiting the museum shop out for some special gifts.