The museum is located in the King’s House, situated in the glorious setting of the Cathedral Close. The King’s House is a Grade I listed building, the history of which stretches back to the 13th century. It formerly housed a teacher training college and was the inspiration for an episode in Thomas Hardy’s novel Jude the Obscure.
The main strength of the museum rests in its archaeological collections: these include prehistoric material from south Wiltshire, including Stonehenge; the Pitt Rivers’ Wessex collection; and a fine medieval collection including finds from Old Sarum, Clarendon Palace and the city itself. In addition we have fascinating displays of costume and ceramics, and regular temporary exhibitions.
The museum is a limited liability company (no. 1826436) and a registered charity (no. 289850). It is Accredited by the Arts Council (no. 878). Its archaeological collections in particular are of national significance and they received Department for Culture, Media and Sport Designated status in 1998.
Salisbury Museum receives some funding from Wiltshire Council, but most of our income derives from a variety of other sources including admission charges, membership, donations and legacies.
Our mission statement
At The Salisbury Museum we are committed to welcoming, inspiring and entertaining our diverse audiences by telling the story of Salisbury and the surrounding area – a unique landscape which has been the cradle of unparalleled human achievement for over half a million years.
We continually seek new ways to engage and collaborate with the broadest of audiences and partners. We use our expertise, creativity and passion, and the extraordinary breadth of our collections, to present contemporary experiences, displays, exhibitions and events which give context to the archaeological, historic and artistic riches of Salisbury and south Wiltshire.
The Salisbury Museum acts as a catalyst to understanding and learning about English history on many different levels, and to appreciating what is so special and significant about this landscape, and the lives of the people who have shaped it – and who continue to shape it today.
We are privileged to be supported by the generosity of members, volunteers, funders, partners and, of course, our visitors. As an independent charity, we work hard to ensure that support is utilised creatively and powerfully to the greatest possible effect, so that the museum is recognised and valued as an asset to its community.
The well-being of our people is essential – we embrace diversity, support development, value contribution and celebrate success. Our talented and dedicated team work collaboratively, with transparency, accountability and determination, so each individual adds value and contributes to our shared goal – the sustainable and successful future of The Salisbury Museum.
