Erewash Museum is our very own local and social history museum located on High Street, Ilkeston. Home for the Museum is a late Georgian house with Victorian extensions. It was both a family home and school accommodation before becoming a Museum in the 1980's. Many original features survive and visitors can enjoy the garden with unrivalled views across the Erewash Valley.
Use the links below to find your way around...
How to find us 
What's On (3.25MB) For Schools... Tell us what you think Opening Times Contact Us
Facts for Visitors
Admission is
FREE.
Opening Times: The Museum is open all year from February to December - Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Bank Holidays (except Christmas & New Year) 10am - 4pm. Last entry 3.30pm. Watch out for extended opening, advertised when applicable (school holidays for example, Monday to Saturday 10am - 4pm).
Refreshments: Home made tea and cakes are provided by the Friends of Erewash Museum for some of our event days. Keep an eye on our Events and Exhibitions leaflet to find out when. From April we welcome you to relax with a tea or coffee and a bite to eat in our new Cafe, and make use of our new family history and reference facilities.
Access: Due to the age and design of the building there are some internal steps and uneven floors. We now have a new ramp at the front of the museum and visitors who cannot get upstairs can use our new touchscreen virtual tour of the museum.
Toilets: Toilets accessible for wheelchair users.
Museum Shop: New for 2008 - We think you will love our new look shop which has a much more local focus, we now offer more local history books and DVD's than ever before including the much requested Ey Up Me Duck!. We are open to suggestions so please feel free to come along and tell us what you think or tell us if there is something you want but we do not have.
Loan Boxes: These are based on themes such as Victorian Domestic Life.
Work Experience and Volunteering : There is lots more to running a museum than you might think so we are always looking out for people to come and give us a hand by volunteering. (We are members of Erewash CVS) Or, if you are over 16 and not sure what you want to do in the future we can offer work experience within our small friendly team. Give Dora or Sally a call for an informal chat to find out more.
Our Commitment to You
To download our customer service charter, click on the link below.
Our Commitment to You
General Satisfaction Survey
To see the results of the latest General Satisfaction Survey, click on the link below.
GSS Report 2007
Permanent Exhibitions
Exhibitions at the Museum include an Edwardian kitchen and wash-house, and an exhibition of children's toys. Other displays help to tell the story of the unique history of the Erewash area, including the important local industries of coal mining, textile and iron manufacture.
The exhibitions in the Lally Gallery change regularly and include local artists, crafts and history.
You can now take a look at the Museum's galleries online by clicking on the links below.
The galleries are available to view as 360 degree images, click on the image, hold down the left mouse button and dragging the image left, right, up or down. You can also zoom in or out by using the + and - buttons. You can interact with these images by using your keyboard via the arrow keys to spin the image, place your mouse over the +, then press ctrl to zoom in, to zoom out place your mouse over the -, then press shift.
In order to view these images you will need to have QuickTime Player installed on your computer. If you would like to download the QuickTime Player for free visit the Apple website.
Events
A lively events programme runs throughout the year including Bank Holidays. Events include displays, demonstrations and the chance to have a go! Events are suitable for families, although children must be accompanied by an adult.
The museum's events and exhibitions programme features in the What's On guide available to download, click on the following link:
What's On Spring/Summer 2008 (3.25MB) (this document will open in a new window)
Alternatively, hard copies of the What's On Guide are available from Erewash Museum itself, Leisure Centres and Council reception areas.
We also offer activities for children to complete whilst looking around the Museum. These are the House and Home Trail with Dalby the Detective Hound and a World War 2 quiz. The activity sheets are available from the reception desk at Erewash Museum or alternatively you can download a copy in advance below.
House and Home Trail (409KB)
House and Home Trail Answer Sheet (413KB)
World War 2 Quiz (13KB)
World War 2 Quiz Answer Sheet (18KB)
MACCA
We offer lots of fun, FREE, drop in childrens activities during the school holidays. Download the latest MACCA brochure and plan a stress free half term which costs NOTHING! (Leisure centres may charge, please check).
Spring MACCA (5.37MB) runs from Saturday 5th - Sunday 20th April & Saturday 24th May - Sunday 1st June.
Summer MACCA (5.68MB) runs from Saturday 26th July - Sunday 7th September.
Contact Us
Address: High Street, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 5JA
Telephone: 0115 9071141
Email: museum@erewash.gov.uk
Fax: 0115 9329264