Overview
Departure Time: Mondays and alternate Saturdays 10:30AM
Duration: 90 minutes
Meeting Point: The courtyard of Museum of Cambridge, 2-3 Castle St, Cambridge CB3 0AQ
Important Information:
- Please arrive 5 minutes early
- Please dress appropriately for the weather as this tour will be both indoors and outdoors
- This is a shared tour conducted in English
Want to hear about the history of Cambridge beyond just the history of the University?
The Museum of Cambridge and Cambridge Old Quarter Tour offers visitors the chance to explore and find out more about one of England’s most famous cities. Whilst most of the city’s tourism centres around the world-renowned university, our tour looks more at the history of the city, its people and their lives throughout time. Focused around the Museum itself, the tour will also give you the chance to discover some of the most interesting items in our collection.
The 90-minute tour begins with the origins of Cambridge and the Castle Mound, before bringing you back into the 16th Century building which hosts our museum.
You will learn about the history of the area, from the excitement of a possible Napoleon invasion, Leach pub signs and even the city’s first traffic lights. Furthermore, the tour of our magnificent old inn building, the former White Horse Inn, will conjure up images of people dropping in for a pint whilst discussing the burning issues of the day.
Find out about the biggest dinner in Cambridge, the origins of the word snob, and which toys kids would have been allowed to play with on Sundays. If you are lucky, you might hear of links to Graham Greene, Charles Darwin and Stephen Hawking, and discover why being giant, a witch or a good liar is not a bad thing.
When is the tour on?
Our Museum of Cambridge and Cambridge Old Quarter Tour runs on Mondays from 10:30AM to 12:00PM.
Book your tickets now via Eventbrite. Booking is essential.
Who will you tour guide be?
All of our tour guides are passionate Cambridgeshire locals who enjoy sharing their passion for local history with you! Our tour guide volunteers lead these tours on a voluntary basis, so the entirety of the ticket price supports the upkeep of the Museum.
How much is the tour?
Standard
Student or Jobseekers
Child 16 and Under*
£15
£10
Free
*Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult on the tour.
The Museum of Cambridge is an independent charity and does not receive funds from the Cambridge Council or the University of Cambridge. Your ticket supports the continued running and conservation care of the Museum and its objects, and includes the entry fee into the Museum.
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Other information
Getting Here & Arrival
Please arrive five minutes prior to the start of the tour and meet in the courtyard of the Museum of Cambridge, 2-3 Castle St, Cambridge CB3 0AQ. Your volunteer tour guide, who will be wearing a Museum of Cambridge lanyard, will check you in at the meeting point.
The Museum of Cambridge is in the heart of Cambridge and only a short walk from the city centre. You’ll find us at the corner of Castle Street and Northampton Street. We are right beside Kettle’s Yard and only a 15-minute walk from King’s College.
Arriving by bike? You can park your bike at the bike parks on Bridge Street or on Northampton Street.
Arriving by car? Unfortunately, there is no parking at the Museum. The closest car park is Castle Street Car Park, a 4-minute walk to the Museum, which is often busy but does have 4 Blue Badge/disabled parking bays. We encourage you to use the Madingley Road Park & Ride service if possible. There is a Park & Ride bus stop on Bridge Street, and it is only a short walk to the Museum from there. For more details, check the Cambridge Park & Ride website.
Arriving by bus? There are several buses which stop near to the museum. Check out the Stagecoach website to plan your journey to and from the Museum.
Check out the Stagecoach website to plan your journey to and from the Museum.
Find out more about how to get here by train, bike, bus, car or on foot.
Accessibility
The Museum of Cambridge is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible. You can read about our accessibility information on our website (Accessibility – The Museum of Cambridge). There are also steps within the tour and the walking tour route has limited seating opportunities.
If you’d like to chat through any accessibility requirements, don’t hesitate to give us a call on 01223 355159 or email enquiries@museumofcambridge.org.uk.
Event attendees with additional needs are welcome to bring a supporter or carer who will be admitted to the event free of charge.
Refund Policy
We are happy to transfer your ticket to another week up to 24 hours notice before the event, if necessary. We will refund your ticket up to 24 hours before the event, but will be unable to refund the administration fee Eventbrite takes from the ticket.
Healthy Events
If you’re feeling unwell or have recently tested positive for Covid-19, please do not attend this tour. We will be happy to offer you a refund as per our refund policy, and welcome you at the Museum on another day.
Photography
Please note that photographs may be taken throughout this event, and images may be used in future marketing and reporting materials. If you do not wish you or your family’s photograph to be taken, please make sure to let us know.