Chelmsford Museum to launch new look, membership and admissions scheme
Chelmsford Museum is launching a brand-new membership scheme and a small admission fee for adults from 2 April 2025. The initiative is being introduced alongside a fresh identity as the Museum of Chelmsford.
Memberships starting at £20 per year will provide free entry year-round and additional discounts and benefits. Entry to the museum will continue to be free for children and young people under the age of 18, while adults without a membership will pay a £4 entry fee. The scheme is being introduced to make the museum more financially sustainable and to play a part in reducing Chelmsford City Council’s ongoing budget shortfall.
Popular local museum explores Chelmsford’s story from the Ice Age to modern day
The Museum of Chelmsford, as it will now become known, sits at the heart of Oaklands Park in the city of Chelmsford. Housed in the Victorian Grade II* Oaklands House, with an extension funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, its galleries tell the story of Chelmsford from the Ice Age to the present day.
Highlights include an interactive display depicting the princely Anglo-Saxon Broomfield Burial, artefacts exploring Chelmsford’s significant role in the birth of radio, and a range of artworks by Turner Prize-winning Chelmsford-born artist Sir Grayson Perry. The museum is also home to the Essex Regiment Museum, which tells the story of the county infantry regiment.
The museum traces the history of Chelmsford, from the Ice Age to modern day.
In addition to its permanent displays, the museum runs a programme of temporary exhibitions exploring subjects from Chelmsford’s LGBTQ+ communities to the local nature writer JA Baker, as well as a gallery of artworks by local artists.
Changes aim to generate income while ensuring community venue remains accessible to all
The museum is run by Chelmsford City Council, and this move to admissions charges and memberships aims to help close the council’s ongoing and substantial budget gap.
Councillor Jennie Lardge, Cabinet Deputy for Cultural Services at Chelmsford City Council, says museums are costly to run and, although the Museum of Chelmsford will start charging a fee, the council will continue a substantial subsidy for the museum to ensure it remains excellent value for money and accessible for all:
““The Museum of Chelmsford is well-loved by families, locals and visitors to Essex thanks to its high-quality galleries, exhibitions and events that display our heritage, interpret our shared history, and support education and learning.
Cllr Jennie Lardge, Cabinet Deputy for Cultural Services, Chelmsford City Council
“We want to make sure this fantastic facility continues to thrive and deliver a brilliant service for all the community to enjoy in the years to come. But running a museum is extremely costly. The museum’s running costs currently stand at more than £800,000 per year (and that’s after any income generated).
"So, we’ve made the difficult decision to charge a small fee for adults to visit the Museum of Chelmsford and explore its wonderful collections.
“A visit to the museum continues to be subsidised by the city council. The average cost per visitor to run the museum is around £12, but we’ve kept the fee to £4 per adult and maintained free entry for children to ensure our community museum remains as accessible as possible. And for our regular visitors, the new membership scheme offers excellent value for money.”
Flexible memberships offer wide-ranging benefits to suit all visitors
For frequent visitors to the Museum of Chelmsford, memberships will offer the best value for money, starting at just £20 for free entry year-round. But they’re also perfect for those who simply want to be part of the museum’s community and support its work.
In addition to free entry, all memberships offer a range of discounts and benefits, including but not limited to:
- an annual tour of the museum’s collections store;
- invitations to exclusive member-only events;
- 10% discount on other events and workshops;
- 10% discount in the Hive Café;
- 10% discount in the museum shop;
- member exclusive quarterly enewsletters.
For parents, grandparents, or anyone with children in their lives, memberships also provide a 10% discount when booking any four children onto a workshop or club – perfect for school holidays.
Individual membership is priced at £20, while joint membership is just £30. Joint membership allows the named card holder to bring along any second adult for free entry, discounts and member tours, allowing you to bring along a different guest for each visit.
Jon Finch, Chair of the English Civic Museum Network, representing over 75 local authority-funded museum services across England, says the Museum of Chelmsford is among many civic museums introducing new initiatives amid challenging circumstances:
“"The Museum of Chelmsford, like many services across ECMN, is adopting new strategies to ensure they are financially sustainable in very difficult circumstances.
Jon Finch, Chair of the English Civic Museum Network
"Local museums remain the cornerstones of inspiration, education, and civic pride. However, navigating the current challenging economic landscape places many, particularly those run by local authorities, under acute pressure.
“Civic museums are a fundamental part of England’s cultural, creative, and social fabric and are a catalyst for growth on all our high streets, generating £3 of economic output for every £1 in funding they receive.”
New Museum of Chelmsford brand identity shaped by local community groups
As the museum prepares to introduce an admission fee and membership scheme, it will be unrolling its brand-new identity over the coming months as the Museum of Chelmsford.
This new name and brand identity was shaped with input from the museum’s valued community groups, staff and volunteers. With vibrant colours and a simple but bold logo featuring the letters MOC, the new brand can be flexibly adapted for different purposes and reflects the museum’s future ambitions.
Museum banners on a lamppost and a selection of products featuring the colourful new brand.
Museums Manager, Sarah Davies, explains why this rebrand is important for the next phase of the museum’s life:
““Since the extensive Heritage Lottery Fund redevelopment in 2019, the museum has continued to grow its offer and audience. It is now an established part of the community, regularly working with different groups to share Chelmsford’s story through exhibitions, host displays from talented local artists and entertain and educate little ones throughout the year.
Sarah Davies, Museums Manager
“As the museum continues to move forwards, it feels like now is the right time for a rebrand to make it fit for purpose for the next stage of its life. With the existing museum logo strongly tied to the city council’s overall brand, the museum was missing its own unique and individual personality, so I’m thrilled to finally begin rolling out this vibrant new brand that showcases the museum’s playful, inquisitive and friendly side.
“This new identity marks a significant step forward in the museum’s mission to build better connected and inspired communities across Chelmsford. It also plays a crucial role in securing the museum’s long-term financial sustainability, with strong brands proven to help draw in new and varied audiences as well as attracting potential new funding streams. With exciting changes on the horizon, this is a transformative time for the Museum of Chelmsford, one that will reinforce our position and impact for the years ahead.”
Find out more
Memberships and admissions will launch on Wednesday 2 April 2025. Further information on what’s included and how to sign up is available on the museum’s website.
Cherelle writes about Chelmsford Theatre, Hylands Estate, Chelmsford Museum, the Mayor of Chelmsford and culture and events in the city.