Heritage Open Days – River & Rowing Museum
The River & Rowing Museum in Henley will be open for free during the weekend of the 16th and 17th September. We’ll have family activities run by our Education team, and quick object talks by our volunteers.
To help celebrate Heritage Open Days this year the River & Rowing Museum in Henley will be open for free during the weekend of the 16th and 17th September. On Saturday there will be storytelling sessions centred on some of the interesting objects in our collection, and on Sunday there will be family-focused tours of the museum. All weekend there will be short talks delivered by our volunteers about some of the fascinating objects we have on display. And look out for Mr Toad, who will be popping in to say hello! If you’ve never visited before, it’s the perfect chance to come and see what we’re all about at the River & Rowing Museum, completely free of charge!
Saturday 16 September: Storytelling at 10:30, 11:45 and 13:00
Sunday 17 September: Tours at 10:30, 11:45 and 13:00
No booking required.
Free parking will be available for museum visitors on Sat 16th and Sun 17th September. The car park and cafe are open between 9.00am and 5.00pm on both days. The museum and shop are open between 10.00 am and 4.00pm on both days.
Organiser
One of the UK’s leading independent Museums, the River & Rowing Museum has over 114,000 visitors a year.
The Museum opened in 1998 to celebrate the River, the international sport of Rowing and the town of Henley on Thames. From 2004 a fourth permanent gallery, the enormously popular Wind in the Willows exhibition, was added. In 2017, following a successful crowdfunding campaign in partnership with the Art Fund, the John Piper gallery was opened, celebrating the life and work of this internationally renowned artist. Working closely with organisations in the local area, the Museum has recently opened a Community Gallery which showcases a wide variety of local projects.
Running a lively programme of temporary and visiting exhibitions, the Museum works with partners such as the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A and the Hayward Gallery in London. The Museum offers a broad calendar of activities including lectures, children’s workshops and family events.
Twice shortlisted for Family Friendly Museum of the Year, the Museum is a registered educational charity. The dedicated education centre runs innovative education programmes and the Museum welcomes over 20,000 children and adults who take part in a variety of fund and inspiring learning events and workshops.
Situated alongside the river in Henley on Thames, the building, designed by the acclaimed architect Sir David Chipperfield, was designated Royal Fine Arts Commission Building of the Year in 1999. The oak, glass and steel design combines the influence of local boathouses and Oxfordshire barns with a strong modernist approach and was described by him as a ‘resolution between convention and invention’.
A registered charity, the Museum depends upon private donations, business sponsorship, grants from trust and foundations, admission charges and the support of our benefactors, donors and friends.
The museum has delightful café with a terrace overlooking Mill Meadows, and a shop specialising in children’s books and games, fashion and craft.