Southend Museum was built in 1905-6 at a cost of £9,374 and originally housed Southend Library.
The building was commissioned and paid for by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish-born American immigrant, who went from rags to riches in the steel manufacturing industry.
Later in his life, Carnegie sold his steel business and systematically gave 90% of his collected fortune away to cultural, educational and scientific institutions for "the improvement of mankind." In total he spent over $55million on building over 2,509 libraries throughout the English-speaking world and was commonly referred to as the "Patron Saint of Libraries".
Central
Museum
Current Exhibitions
Getting Here
CENTRAL MUSEUM
Victoria Avenue
Southend-on-Sea
Essex
SS2 6EW
Telephone: 01702 212345
Email: museums@southend.gov.uk
Getting Here by Car
We are located on the A127 just off the main junction between the A127 and A13. The Museum and Planetarium is brown signed off both roads.
Closest parking is at the Beecroft Art Gallery (previously Southend Library) car park just off Great Eastern Avenue (off of Victoria Avenue).
It is pay and display.
Alternative car parking is available at The Victoria Shopping Centre (SS2 5SP) just off the A127 and A13 junction.
Getting Here by Train
Two direct rail lines operate between London and Southend - Fenchurch Street to Southend Central (C2C line) and Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria (Greater Anglia). The journey time on both lines is approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Getting Here by Bus
There is a bus hub just outside the Southend Victoria train station.