Opening Times
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 11-5
Thursday: 11-5
Friday: 11-5
Saturday: 11-5
Sunday: 11-5
Bank Holidays: Closed
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
Central Museum
Central Museum
Central Museum
Central
Museum
Current Exhibitions
Wunderkammer: Southend's Cabinet of Curiosity
Central Museum
2 October 2021 - 3 October 2022
Getting Here
CENTRAL MUSEUM
Victoria Avenue
Southend-on-Sea
Essex
SS2 6EW
Telephone: 01702 212345
Email: museums@southend.gov.uk
Visitor Information
Gift Shop & Refreshments
Discover unique gifts, toys and stationery in our museum Gift Shop.
There are currently no refreshment facilities inside the museum.
Museum Accessibility
A disabled access entrance is located to the right hand side of the Museum. Please ring the bell for assistance.
The ground floor is fully accessible but as the museum currently doesn't have a lift, the first floor (and therefore the Planetarium and toilets) are inaccessible.
Disabled toilets are available next door in the Beecroft Art Gallery.
Limited disabled parking is available to the rear of the building. Access is through the Beecroft staff car park, which is located to the left of the entrance to the multi-story car park.