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 Central 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 Andrew Carnegie Trust, found by the Scottish-born American steel magnate Andrew Carnegie.
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".
The first museum started on the upper landing of the building until the library closed in 1974. The grade II listed building reopened as Southend Central Museum in 1981. The museum hosts displays of local archaeology, including the internationally relevant Prittlewell Princely Burial exhibition, natural history, social history and a yearly programme of temporary exhibitions.
Central Museum
Central Museum
Central Museum
Central Museum
Central
Museum
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.