Fitzwilliam Museum Museum

Address: Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1RB, United Kingdom

Website: https://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/

Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 12pm-5pm; closed Mondays

Admission: Free (suggested donation accepted)

The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge, founded from the bequest of Richard FitzWilliam in 1816 and located on Trumpington Street in central Cambridge.

Founded through the FitzWilliam bequest in the early 19th century, the museum’s core building was developed in the 19th century and the collections expanded through donations, purchases and university research over the following two centuries.

The Fitzwilliam sits in central Cambridge close to the university colleges, within easy walking distance of the city centre and Cambridge railway station.

• Founding: Established from the bequest of Richard FitzWilliam in 1816, it serves as the principal art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge.
• Admission and location: Admission to the permanent collections is free and the museum is located on Trumpington Street near the university’s central colleges.

What to See#

• Paintings Galleries: Galleries of Old Master paintings and European art from the Renaissance through the 19th century, arranged within the main museum building on Trumpington Street.
• Antiquities: Departments housing antiquities, including Egyptian, Greek and Roman objects, with display cases and study collections.
• Coins and Manuscripts: A large coins and manuscripts collection available for study and rotation into public displays.

The Fitzwilliam Museum is on Trumpington Street in central Cambridge, immediately adjacent to the city’s university area. From Cambridge railway station it is an easy walk of about 15-25 minutes north along Station Road into the city centre, or a short taxi/bus ride.

If driving, the city centre has limited parking; use one of the public car parks in central Cambridge and walk a few minutes to Trumpington Street.

• Go right at opening on a weekday to beat Cambridge college tour groups and punting crowds that arrive mid-morning; quieter hours let you appreciate the smaller galleries.
• Check the museum website before you go for temporary exhibitions and any special displays that may require separate booking-these can be highlights that regular visitors miss.
• Allow at least 90 minutes and visit the museum's lesser-seen cabinets and prints rooms if open; the quieter upper galleries often contain works that get overlooked by the main crowds.