The fact that I like of Bristol the most is that most museum are free. Every time I don't have special plans for the day I visit one museum. Today, it was the turn of Bristol Museum and Art Gallery at the top of Park Street.
Situated in Clifton next door to the impressive Wills Memorial Building, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery holds sections on natural history, national and international archaeology, french and eastern art, pottery and wildlife, among others.
In summer 2009, the museum hosted the largest exhibition about Banksy, the world wide famous graffiti artist. The exhibition was developed in secrecy and with no advance publicity and still, some people faced six-hour queue to see the exhibition on the last day.
Admission to the museum is free (3 pound donation is suggested at the exit) and the opening hours are Mon-Fri 10am to 5pm and 10am to 6pm during the weekends. This post will just focus on the permanent exhibition of Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. I hope you find it helpful!
Ground Floor
As you enter, the gallery on the left, South West Wildlife, gathers natural history of Bristol region. A fantastic way to learn more about animals and nature of the region.
The topic of the gallery on the right, on the other hand, is Egypt. Belief, Life, Death and After death of ancient Egypt are captured through over 600 objects, most never displayed before. You will find painted coffins, human mummies, animal mummies, figurines, offerings, amulets and many more.
The topic of the gallery on the right, on the other hand, is Egypt. Belief, Life, Death and After death of ancient Egypt are captured through over 600 objects, most never displayed before. You will find painted coffins, human mummies, animal mummies, figurines, offerings, amulets and many more.
First Floor
Geology exhibition will take you back in time through the last billions of years of the history of the planet. Dinosaurs and fossils are the main focus. The exhibition about minerals will allow you to discover curious characteristics about minerals and you will learn what Bristol Diamond is.
Wildlife is the exhibition about the animal kingdom, to see common but also rare (and in many cases extinct) animals from the UK.
In the middle of the balcony, there is a great view of the Bristol Boxkite, which was the first aircraft produced by the British Aeroplane Company.
The founder and chairman of Bristol Aircraft, Sir George White, wanted to build licensed copies of the Zodiac biplane. Initial attempts to get the first design fly were unsuccessful, they built a total of 78 Bristol Boxkites until 1914, when the production stopped. Read more
The founder and chairman of Bristol Aircraft, Sir George White, wanted to build licensed copies of the Zodiac biplane. Initial attempts to get the first design fly were unsuccessful, they built a total of 78 Bristol Boxkites until 1914, when the production stopped. Read more
Second Floor
French Art gallery features paintings from famous french painters such as Renoir and Pissarro. There is another gallery with Eastern Art, which I found it small and dark. Pottery, Ceramics and Silver collection are at the upper level, and the collection includes British and European pieces.
In general, I found the museum very interesting. Galleries have very interesting and varied topics, and if you don't like one, you can easily jump and go to the next gallery. It is a good plan for a rainy day, for example, and it is free. However, there were several things that I didn't like.
On the one hand, I found it confusing how authentic pieces are mixed with fake pieces. Let me explain: in the geology gallery, there were real fossils next to plastic dinosaur miniatures or plastic skeletons. I guess it is because it is very children-focused and they want the exhibition to be attractive to them too.
In general, I found the museum very interesting. Galleries have very interesting and varied topics, and if you don't like one, you can easily jump and go to the next gallery. It is a good plan for a rainy day, for example, and it is free. However, there were several things that I didn't like.
On the one hand, I found it confusing how authentic pieces are mixed with fake pieces. Let me explain: in the geology gallery, there were real fossils next to plastic dinosaur miniatures or plastic skeletons. I guess it is because it is very children-focused and they want the exhibition to be attractive to them too.
On the other hand, you should bear in mind that Bristol Museum and Art Gallery is very kid-friendly museum, they have interactive games and exploration area as well. The museum can get quite busy and noisy if you go during "family time". Avoid weekends if you want to get a more silent visit to the museum.
To finish with, I would like to add that the second floor was the least crowded of all. I have to admit that it is probably because the galleries are more boring and less interactive than others. In my opinion, they should try to improve then and promote them more.
LINKS
Website: http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/leisure-and-culture/bristol-museum-and-art-gallery
Banksy in Bristol Museum: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2009/jun/12/banksy-bristol-art-exhibition
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