Harris Museum and Art Gallery
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Harris Museum and Art Gallery

Harris Museum and Art Gallery
4.5
Temporarily closedClosed until further notice
About
A great day out for all the family, the Harris Museum Art Gallery & Library is a treasure trove of fantastic art and fascinating objects for all the family. Come and explore our remarkable collections of fine art, contemporary art, fashion, textiles, ceramics, glass and history, all housed in a stunning Grade I listed building in the heart of Preston ... and we're completely free to visit! We're open seven days a week throughout the year (closed Bank Holidays). Relax in our cafe in one of the most stunning surroundings in Preston and buy an unique gift or memento of your visit from our shop. There is also a Makerspace for visitors to book onto our shared art, craft and technology workshops. There is free wifi, disabled access and baby-changing facilities.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles411 reviews
Excellent
241
Very good
127
Average
36
Poor
4
Terrible
3

Arthur C
Preston, UK341 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
The Harris is a multi-purpose arts, library, archive, gallery, museum, tourist information and museum centre, and probably the most famous, recognisable of Preston City centre landmarks. How your visit goes depends what you are there for. The IT centre is currently restricting computer users to 45 minutes online time, for which we need to pre-book. It used to be a drop in at will and use the computers (library members only) for up to two hours. Hopefully this will be restored post covid. The main lending library itself is excellent, while the upstairs(there is a rickety lift) archive and history library has greatly reduced its stock in recent years. The museum and art galleries are tremendous, with many changing exhibitions. There are fixed exhibits too, most famously Horace (named in a competition by children), a huge skeleton of a prehistoric elk, complete with the human-launched arrow that brought it down. Sometimes the library can get rowdy when people loudly yelling into mobile phones are left unchallenged. Some security staff can be a bit of a jobsworth. One started giving me a guided tour of the gallery even though I was happy to look round at my own time and pace. There have been cases of people pulled up in the nearby Flag Market Square and asked if they were the ones being a nuisance on previous visits to the museum, even though they are not in the museum or heading there and were not anywhere near it on the days the supposed nusancings occurred (why not challenge disruption when it happens rather than some random later time and place? Overall, an invaluable resource for the people of Preston and to visitors to our fince city too.
Written 26 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

hughventus
Preston, UK77 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021
I have visited the Harris on numerous occasions, over the years, and continue to always be fascinated by what it has to offer. Books, paintings, history, events, etc. I could spend hours in this remarkable building which is a great credit to the City of Preston
Written 28 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TenMileBank
Downham Market, UK328 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
We visited on the first day out of lockdown in May after booking online. The staff were friendly and we felt safe without any "Do this, do that, stand there!" which has been so prevalent recently. It is a traditional museum and art gallery with good displays. The art collection features a number of interesting landscapes by the likes of Lowry, Ginner and Newton although the shop could do with a better selection of postcards.
Entry is free so it represents excellent value with a modest donation.
Written 26 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John S
69 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
Just reopened with bookable two hour slots, which is just about enough time to enjoy most of what is on offer. The Preston history gallery is very interesting, with good mix of objects and text, plus archive clips of video - the bits about the Preston Guild were particularly good. Fine art collection of interest, though display and captions rather traditional. Currently also a fascinating section on how they might display their collection following restoration, with audience input requested. Because numbers are restricted we had a quiet visit, so could really concentrate of absorbing the information.
Written 20 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

FunkyFi1957
Preston, UK17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Family
Loved this place and seeing all of Prestons history. The building itself is beautiful too. Great day out
Written 4 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stewart Hutcheon
Crossmichael, UK2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020
I was taken aback at just how much I learned about Preston, and it's place in history. Amazing collection of ceramics. I had a great time, and will visit again, when I have more time to take it all in.
Written 9 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dee L
26 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
My partner and I visited by chance when we were visiting Preston and were delighted with this interesting museum (and great little cafe).

There is a well set-out display of historical objects and information surrounding Preston and Lancashire, which we were spent most of our time.

Foucault's Pendulum is something that shouldn't be missed.

There's a gift shop available if that's of interest, though as I feasted of knowledge (rather than stuff to buy) cannot comment on this in detail.
Written 12 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jo-Anne E
Morecambe, UK353 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Family having been coming here for a while and on a wet Friday afternoon in February we visited. The building is stunning, accessible for all and has so much to see and do and has wifi. The Discover Preston area was excellent with lots of interactive activities.

There is something for everyone with fine & contemporary art, fashion & textiles, ceramics & glass. and history, all housed in a stunning Grade I listed building in the It's located in the heart of Preston, is open 7 days a week.

We then had hot chocolates and coffee's to warm up and looking up at the ceilings and the architecture was great.

We will definitely visit again when we're next in the area and look forward to seeing the new viewings they will have on offer.
Written 15 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nyrian
Chorley, UK37 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Family
Was there with my daughter and two of her friends trying to get them to soak up some bloomin' culture for a change. Some drunk guy walked in, went straight to reception and asked the girl "are you pregnant?" She looked confused, as did we all. So he followed it up with "can i make you pregnant?" Me being nearly fifty and clearly chauvinistic (believing i needed to come to the rescue) was about to tell him off. However the girl at the desk calmly and firmly told him that this was a family place and if he was going to talk like that, he needed to leave. Whilst i don't think the guy was sober enough to appreciate her demeanour, i certainly was and glad the teenage girls with me got to see it. Anyway, that's all. Just wanted to post that.
Written 9 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Biscuit989
Bury, UK81 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Really enyoyed the electic mix of fine art, ceramics and the building's fabulous interior.. Lots of curiosities to view - snuff boxes and smelling salt containers. Recommend this to anyone who has an interest in Victoriana and Edwardian art.
Written 26 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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HARRIS MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Harris Museum and Art Gallery

Harris Museum and Art Gallery is open:
  • Sun - Sun 11:00 - 16:00
  • Mon - Mon 11:00 - 17:00
  • Tue - Sat 10:00 - 17:00