The Museum of the Broads
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Closed until 24 Mar 2024
The Museum of the Broads
The Museum of the Broads
4.5
Temporarily closedClosed until Mar 24, 2024
About
Welcome to the only waterside museum of Broadland life in a tranquil and picturesque location at Stalham Staithe. Discover the boats of the Broads and see how people's working lives shaped the landscape. Family friendly with activities for children. Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome. Take a river trip on our steam boat, 'Falcon' or our electric boat ‘Marsh Harrier”. See website for full details.
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2-3 hours
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4.5
219 reviews
Excellent
163
Very good
52
Average
2
Poor
1
Terrible
1
Bittis_12
Westbury, UK72 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
We had a lovely day here and both really enjoyed learning about the history of the Broads and the wildlife. The staff were all very friendly, helpful and informative. Our tickets allowed us to go back for a second visit which we did to go on the Marsh Harrier for a cruise around the broad. Our tour guides were very knowledgeable and made the trip a lot of fun. We were lucky enough to see a tiny Muntjac and a harrier eating it's prey at the top of a tree! We loved seeing the chocolate box water mill. We will definitely be going back again.
Written 31 October 2023
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.
Fabulous on the wildlife front! We are glad you enjoyed your visit and thanks for taking the time to write this review. Even our volunteers often learn something new about our wonderful landscape as there are so many stories yet to be told. Glad you liked Hunsett Mill, it has won awards. Please pop in again next year.
Written 5 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lottie N
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Family
I went with my two kids (6 and 3) and their granny during half term, as they'd put on a Halloween special with lots of themed activities, and we were so impressed by this little sleeper hit of a museum. Really interactive, lots to explore, great electric boat trip through the Broads with brilliant, knowledgeable local guides, a lovely little cafe and excellent, friendly staff. Would highly recommend if you're in the area.
Written 26 October 2023
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.
Thanks very much for taking the time to write this review. We like to make a big effort over half term as an end to our season. We are glad you enjoyed the boat trip and hope the family weren’t too spooked out by the Halloween stories!
Written 5 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Katie M
Charmouth, UK14 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
We visited for a trip on the steam boat and wasn’t disappointed, a beautiful river with the chug of the steam engine was magical, we saw marsh harrier, kingfishers and heron. We hadn’t planned to, but decided to do the museum as well..it was incredible, so many interesting displays, they went on and on! All brought to life by the amazing volunteers..so knowledgeable and genuinely passionate about what they do..a fantastic few hours, thank you!
Written 6 October 2023
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.
Wow what a lovely review, thank you very much for taking the time to write this review. The gentle tick tick of the steam launch is quite something and it’s great you enjoyed the wildlife. A review like this means a lot to our whole team. Thanks
Written 20 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
506Chris
Leicester, UK36 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Looked at the waterways at stalham staith on the ordinance survey map, thought they looked interesting. Found ourselves at the museum of the broads.
All volunteer staff, full of enthusiasm, interesting displays.
Signed up for the boat ride, an hour along the broads, great experience and value for money. As a bonus, multiple kingfisher sightings
All volunteer staff, full of enthusiasm, interesting displays.
Signed up for the boat ride, an hour along the broads, great experience and value for money. As a bonus, multiple kingfisher sightings
Written 10 September 2023
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.
Thanks for taking the time to write this review. Our volunteers love what they do and we are pleased you enjoyed the displays. The Kingfishers are in abundance at present and always a bonus when you see them on our boat trips. I hope you discovered some of the other historic elements of Stalham Staithe where 100 years ago it would have been full of Wherries.
Written 12 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jess M
Hunstanton, UK6 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
Very friendly and helpful staff my mother-in-law is disabled and couldn’t get on the day boat so we went to the museum found out that they done tours and yes, they were equipped to take disabled people have no fault whatsoever made my mother-in-law stay perfect
Took my daughter to the craft day yet again perfect in every way made us feel friendly and welcome
Took my daughter to the craft day yet again perfect in every way made us feel friendly and welcome
Written 29 August 2023
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.
Brilliant news. We were keen when we had Marsh Harrier built for her too ,are her accessible and it’s fabulous your mother in law was able to enjoy her trip.
We are glad you enjoyed the craft day. The inspiration from our landscape resulted in some great creations.
Please pop in again and thanks for taking the time to write this review.
Written 12 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
luk1112
Hertfordshire, UK16 contributions
Aug 2023
What an excellent morning. I cannot fault this small little gem. On arrival we parked in the Richardson's boat yard as advertised on the museum's website. There was ample parking available and we noticed that there was parking also available on the road. The museum is literally a 2 minute walk from the car park. On arrival at the museum's entrance we were greeted inside. We showed our boat trip email confirmation and were asked if we wanted to have a look around the museum. As we were early we paid the additional cost for this. Although small, this was well worth the additional cost. After having a look around we made our way to the boarding area. Here we were given lifejackets and one for the dog! We boarded the Marsh Harrier. On board we were given a quick safety brief and we were on our way. The tour was informative and the captain was very knowledgeable of the broads. After the trip we had another quick look around before refreshments from Rooby's Norfolk Panino. Overall the staff were friendly and helpful. It was lovely morning well spent.
Written 26 August 2023
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.
Thanks very much and also taking the time to write this review. The boat trips have been very popular and the electric aspect of Marsh Harrier mean she’s quiet which possibly means the wildlife is plentiful. We are pleased you enjoyed the commentary.
We are pleased you took advantage of our dog 🐕 lifejackets. Please come again
Written 12 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tracy W
Woking, UK6 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
We were fortunate to find this superb little museum by chance the day before our trip. As it was the last day of our holiday we wanted to spend some of it on the water. We managed to book online a trip on the steam powered Falcon, and also booked to look around the museum. We then realised looking at the information on the webpages that the Wherry Albion would be visiting on the day of our trip.
The museum was easy to find and parking was available at Richardson's boatyard. The day must have been busier than usual as both boats at the museum were operating trips.
Our 50 minute booked trip was more like an hour and we had little snippets of local information given to us by the "engine driver/fireman" as we sailed. We saw plenty of swans, a juvenile marsh harrier and even a couple of kingfishers.
On arriving back at the museum we boarded the Wherry Albion and had a most interesting tour of the boat with one of the volunteers from the Albion Trust. We learned so much about these vessels, their workings and their history on the broads.
The museum itself is a "TARDIS" of buildings (as described by the lady volunteer on the reception desk first thing) with much more to look at than I expected, and so many historical vessels. We enjoyed a cup of tea in the sunshine before departing, realising we had spent almost 4 hours, including the boat trip, learning about the Norfolk Broads. Definite value for money given that the museum tickets (£7 each) are valid for return trips for a year if we are in the area again.
Thank you to all the volunteers involved in making this a trip to remember!
The museum was easy to find and parking was available at Richardson's boatyard. The day must have been busier than usual as both boats at the museum were operating trips.
Our 50 minute booked trip was more like an hour and we had little snippets of local information given to us by the "engine driver/fireman" as we sailed. We saw plenty of swans, a juvenile marsh harrier and even a couple of kingfishers.
On arriving back at the museum we boarded the Wherry Albion and had a most interesting tour of the boat with one of the volunteers from the Albion Trust. We learned so much about these vessels, their workings and their history on the broads.
The museum itself is a "TARDIS" of buildings (as described by the lady volunteer on the reception desk first thing) with much more to look at than I expected, and so many historical vessels. We enjoyed a cup of tea in the sunshine before departing, realising we had spent almost 4 hours, including the boat trip, learning about the Norfolk Broads. Definite value for money given that the museum tickets (£7 each) are valid for return trips for a year if we are in the area again.
Thank you to all the volunteers involved in making this a trip to remember!
Written 17 August 2023
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.
Wow what a lovely review and you picked a cracking day to visit. Personally I also often describe it as a Tardis. There is always something new to see.
We will pass on your feedback to the volunteers.
Thanks for taking the time to write this review.
Written 12 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
NannyEve
London, UK93 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
To be honest, it’s a rather boring museum and expensive at £7 per person to enter.
The elderly volunteers mean well but the women on the pay desk flap when they have to deal with more than one party at a time and some become officious and quite rude to customers.
The exhibits have been carefully collected and curated but it’s a niche museum unless you have a burning passion for the history of the Norfolk Broads.
The boat trips are potentially enjoyable but there is no commentary or explanation about what you’re seeing.
They are also potentially dangerous as, once again, the well meaning elderly volunteers are not on the ball when it comes to health and safety. On our trip, a young boy was given the chance to steer the boat but the ‘skipper’ drifted off into a reverie and we passed a holiday cruiser on the wrong side! When we returned to the museum to dock, the volunteer who was supposed to be there to tie up the boat had gone walkabout and couldn’t hear the crew calling to him. As a result, our boat hit a metal gate and the bungee holding it open pinged off and hit a child in the head.
I do appreciate that without the volunteers, this museum wouldn’t be able to operate but visit at your own risk.
The elderly volunteers mean well but the women on the pay desk flap when they have to deal with more than one party at a time and some become officious and quite rude to customers.
The exhibits have been carefully collected and curated but it’s a niche museum unless you have a burning passion for the history of the Norfolk Broads.
The boat trips are potentially enjoyable but there is no commentary or explanation about what you’re seeing.
They are also potentially dangerous as, once again, the well meaning elderly volunteers are not on the ball when it comes to health and safety. On our trip, a young boy was given the chance to steer the boat but the ‘skipper’ drifted off into a reverie and we passed a holiday cruiser on the wrong side! When we returned to the museum to dock, the volunteer who was supposed to be there to tie up the boat had gone walkabout and couldn’t hear the crew calling to him. As a result, our boat hit a metal gate and the bungee holding it open pinged off and hit a child in the head.
I do appreciate that without the volunteers, this museum wouldn’t be able to operate but visit at your own risk.
Written 17 August 2023
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.
Thanks for taking the time to write this review.
There is some very useful and concerning feedback which we will act upon as your experience was not what we would expect. We are very sorry that this impacted your visit. This has been fed back to the relevant teams. The boat trips do normally have commentary so we will investigate why yours didn’t.
Our Curator spends a lot of time formulating stories around our exhibits and thanks for the recognition.
Written 12 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MarieAnna3116
Stevenage, UK47 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Good but boring for children. Saved by the animal hunt they were doing. Lovely people working in the desk. Soo friendly and helpful. Staff were attentive and gave good info.
Written 5 August 2023
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.
Thanks for taking the time to write this review and the feedback in relation to children. We are always looking to improve our offering and do have a family arts and craft day in August along with fun trails around the museum.
Great feedback for our reception volunteers and we will pass this on.
Written 17 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
rodney m
Greater London, UK1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Friends
Very good day, weather was fine and not too hot for July.
Interesting time at the Reception Counter. The two ladies on duty were having problems with the IT, and had to ask for assistance, which when that came did not help much and had to cancel off everything that had been done and start all over again. Nobody got stressed and it was all dealt with good grace and humour. There was a lot more in the museum than I had expected, and it kept us busy until it was time to take the boat trip. We had the electric boat and thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
I think there was only about 7-8 people on the boat and the gentleman skipper was able to tell us many things about what we were passing and the history. This included information about the wildlife and birds. Seeing a Kingfisher dive was wonderful. Overall a very enjoyable experience.
Interesting time at the Reception Counter. The two ladies on duty were having problems with the IT, and had to ask for assistance, which when that came did not help much and had to cancel off everything that had been done and start all over again. Nobody got stressed and it was all dealt with good grace and humour. There was a lot more in the museum than I had expected, and it kept us busy until it was time to take the boat trip. We had the electric boat and thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
I think there was only about 7-8 people on the boat and the gentleman skipper was able to tell us many things about what we were passing and the history. This included information about the wildlife and birds. Seeing a Kingfisher dive was wonderful. Overall a very enjoyable experience.
Written 28 July 2023
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.
We are glad you enjoyed your visit. Thank you for your patience with our volunteers on reception and the feedback which is useful for training. The museum is full of gems and lots at every corner. You are extremely privileged to have seen a kingfisher dive on the boat trip.
Please come again and thanks for taking the time to write this review.
Written 17 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
jeannejudd1932
Worthing, UK1 contribution
Dog friendly places to see and eat please
MOTB_Marketing
Stalham, UK3 contributions
Hello - we are a very dog friendly museum. Well behaved dogs are very welcome. We have dog parking on our picnic benches, a dog bowl for drink and dogs are also welcome on the steam boat. If they wish for a run around afterwards there is lots of countryside nearby.
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Claim your listingTHE MUSEUM OF THE BROADS: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about The Museum of the Broads
- The Museum of the Broads is open:
- Sun - Thu 10:00 - 16:00
- Hotels near The Museum of the Broads:
- (0.02 mi) SOLACE is a Tranquil Riverside Property
- (0.02 mi) Tranquil Riverside Property situated at the side of the River Ant
- (0.03 mi) 26 BURTONS MILL, family friendly, with a garden in Stalham
- (0.03 mi) 26 Burtons Mill, Stalham
- (0.03 mi) 2 bedroom accommodation in Stalham Staithe
- Restaurants near The Museum of the Broads:
- (0.26 mi) Cafe Charlotte
- (0.29 mi) The Swan Inn Stalham
- (0.24 mi) Oasis 2 Finest Indian Dining
- (0.30 mi) Cherry Blossom Café
- (0.26 mi) The Rainbow Cafe