British Schools Museum
British Schools Museum
4.7
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
Closed
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
A museum of the history of education set in a complex of historic classrooms and schools buildings. With four historic classrooms, the delightful Headmaster's House, displays, exhibitions, cafe and shop, this really is the place where learning comes to life. Please check website before visiting for up to date visiting times and special events.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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4.7
161 reviews
Excellent
120
Very good
36
Average
4
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Sophie B
1 contribution
Mar 2025 • Family
We went on a Saturday afternoon with our two young children and took a guided tour. The volunteer was very friendly and we enjoyed learning about the museums history and schooling in Victorian times. The play cafe is great for young children. Would recommend
Written 22 March 2025
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.
Vacation713901
2 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
The British School Museum is a must-visit, offering rich history through pictures, videos, words, and old schooling equipment. It gives a genuine sense of the past school system. The staff are helpful, friendly, and dedicated to preserving the museum, with extensive knowledge about its history. Special thanks to Anisa and Angela!
Written 17 August 2024
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.
Rose
2 contributions
Dec 2024 • Family
My sister and I visited the British Schools Museum on Friday and thoroughly enjoyed our time there. We had a guided tour from one of the staff who was very knowledgeable and friendly. The building is a real gem and hearing how schools used to be run, was very interesting.
Written 8 December 2024
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.
Cerys W
1 contribution
Jun 2024 • Solo
Brilliant little hidden gem, packed a lot of history into a relatively small space. Volunteers are very friendly, knowledgeable and eager to teach about the place and its' history. Was not expecting a personal tour, but it was excellent. Volunteers are clearly passionate about the place and put a lot of love into the museum.
Written 14 June 2024
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.
Tracy C
2 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
We really enjoyed our visit today. We were offered a guided tour (at no extra cost). The volunteer guides were very knowledgeable and really enhance the experience of the school visit.
Afterwards we had a lovely lunch in their cafe.
Thankyou Angela for your time today and making the visit so interesting.
Highly recommend!
Afterwards we had a lovely lunch in their cafe.
Thankyou Angela for your time today and making the visit so interesting.
Highly recommend!
Written 5 July 2024
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.
Sylvia W
29 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
A lovely and unique small museum. Finally managed to be 8n Hitch8n when it was open. A member of staff took us round, taking the time to explain everything to our young granddaughter. She explained how the Headmasters house functioned, bring to life Victorian life. The main school area is huge, but it needed to be for the number of pupils. The gallery classroom showed how things changed as did the wartime classrooms. We visited late in the afternoon so had no time to walk around again or to visit the cafe. Well worth making the time for a visit.
Written 27 July 2024
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.
lynda b
Stevenage, UK19 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
We visited today as there was a craft and pumpkin making event for Halloween week this half time,the staff were amazing with us all,a good selection of things to do including a visit to the headmaster’s haunted house. The class rooms were fun and so full of historic information. Great value for money we booked and paid for a child , accompanying adults free. Will definitely be visiting again
Written 25 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.
therichastill
Stevenage, UK3,694 contributions
Apr 2022
The British Schools Museum is located in the centre of Hitchin. It is just a short walk from the Market and St Mary's Church.
I visited on a Saturday and at the time of writing it is open on Fridays and Saturdays. You walk into the school playground and go into the main building where I was greeted by a lady who sorted out my admission.
I was offered a guided tour but I prefer to explore at my own pace so declined the offer.
There are classrooms to visit as well as the Headmaster's house to get an insight into what the place was like years ago.
They have QR codes that can be scanned for more information however I did not have that facility on my phone however in some of the rooms they have a screen so you can find out more about people rather than having to scan the codes.
I would imagine it's very interesting for children to see what schools were like compared to their current school life.
They have a small cafe and gift shop as well. Worth checking out if you want to know more about what life was like in previous centuries.
I visited on a Saturday and at the time of writing it is open on Fridays and Saturdays. You walk into the school playground and go into the main building where I was greeted by a lady who sorted out my admission.
I was offered a guided tour but I prefer to explore at my own pace so declined the offer.
There are classrooms to visit as well as the Headmaster's house to get an insight into what the place was like years ago.
They have QR codes that can be scanned for more information however I did not have that facility on my phone however in some of the rooms they have a screen so you can find out more about people rather than having to scan the codes.
I would imagine it's very interesting for children to see what schools were like compared to their current school life.
They have a small cafe and gift shop as well. Worth checking out if you want to know more about what life was like in previous centuries.
Written 17 April 2022
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.
klocky2014
Cambridge, UK20 contributions
Sept 2020 • Family
Website not clear about accessibility just says ring for accessibility policy. Phone not answered, calls not returned when messages left.
On arrival we went along to entrance of museum, there was a male who welcomed us. He called 'Mark' who would apparently take us up to the classrooms and show us the access etc, a man came down, pointed up the steps and disappeared into a doorway.
We went up the slope/steps/ramps to the classrooms. We entered via the monitorial classroom first. It was a large room with a video running showing the workings of the classroom. It was totally impossible to hear this as there was someone sweeping the floor and constantly moving chairs and tables around unnecessarily. Even when we moved through to the other classrooms the banging continued. WW1 classroom was partially accessible but the WW2 one is not. No activities to do anywhere.
We headed down to the playground. We then went to a door which said Entrance, initially we were told not to go that way, then saw my scooter so then said OK. We were then sent through the middle of a large room, which had bags of stuff everywhere, also in the room were a group of volunteers having a meeting so they all had to get up and move out the way. They had to do the same on our way out.
On the map it showed the toilet there, so followed that and it was just a storage area.
There was a disabled toilet on the playground. The toilet was in a very strange position, if like me you can't bend your legs to a 90 degrees then you have to sit at an angle. The floor of the toilet had soap and water on the floor also.
Head teacher room was not accessible. There had been talk about a dvd when we first went in but that's where it stopped!!!
We were there no more than 50 minutes.
To charge full price for disabled and carers is extortionate as there's so much thats not acceptable
Such a disappointment, for somewhere that could have such a lot to offer
On arrival we went along to entrance of museum, there was a male who welcomed us. He called 'Mark' who would apparently take us up to the classrooms and show us the access etc, a man came down, pointed up the steps and disappeared into a doorway.
We went up the slope/steps/ramps to the classrooms. We entered via the monitorial classroom first. It was a large room with a video running showing the workings of the classroom. It was totally impossible to hear this as there was someone sweeping the floor and constantly moving chairs and tables around unnecessarily. Even when we moved through to the other classrooms the banging continued. WW1 classroom was partially accessible but the WW2 one is not. No activities to do anywhere.
We headed down to the playground. We then went to a door which said Entrance, initially we were told not to go that way, then saw my scooter so then said OK. We were then sent through the middle of a large room, which had bags of stuff everywhere, also in the room were a group of volunteers having a meeting so they all had to get up and move out the way. They had to do the same on our way out.
On the map it showed the toilet there, so followed that and it was just a storage area.
There was a disabled toilet on the playground. The toilet was in a very strange position, if like me you can't bend your legs to a 90 degrees then you have to sit at an angle. The floor of the toilet had soap and water on the floor also.
Head teacher room was not accessible. There had been talk about a dvd when we first went in but that's where it stopped!!!
We were there no more than 50 minutes.
To charge full price for disabled and carers is extortionate as there's so much thats not acceptable
Such a disappointment, for somewhere that could have such a lot to offer
Written 4 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.
Petra C
Dunstable, UK31 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
What a lovely hidden treasure! Visited yesterday with two 13 years old. Such an experience with having guides to take us around and explain it all. The guide Max and Anita were amazing and it made such a difference to the whole experience. Allow plenty of time so you can take advantage of the delightful cafe there as we run out of time. Museum does not have their own car park. Note that parking in Hitchin is shockingly expensive, £5 for 4 hours , free after 6 pm
make sure you have exact change or working mobile phone as you can't pay by credit card at the machine , it does not give change back but Sundays are free. Make a trip out of it and go for a walk around Hitchin after as Hitchin is architecturally very pretty town. Altogether a fabulous day for family or just adults visiting
make sure you have exact change or working mobile phone as you can't pay by credit card at the machine , it does not give change back but Sundays are free. Make a trip out of it and go for a walk around Hitchin after as Hitchin is architecturally very pretty town. Altogether a fabulous day for family or just adults visiting
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.
Iuliana Radu
Peterborough, United Kingdom
Due Covid is opening? And we have to book tickets? Thank you
Written 28 July 2020
We are usually open from the February Half-Term week to the end of November at the following times:
Fridays from 10am to 4pm
Saturdays from 10am to 1pm
Sundays from 2pm to 5pm
There are also extended opening times and lots of family activities in the summer and in school holidays. Please check the Museum's website before visiting or call 01462-420144
Written 10 August 2017
We are usually open from the February Half-Term week to the end of November at the following times:
Fridays from 10am to 4pm
Saturdays from 10am to 1pm
Sundays from 2pm to 5pm
There are also extended opening times and lots of family activities in the summer and in school holidays. Please check the Museum's website before visiting or call 01462-420144
Written 10 August 2017
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