Kelham Island Museum
Alma St., Sheffield, England
Located on one of the oldest industrial sites in Sheffield, the Kelham Island Museum tells the story of the city’s history of making, from centuries-old craft legacies to the rise of the Industrial Revolution. Spanning more than 300 years, its collection includes Sheffield Simplex cars, restored craft workshops, and the most powerful working steam engine in Europe.
One of Sheffield’s most distinctive and enriching destinations, the Kelham Island Museum captures the heritage of this longtime industrial hub, and tells the stories of the working people who made the city run across the centuries. The museum’s interactive galleries cover a wide range of topics, from historic vehicles, housed within its Transport Galleries; a traditional street of workshops where craftspeople would live, named Little Mesters Street; industrial tools, displayed in the Hawley Tool Collection; and wartime Sheffield, showcased in the 1916 House.
Some of its most popular attractions are particularly immersive, including the 12,000-horsepower River Don Engine, a still-active steam engine which is demonstrated twice a day from Thursday through Sunday. Afterwards, nothing beats going to The Millowners Arms—a traditional pub within the museum grounds.
The Kelham Island Museum is free for all to visit, although donations are welcomed.
In addition to The Millowners Arms, the museum also has an all-day cafe, Joni. A picnic area is available outside as well, but no food is allowed inside.
Head to the museum’s gift shop to browse a range of items, including vintage pieces, Sheffield-themed souvenirs, and gourmet goodies.
The Kelham Island Museum is fully accessible to wheelchair users.
The Kelham Island Museum is located on Alma Street, Sheffield, S3 8RY. It’s around 25 minutes on foot from Sheffield station (the city’s main transit hub), and numerous bus lines link the two, as do taxi and rideshare services. The museum is also a few minutes from the Shalesmoor Tramstop, served by the Blue and Yellow Supertram lines.
The Kelham Island Museum is open every day except Monday, from 10am until 4pm (on Sundays, opening is from 11am). Expect the museum to be more crowded on weekends and during school holidays. To see the River Don Engine in action, time your visit for Thursday to Sunday.
To complement your visit to the Kelham Island Museum—and to discover another side of the city’s longstanding history of industry—plan a trip to the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, located just south of Sheffield. A rural scythe and steelworks that dates back to the 18th century, it’s an immersive way to learn more about England’s Steel City.
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