Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery

Open 7 days a week 10.00 - 17.00 and most bank holidays.

Outstanding collections of art and archaeology, geology and natural history housed in a magnificent Edwardian baroque building. The much anticipated new Egypt gallery is now open. Take a journey through Belief, Life, Death and Afterlife of the ancient Egyptians. The Egypt Gallery features over 600 objects, most never displayed before, in the best Egyptian collection in the south west. The River Nile corridor divides the gallery space into two. On one side, you can explore Belief and Life in ancient Egypt: and on the other, displays cover Death and the AfterlifIn addition there are "satellite" areas offering thought-provoking areas on ‘Egyptian Identity’, ‘How do we see Ancient Egypt?’, and, coming soon, the ‘Ethics of Displaying the Dead’.There is an exciting Explore and Respond area where visitors can learn more about the collection, and leave their comments about objects as well as an art installation by Marielle Neudeker.

Upstairs are art galleries containing Old Masters, French School, British Collection, Modern Art and the Bristol School – we also have a contemporary art gallery. Alongside in the adjoining galleries, the decorative arts collections are Eastern Art, Ceramics, Silverware and Glassware. On the lower floors are a fine collection of glittering minerals, ancient fossils and a dinosaur gallery. Close by is the World Wildlife Gallery containing many examples of endangered or extinct animals, including the much-loved Alfred the Gorilla.

The large archaeology gallery on the ground floor is currently under re-development will be transformed into an up-to-date, fully accessible gallery. Opening in 2009, the new gallery will display a selection of objects from the British and foreign archaeological collections and previously un-displayed material from the ethnography collections. Changing temporary exhibitions add another dimension to the permanent collections and a shop and cafe complete the visit. One of the few Museums to have been awarded Designated status by the Government - the mark of an outstanding museum.