The whole span of history is here, from fossil remains through sea battles, the development of the town's architecture, its industries and artistic life, the rise and fall of its railway, its famous land-locked lighthouse, its ever-changing coastline... to the 20th century transformation of this busy fishing community into a prosperous seaside resort.

In 2008, the museum reopened after a major rebuilding and redesign programme funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund with generous support from the Southwold Trust and the Adnams Charity. The Southwold Museum has now been brought impressively into the 21st Century with interactive displays, equal-access facilities, automated climate-control and much enhanced display space. Yet at the same time it retains the intimacy and charm that have made it such a well loved local institution for more than seventy years.

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In addition to a large number of extracts from the Museum's oral history archive, this site now contains about 18 embedded movie clips. Most of these were shot in the 1920s and 30s by Barrett Jenkins and we are indebted to his daughter, Ann Thornton, for helping us to compile and identify these clips. The Museum has recently benefited from a generous grant by the Barrett Jenkins Charitable Trust, in the form of a new exhibition area which enables us to provide appropriate display facilities for a recently acquired collection of fossils as well as for items from our garment collection.

As part of the 2014 Southwold Arts Festival,
Southwold Museum and Historical Society present
an illustrated talk by Barry Tolfree on Thursday 3 July 2014 at 11 am in the Methodist Hall, Southwold.
" Southwold & Son: Tales from Southwold's Independent Trading Community a Century ago"
TIckets £4 (£3 SMHS Members)
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