Temporary Exhibitions

Home > What's On > Temporary Exhibitions

The Museum plays host to a number of temporary exhibitions every year, including a major summer blockbuster exhibition.

WAY OF THE WARRIOR - GLADIATOR TO SOLDIER
23rd June – 8th September

Stunning arms & armour, costumes and props from some of the biggest Hollywood blockbuster movies makes Way of the Warrior – Gladiator to Soldier, a must-see experience for families and film buffs alike.

The exhibition will include weapons and costumes from epic films such as Gladiator, 300, The Last Samurai, Saving Private Ryan, King Arthur and Kingdom of Heaven, to name but a few.

This will be a truly hands-on exhibition for all the family, with replica arms & armour and film costumes that can be handled and worn, including medieval and World War II helmets, knight’s gauntlets, a Roman shield, a rifle and chainmail.

The highlight of the exhibition will be iconic armour worn by Russell Crowe (General Maximus) and Joaquin Phoenix (Emperor Commodus) from Gladiator, never before displayed outside of London, together with other props and costumes from the film, including Russell Crowe's gladiator sword.

Ancient arms & armour, including a Greek helmet over 2,500 years old and Samurai armour, will also be on display.

There will be a Kids’ Corner with activities specifically designed for children. A walking, talking warrior dressed in replica arms and armour will be wandering the corridors of the Museum on most days, ready to welcome visitors to the exhibition.

Visitors can even win a replica of Russell Crowe’s breathtaking helmet from the film Gladiator.

A series of family-friendly events is planned during the course of the exhibition.

Way of the Warrior is sponsored by www.propstore.com

ANCESTORS
Torquay Museum’s Ancestors exhibition charts the arrival of the first humans to set foot in Devon 450,000 years ago. It traces their ancestors down through the millennia, including the elusive Neanderthals that inhabited Kents Cavern prehistoric caves around 40,000 years ago, through to the first modern humans to arrive in Britain. It explores the often harsh, sometimes icebound landscape in which our ancestors survived, sharing their world with huge exotic animals such as scimitar cats, woolly mammoths, lions and cave bears.

The renowned human evolution expert and television presenter, Professor Chris Stringer of London’s Natural History Museum, returned to the Museum the world-famous 37,000 year old ancient human jawbone discovered during archaeological excavations at Kents Cavern in 1927 especially for the exhibition. The Natural History Museum has spent the past year analysing the jawbone to establish whether it could be the only Neanderthal remains ever discovered in mainland Britain.