The Secret Museum

12 June 2021 - 5 September 2021

'The Secret Museum' is our 175th anniversary exhibition and will be a unique opportunity for some of the huge range of collections held at the Museum to be showcased. Torquay Museum has exceptionally large and varied collections for a town museum. Our stores are a ‘Secret Museum’ full of wondrous objects, some of international importance, some of huge local significance, but many just curious and interesting with fascinating histories. The stores are a secret museum where 99% of the collections are preserved, held in trust for future generations to study and enjoy. There are many reasons why the Museum cannot and sometimes does not display the items it holds and it certainly does not have space to display everything. This has created a treasure trove often only seen by staff and visiting researchers.

This exhibition has been largely curated by the local community where there will be an exciting level of unpredictability as people have accessed the stores and chosen little known and forgotten objects for display.  175 objects will be on display, one for each year the Museum has been in existence. In many cases the individuals choosing objects have researched these items or written interpretation based on what their choice meant to them. So delve into our ‘Secret Museum’ and find treasures that will hopefully fascinate and inspire you.