​Celebrating the historic importance of Barnet

We are delighted to welcome visitors to the Museum.
​Our opening hours are: 
Tue 14:30 - 16:30
Wed 14:30 - 16:30
Thurs 14:30 - 16:30
Sat 10.30 - 16:00
Sun 14:30 - 16:30

Christmas opening hours:
Closed 22nd December - 2nd January 

If you require anything from our shop, from cards to books, please contact us at: [email protected]
Barnet Museum is a free local history Museum in North London run by volunteers. The Museum focuses on Chipping Barnet, East Barnet, New Barnet, Hadley and the surrounding districts.
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The Museum’s collection contains hundreds of artefacts reflecting the history of Barnet and those that have lived there, dating from the Bronze Age to the present day. There is also an extensive archive, and we are a centre for local and family history research.

Lecture Programme

Our lectures will take place monthly at St John the Baptist Church (Barnet Church). Lectures are free to Barnet Museum and Local History Society members and £2 for non-members. 
Check the Lecture Programme section of our website for more information here. 
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The Gillian Gear Memorial Lecture by Dr Alison Weir

We are delighted to announce that Dr Alison Weir will be leading our 2026 Gillian Gear Memorial Lecture on Saturday April 25th 2026. Tickets on sale early 2026. 

Dr Alison Weir is the United Kingdom’s most popular and best-selling female historian, and has sold over 3 million books worldwide. Rich in detailed research, Alison’s engaging prose has captured the interest and imagination of countless people, instilling a love of history that has influenced the career paths of historians, historical novelists and teachers, while also greatly increasing knowledge of medieval and Tudor English history among people throughout the world. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an honorary life patron of Historic Royal Palaces and an honorary Doctor of Bishop Grosseteste University.

Our next Lecture:

The Spires Exhibition Space - What's On?  

It is a pleasure to continue having our unit in The Spires Shopping Centre. Our volunteers regularly update the space with displays that highlight the rich history of the Chipping Barnet community.
We are proud to collaborate with Level 3 Art and Design students from Barnet and Southgate College, Barnet Campus. Discover how students have been working with Barnet Museum as part of a live project. Students have taken inspiration from our collection and objects on display. 

Do visit this excellent exhibition in The Spires Shopping Centre. 

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For more information on lecture dates, events, offers, children's workshops and local history news, subcribe below. 

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Deputy Lieutenant Martin Russell received the MBE!

The Trustees and Members of Barnet Museum and Local History Society are very proud of our Patron, Deputy Lieutenant Martin Russell, who received the MBE at Windsor Castle. He has been a great ambassador for the Museum and, more than that, a friend.

Exhibition to mark the coronation of King Charles III

It was our honour to have Martin Russell, the King's representative to Barnet, open a new Barnet Museum exhibition on Saturday which marks the coronation of King Charles III. We heartily thank Stuart Crichton and his family for the generous loan of artefacts for the display. Stuart's late father, Andy Crichton, a Barnet man, worked for many years in Prince Charles' personal protection service and was gifted the items by His Royal Highness (now His Majesty). On exhibition are a collection of personal artefacts such as signed cards, small gifts and other mementos

Historia Normannis

It's been great to see the Historia Normannis, a group of 12th century reenactors, using the space behind the Museum to rehearse. Their next practice on Sunday 23rd July has been canelled due to poor weather, but check their Facebook page for more details: 

Barnet Civic Award 

Everyone at Barnet Museum is extremely proud of our curator Mike who has been awarded a Barnet Civic Award. Mike leads the Museum with passion, drive, and an encyclopaedic knowledge of local history. Congratulations!

The Physic Well

The Well will be open from 2pm-4pm on the third Saturday of the month from February 2025.
For more information click here. 

Barnet TV Tour

We were delighted when Barnet TV came to visit us to record this tour of the Museum and to have a chat with our curator Mike.

The Battle of Barnet

English Heritage describes the Battle of Barnet as ‘one of the most important battles’ of the Wars of the Roses, a series of English civil wars over who should be king. The claimants were Edward IV, of the house of York, and Henry VI, of the house of Lancaster. By the time the two sides lined up at Barnet, both men had been crowned and re-crowned; Edward was just back from exile and Henry was his hostage. Henry’s army was commanded by the powerful Earl of Warwick (the ‘Kingmaker’) – who had previously been Edward’s right-hand-man. It was in this battle that Warwick fell. 
We hope you enjoy this drone footage of our banners along Barnet High Street. For more information on the Battle, please navigate to the Battle of Barnet section of this website. 
The Museum opened in March 1938 to house and make available to the public the growing collection of the Barnet Record Society (now Barnet Museum & Local History Society) which had been founded in 1927 to record and preserve Barnet’s history. The Museum building is an attractive early Georgian house in the heart of Chipping Barnet, and is part of Wood Street conservation area. The Museum is a registered charity (no.1169214 ​) and accredited Museum.