Melton Carnegie Museum

Melton Carnegie Museum is the local history museum of Melton Mowbray, a market town in Leicestershire, England. It sits in a building that began life as a public library, and it tells the story of the town and the countryside around it through everyday objects, archaeology and art.

What is Melton Carnegie Museum?

The museum documents the history of Melton Mowbray and its surroundings. It is run by Leicestershire County Council, with support from Melton Borough Council, and has benefited from Heritage Lottery funding. For visitors it works as a compact introduction to a town better known for its food and sporting traditions than for its museums.

Where is it and what is the building?

The museum is in Melton Mowbray, in the East Midlands of England, at roughly 52.76 N, 0.88 W. The premises were originally a Carnegie library, built in 1905 with the kind of philanthropic funding that created many public libraries across Britain at the time. After the building was refurbished, the county council opened it as a museum in 1977.

How has the museum grown?

Several milestones shaped what you see today:

• 1977: the former library reopens as a museum.
• 1983: the National Museum of Hunting Trust is established, linking the site to the region's fox-hunting heritage.
• 2002: a refurbishment costing around half a million pounds adds a display on fox hunting. The reopening was marked with a speech by Baroness Mallalieu on 3 May.
• 2010: a further project roughly doubles the size of the museum, adding a new gallery, a study area and a community space.

What can you see inside?

The displays cover a wide span of time, from the Bronze Age to the present day, and are arranged around themes that matter to the town:

• shops and trades, showing how local people earned a living;
• rural life in the surrounding countryside;
• the history of fox hunting, a major part of Melton's identity;
• archaeology of the area;
• the story of "painting the town red";
• local food traditions, with displays on Stilton cheese and pork pies.

Melton Mowbray is widely associated with pork pies and Stilton, so the food displays are a natural fit for anyone who has come to the town for its culinary reputation.

Who is it for?

The museum suits visitors interested in English local history, families looking for a manageable indoor stop, and anyone curious about hunting heritage or regional food. Because the collections are focused on one town, a visit can be short, and it combines easily with a walk through the centre of Melton Mowbray.

Frequently asked questions

Who runs the museum? Leicestershire County Council manages it, with support from Melton Borough Council.

When was the building constructed? The library building dates from 1905, and the museum opened in it in 1977.

What periods does it cover? Its collections run from the Bronze Age up to the present day.

Is there anything about local food? Yes. Stilton cheese and pork pies, both closely linked with Melton Mowbray, feature in the displays.

Was it enlarged after opening? Yes. Work in 2002 added a hunting display, and a 2010 project roughly doubled the museum's size.

Check current opening times and admission details with the museum or the council before you travel, as these can change.