Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) is the University of Cambridge's museum of world cultures, set on the Downing Site in the middle of the city. It holds archaeological and ethnographic objects from every inhabited continent, and entry is free.

What is the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology?

The museum began in 1884 as the university's Museum of General and Local Archaeology. Its first collections came from three sources: the Cambridge Antiquarian Society, the colonial administrator Sir Arthur Gordon, and Alfred Maudslay, a pioneer of Central American archaeology. Over the following century it was renamed several times, and the short name MAA has been in use since 2007.

Since 1913 the collection has been housed at its Downing Street site. A refurbishment completed in 2013 added a public entrance directly from Downing Street, making the museum much easier to find and enter than before.

What can you see inside?

The collection is large. The museum's own figures speak of more than a million objects, spanning local antiquities from the Cambridge area as well as archaeological finds and ethnographic items from around the world. Only a fraction is on display at any time, arranged across several floors of galleries.

Two highlights stand out for most visitors:

• Pacific collections. The museum holds tens of thousands of Pacific artefacts, among them pieces collected during James Cook's eighteenth-century voyages. Early Polynesian material donated by Gordon and Maudslay formed part of the founding collection.
• The totem pole. A towering totem pole from the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii) in Canada rises through the central space. The museum gives its height as 14 metres, roughly 46 feet, and it is the object visitors most often remember.

Alongside these, you will find displays on the archaeology of Cambridgeshire and exhibits that compare how different societies made tools, ornaments and ritual objects.

How do you visit?

The museum is on Downing Street, a short walk from the city centre and close to other university museums on the same site. According to the museum's website, it opens Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and on Sunday from 12:00 to 17:00. Some third-party listings give slightly different hours, so check the official site before you go.

Admission is free. Groups of ten or more should arrange their visit in advance by email.

Frequently asked questions

Is the museum free? Yes, entry is free.

When was it founded? In 1884, as the Museum of General and Local Archaeology.

What is the best-known exhibit? The tall totem pole from Haida Gwaii, together with the Pacific collection that includes items linked to Captain Cook's voyages.

How long should I plan? Allow roughly one to two hours to see the main galleries comfortably.

Where is it? On Downing Street, in the Downing Site of the University of Cambridge, at coordinates 52.2027, 0.121.