With a rich historical, musical and artistic background, Coventry and the surrounding area have a fantastic choice of art galleries and museums to immerse yourself in local culture.
Whether you’re looking for a day trip with the family, to understand more about our history, or you have a passion for music and motors – Coventry has it all.
To help you out, we’ve put together a list of our top 10 local art galleries and museums in Coventry and the surrounding area.
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The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum
The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum encourages creativity, exploration and fun for all the family.
With an ever-changing display of unique art installations, along with talks, workshops and events, there’s always something to see or do at this wonderful location. The Coventry Archives also reside at The Herbert, with documents, photos and maps telling the story of days gone by in the historical city.
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Coventry Transport Museum
Coventry Transport Museum is home to 14 fully accessible, interactive galleries of incredible transport stories – from the fastest vehicle in the world to pioneering bicycles, and classics from Britain’s distant past.
In fact, the museum boasts the largest publicly owned collection of British vehicles in the world, consisting of 300 cycles, 120 motorcycles and 250 cars and commercial vehicles – not to mention over a million other items. Plus, with plenty of workshops for young creative minds to learn and explore, this is a great day out for families and motor enthusiasts alike.
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Sgt. Bilko’s Vintage Emporium
Sgt. Bilko’s Vintage Emporium houses a collection of vintage and modern film, stage and television memorabilia, specialising in ‘cult’ classics and catering to a wide range of tastes.
Situated in Coventry’s Fargo Village, you’ll find everything from toys and trading cards to autographs, magazines and more at this delightfully quirky museum.
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The Coventry Music Museum
The Coventry Music Museum is a family-run, independent museum celebrating local music from across Coventry, Rugby, Leamington Spa and the surrounding areas.
Located in Coventry’s 2-Tonne Village, this hidden gem is supported by dedicated volunteers and boasts a range of displays, activities for children, and even a studio for visitors to try their hand at music making.
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Delia Derbyshire Building
The Delia Derbyshire building at Coventry University was named in honour of the musical icon as recognition of celebrating her achievements in her hometown, to inspire future artists and creatives.
The Arts & Society building is home to incredible facilities that include a hyper studio for cross-disciplinary projects and immersive studios with the latest virtual reality and mixed reality technologies. It’s open to the public with a café and gallery space for events, installations and displays to allow the local community to engage with the work that the Coventry University students are producing.
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Blitz Museum
The Blitz Museum can be found in the corner of Coventry City’s Cathedral ruins and gives a fascinating insight into what life was like in wartime Britain.
Find yourself transported back to the 1940’s with memorabilia and artefacts in both a period school room and a typical house from the era. Learn about the city’s past and find out more about what happened during the Coventry Blitz on 14th November 1940.
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National Motorcycle Museum
The National Motorcycle Museum is the largest motorcycle museum in the world, hosting around a quarter of a million visitors a year.
It has over 1000 motorcycles, all restored to the original manufacturer’s specifications. With the earliest machine on display dating from 1898, through to the latest British superbikes, the collection showcases the country’s proud motorcycle manufacturing heritage. Open every day, the museum also runs events, workshops and lectures throughout the year.
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Compton Verney
Compton Verney is a bold charity with the mission of connecting people with art, nature and creativity.
Their vision is to be the leading visual arts destination in the heart of the country, and they host six permanent collections – Naples, Northern Europe, Portraits and Miniatures, Chinese Bronzes, Folk Art, and the Marx-Lambert Collection – with additional changing exhibitions and events designed to inspire, delight and challenge the viewer. Based in Warwickshire, there’s plenty both inside the exhibitions and out in their generous grounds for families to enjoy, along with a café serving fresh, seasonal and locally sourced food.
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Warwickshire Museums
The Warwickshire Museum Collection includes The Market Hall Museum, St John’s House, and the Roman Alcester Heritage Museum.
Each site is unique – from the child-friendly dinosaur exhibit at Market Hall, to the artefacts of the Roman past at Alcester Heritage. While St. John’s is not widely available to the public, it does offer a range of special events including beer festivals, ghost tours and family activities.
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Triumph Factory Visitor Experience
The Triumph Factory Visitor Experience offers an incredible insight into the iconic motorcycle manufacturer.
Based in Hinckley, experience a 90-minute factory tour, led by Triumph’s very own Brand Ambassadors. Watch how the beloved motorcycle comes to life, with behind-the-scenes access to learn all about the dedication and craft that goes into creating a masterpiece.
Visit your local Coventry Art Galleries and Museums
Explore the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Coventry and the surrounding area with our top 10 list of attractions.
From learning through contemporary exhibitions at The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum to discovering remarkable facts about the city’s past at the Blitz Museum, every venue offers something unique for lovers of art, history, music, transport and more.
Whether you're drawn to modern installations, classical masterpieces, or Coventry and Warwickshire’s fascinating past, discover something new at one of the many art galleries and museums today.