National Justice Museum

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National Justice Museum The National Justice Museum is an award-winning museum and education provider with the UK’s largest law, justice, crime and punishment collection.
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We are a VisitEngland quality-assured Visitor Attraction. What3Words: feast.stove.guilty The National Justice Museum is based in Nottingham’s former Shire Hall and County Gaol, a Grade II* listed building featuring a Victorian criminal and civil courtroom, an Edwardian police station and exhibitions exploring the fascinating history of justice. We house historically significant collections of over 40,000 objects that cover the history of the British Criminal Justice System. On our social media channels, we share stories from our building’s true crime history, as well as news about our upcoming events and exhibitions on the complex and multi-faceted themes of social justice. All of this content is created with the help of our expert team of historians, researchers, and curators. We like sharing our stories with you and encouraging conversation and debate. We would ask people engaging with us to be kind and respectful to each other, our staff, and those working with us. We reserve the right to hide or block comments that breach our social media policy. If you would like to report a comment or post, please message us, or use Facebook's reporting tools. View our Social Media Moderation Policy here: https://www.nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk/museum/social-media-moderation-policy

Please note that comments made by others do not represent the views of the National Justice Museum.

This autumn, book a great day out for all your family with a joint ticket.Take part in a mock trial and witness a public...
19/10/2026

This autumn, book a great day out for all your family with a joint ticket.

Take part in a mock trial and witness a public ex*****on performance here at the museum. And with over five floors, our building houses a Victorian courtroom, a Georgian gaol, and cells dating back hundreds of years for everyone to explore.

Then head down to the City of Caves, where you can discover the largest publicly accessible section of this vast underground network of caves in Nottingham. And with our new annual pass, you can return to both attractions for free for 12 months!

Pre-book your family pass via our website today to avoid queues this half term.

https://www.nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk/museum

Welcome to the Advocates Suite, a bright, light-filled meeting space combining contemporary comfort with elegant period ...
18/10/2026

Welcome to the Advocates Suite, a bright, light-filled meeting space combining contemporary comfort with elegant period features, ideal for meetings, workshops and training sessions.

Depending on your requirements, you can seat 18 in a boardroom layout or 16 in a U-shape.

In addition to hosting an unforgettable event, hiring space at the National Justice Museum has a long-lasting, positive impact on the future of this great building, because the money raised from your hire of our spaces goes directly into maintaining the museum, the City of Caves and our learning programme.

Would this be the room for you?

https://www.nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk/museum/hire

Get creative this autumn with our Make It Yours sessions!We have a great range of free Friday workshops to explore new s...
18/10/2026

Get creative this autumn with our Make It Yours sessions!

We have a great range of free Friday workshops to explore new skills, meet artists and makers, and help to shape our museum through creativity. Check out the selection of workshops on our website.

We’d love to see what you make during your workshop. Tag us in your photos!
https://bit.ly/NJMMakeItYours

17/10/2026

New for 2026, immerse yourself in the grim history of justice, punishment, and ex*****on.

Experience 3 spine-chilling stories through dramatic storytelling, music, and song that still echo through our historic courtroom.

The Killer Chronicles invites you to listen to these true tales of gruesome crimes. Will we see you there?

https://www.nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk/museum/events/killer-chronicles

Half term is here, and we’ve got activities to keep the whole family entertained!Get hands-on with history in special ob...
16/10/2026

Half term is here, and we’ve got activities to keep the whole family entertained!

Get hands-on with history in special object-handling sessions in the Shire Hall or try your hand at some loom weaving. Take part in a mock trial and witness a public ex*****on performance here at the museum. And with our annual pass, there’s always something to keep you coming back!

If you are looking to spend the whole day in Nottingham, why not book onto one of our Kids’ Ghost Hunter Tours, perfect for children aged 5-11 years old. These take place on select days at 5pm during half term.

We need to help our overworked Ghost Hunter catch the pesky ghosts which are causing mayhem throughout the museum.

With activities running from Tuesday 20 - Friday 30 October, what takes your fancy?

https://www.nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk/museum/events/october_half_term

16/10/2026

Can work change a life?

Our exhibition, Working Through It, explores how the role of work in prison has changed. Using a striking combination of objects and historical photographs from the National Justice Museum’s collections, this exhibition explores the evolution of prison work from historical punitive, pointless tasks to modern-day skills development and rehabilitation.

It questions the use and exploitation of forced labour and asks whether work can help someone change their life.

See the exhibition in our free galleries until January 2027.
https://www.nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk/museum/events/working-through-it

Are you brave enough to walk the halls of a real Victorian gaol after nightfall?What might be waiting for you in the dar...
15/10/2026

Are you brave enough to walk the halls of a real Victorian gaol after nightfall?

What might be waiting for you in the darkness...?

This spooky season, you are invited to our immersive scare event, Fright Night: Dead Man Walking. Step into our historic gaol, with live actors and jump scares. You’ll experience twisted tales, disturbing encounters, and dark corridors filled with tension, terror… and maybe something worse.

And whatever you do, stay alert. Someone is down there. Someone who doesn’t want you to leave...

https://www.nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk/museum/events/fright-night

Are you a true crime lover? We have one last Crime Club in 2026!In November, discover the stories of Victorian female cr...
14/10/2026

Are you a true crime lover? We have one last Crime Club in 2026!

In November, discover the stories of Victorian female criminals who passed through our gaol, the punishments they endured as part of their sentences, and the women tasked with keeping them in line.

Thursday 19 November 2026, at 6pm, tickets £16.50 full price/£15.50 concessions.

Discover Nottingham’s Victorian past this November at the final Crime Club of the year: Women in Victorian Prisons.

https://www.nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk/museum/events/crime-club-women-in-victorian-prison

As our current Chair prepares to step down in March 2027, following a successful decade leading the Board, the museum is...
13/10/2026

As our current Chair prepares to step down in March 2027, following a successful decade leading the Board, the museum is seeking its next Chair to help shape an exciting new chapter for the organisation.

The Chair will champion excellent governance and provide thoughtful, collaborative leadership to the Board, while acting as an influential ambassador for the museum with funders, partners, government and the wider cultural sector. At a time of opportunity and change, the Chair will play a key role in helping the museum strengthen its resilience, extend its reach and maximise its impact.

The closing date for applications is Monday 2nd November 2026.

For more information, please visit: https://www.nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk/museum/jobs

Address

The Lace Market, High Pavement
Nottingham
NG11

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+441159520555

Website

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