The King's Own gallery at the City Museum tells the story of the Regiment from the 1660s to the 1960s. Highlights include a unique captain’s uniform from the 1760s – the oldest, most complete, British army uniform in the world.
WW1 displays. Photo by Robin Zahler.
The regimental gallery was opened in 1929, and the original collections were formed from historic items kept by the various battalions of the Regiment. Some objects date back to the very early days of the Regiment in the late 17th Century. In the 1930s a sizeable collection of objects, archives, books and photographs was built up.
During the Second World War the museum was closed and the collections were moved into storage, while the building (the former Lancaster Town Hall) was used by the Canadian Treasury. After the war the museum re-opened and continued to expand its collections.
Today, the museum team and Trustees are looking to address aspects of the colonial era legacy of the regiment. Our recent Abyssinia Project, funded through the Heritage Lottery, has researched and reinterpreted objects taken during the Abyssinian campaign in 1868.
For more about the collection and the history of the regiment visit www.kingsownmuseum.com.
To plan your visit, read on!
Opening Times
Monday
10:30 – 16:00
Tuesday
10:30 – 16:00
Wednesday
CLOSED
Thursday
CLOSED
Friday
10:30 – 16:00
Saturday
10:30 – 16:00
Sunday
10:30 – 16:00
OPEN on all Spring & Summer Bank Holidays. Closed Christmas and New Year.
Please check the web pages for our other museums to see their opening days and times, as each museum is different.
Admission
Entry to the King's Own is included with standard tickets for Lancaster City Museum:
Annual Multipass £10 - Huge savings for regular visitors to the district!
Important Notes
DOGS: Assistance dogs only. Other dogs are not permitted in the museum. Even well-behaved dogs are curious, and they sometimes need the loo. We can’t risk it for the sake of our fragile museum objects, which might get knocked over by a very waggy tail - and for other visitors who may be nervous around dogs.
CHILDREN: Must be accompanied by a responsible adult or obtain a Young Person's Pass (details above).
What's On
Great War Society interactive show & tell event.
Military Show & Tell
The King's Own gallery at Lancaster City Museum hosts regular hands-on 'show & tell' demonstrations with military equipment from different eras.
These sessions are included with standard museum admission. Suitable for all ages, no need to book.
From our rolling programme of exhibitions to talks, tours, kids' craft sessions and more, you can find details of events and activities at all of our museums here:
There are cycle parking stands in front of the museum in Market Square and behind the museum in New Street. Please dismount your bike when you enter the pedestrian area.
Toilets: There are NO public toilets or baby changing facilities available on site. The closest public toilets are located in the Marketgate Shopping Centre. These include an accessible toilet requiring a RADAR key. Keys are available for sale in the museum shop.
Wheelchairaccess: the main part of the King's Own Regimental Museum is accessible via ramps and a stairlift rated for 250kg. The small mezzanine area (including displays of medals & silverware) is accessible via a smaller domestic-style stairlift, but it is not possible to take wheelchairs up to this level. Please note that fire evacuation for wheelchair users relies on an Evac Chair and the presence of trained staff. This means that we are only able to provide access for one wheelchair user at a time to the regimental museum. You must also be able to transfer yourself into an Evac Chair in the event of an emergency.
Pushchairs: We can accommodate prams and pushchairs on the ground floor of the City Museum, but if you wish to take them upstairs to the King's Own Regimental gallery you will need to carry them. Alternatively please ask the museum assistant at reception where you can leave your pram on the ground floor.
Parking: There is Blue Badge parking in New Street, behind the museum. Please note we are in a pedestrian area, so other visitors will need to park elsewhere and walk to the museum. There are several pay and display car parks nearby.
Wheelchair available: ask a member of staff if you'd like to borrow it.
Digital Guide: The Lancaster City Museum guide is now LIVE on the Bloomberg Connects Arts and Culture app. Featuring exhibition highlights, interactive floor plans and audio guides, the app is designed with accessibility in mind. Visit our Bloomberg Connects page to find out more.
Access Hub: the City Museum has a dedicated corner where you can find out more about our access offer and borrow the resources you may require to enhance or support your visit, including sensory items, printed materials, magnifiers and more. Visit our Accessibility page to find out more.
We are currently developing a new way for those with visual impairments to enjoy our collections. Find out more here: Touch and See.
Download our Visual Story for a detailed walk-through of the City Museum including the King's Own gallery: City Museum Visual Story (PDF, 7MB)
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call or email the museum for more details before your visit: 01524 64637, kingsown@lancaster.gov.uk.
Visit our Accessibility page for more details on accessibility in all our museums.
NEW for 2026: The guide to Lancaster City Museum & the King's Own Museum is now LIVE on the Bloomberg Connects Arts and Culture app.
Download the guide anywhere and explore the museum at your leisure. It features exhibition highlights, interactive floor plans, audio guides, multi-lingual translations, and more. We'll be adding to this over time as well as creating new guides for our other museums.
If you plan to visit us with a group of 12 or more people, please look at our Group Visits page. We offer a range of options from simple self-guided visits to talks, tours and hands-on activities.
If you’d like to bring a school group or other educational group, please look at our Learning page. We offer a range of options from simple self-guided visits to full-day structured sessions.
Please be aware that the King's Own does not have a full-time team to respond to enquiries on a regular basis. It may take a little while for us to get back to you, but we will do so as soon as possible.
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