Cabinet of Curiosities

Towneley Hall is full of secrets, mysteries and surprises. As you enter the hall you’ll be welcomed by some of Towneley’s weirdest and most wonderful objects set in the giant interactive Cabinet of Curiosities, which gives a taste of what’s in store in the hall.

The drawers, doors and peepholes of the Cabinet of Curiosities take you behind the scenes at Towneley Hall and offer a peek into all the strange and peculiar tales hidden within its walls, before you go on to take a tour of the hall.

In the cabinet there are holes to peep through, feely boxes for curious fingers to touch new things and interactive displays to encourage imaginations to run wild. There could be an elephant’s skull or a genuine shrunken head, a medal from World War One or a stuffed dormouse. You never know just what you will find.

Look closely, remember the things you’ve see or how they feel then collect a trail sheet and let your curiosity take you on a tour around the hall to discover some of the fascinating treasures that make Towneley such a fabulous place to explore.

A programme of major repairs to Towneley Hall will take place from October 2022 and will be completed in early 2025. Find out how the repair works will affect public access to the building and its appearance.

A reduced entry fee of £2.75 per adult is in place due to conservation building works taking place at Towneley Hall.

All areas of the Hall will be open to the public with the exception of the Regency Rooms, Medieval Long Gallery and Great Hall. Visitors will still be able to see the Victorian Kitchen and the stunning Art Gallery. The eclectic collections including an Egyptian Mummy, the Whalley Abbey Vestments, Lancashire-oak made furniture, Pilkington’s Pottery and the Towneley Bear are also still fully accessible.

Towneley Hall repairs plan