A visitor studies a brightly lit glass cabinet of preserved specimens in jars in a museum display.
Gallery with portraits displayed on white metal partitions against green walls and a parquet floor.
Busy modern café with blue chairs and high white ceilings where people sit and talk beneath hanging decorative sculptures and linear ceiling lights.
A person crouches between white shelving aisles inspecting stacks of silver film canisters in an archival storage room.
A brown woolly mammoth with long curved tusks stands in a dimly lit museum gallery beside animal skeletons.
Museum

The Box, Plymouth

Plymouth
Free to all

With a National Art Pass you get

Art Fund Museum of the Year
Find out more
Museum of the Year 2026 finalist

The Box is Plymouth’s flagship museum, gallery and archive with an extensive collection of over two million items.

Close to Plymouth’s centre, The Box is a popular cultural destination spotlighting people, art and stories.

Explore the permanent galleries

A series of permanent galleries showcase an extensive collection exploring archaeology, natural history, fine and decorative arts, world cultures, photography, moving image, social and maritime history and local archives.

Impressive art collection

Highlights in the art collection include paintings by Plympton-born portrait artist Joshua Reynolds, works by the Newlyn, St Ives and Camden Town schools and the largest collection of Plymouth and Bristol porcelain in the UK. Growing collections of contemporary art and craft include artists Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, George Shaw, Somaya Critchlow and Zadie Xa, and makers Naoki Takeyama, David Clarke and Paul Scott.

Exhibitions and events

The Box’s permanent collection galleries are complemented by an ambitious programme of changing exhibitions and events throughout the year.

Make a day of it

Refuel at the Kitchen & Bar or pack your own food to enjoy in the dedicated picnic space. You can also purchase a range of gorgeous prints and locally sourced products from the shop.

Exclusive benefit for National Art Pass holders

To celebrate being a Museum of the Year 2026 finalist, National Art Pass holders get 10% off in The Box Kitchen & Bar and shop, and access to special and discounted events. Valid until 25 June.

Visitor information

Address

The Box, Plymouth

Tavistock Place, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AX
01752 304774

Free to all

Opening times

10am-5pm Tuesday to Sunday and selected bank holidays.

The Box are pleased to offer Art Fund members the following benefits during the Museum of the Year campaign:

10% in The Box Kitchen & Bar and The Box’s onsite shop from Monday 20 April until Thursday 25 June (10am-5pm Tuesday-Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays)

10% off The Box’s ‘In Conversation: Lisa Reihana and Dr James Fox’ event on Thursday 14 May – select Concessions/Members rate when you book online

An exclusive curator-led tour of The Box’s Beryl Cook: Pride and Joy exhibition for just £10 from 12.30-2pm on Monday 11 and 18 May. Limited places available – please email jo.clarke@plymouth.gov.uk to receive a booking link

Exclusions and safety measures

The Box is free with no need to book.

Visitor information