Exhibitions

The museum has a wide variety of objects on display in both permanent and temporary exhibitions. The permanent exhibitions tell the story of people in County Down from the Middle Stone Age to the present day, show some of the natural history you might see in the county and explain the buildings themselves.

The extensive temporary exhibition programme allows us to use different objects from our collection. In one major temporary exhibition and perhaps two smaller exhibitions each year, we cover many different themes, from domestic life to the world of work, art, childhood, farming, fashion, sport, transport and war. Artwork and photographic images are used in these exhibitions as well as in exhibitions in their own right. Some exhibitions have commemorated events or people, such as Edward Hincks, the 1798 Rising, the National Health Service and the Victorians. Competitions such as mystery objects have always proved popular! Most of these exhibitions are initiated, designed and installed by our own staff but occasionally we take a travelling exhibition from another museum if it is relevant and particularly interesting. Because ours is a registered museum, meeting professional standards of collections care, we are also able to borrow objects from other museums. This not only fills gaps in our own collection but enables visitors to see objects with a County Down connection from further afield..

Many of the temporary exhibition texts are available for use by schools or members of the public. Please contact Lesley Simpson, Keeper of Collections or Madeleine McAllister, Assistant Keeper for help. A small charge is made for copies. So, whenever you visit, there is likely to be something different to see.

 

Current Exhibitions