Hertford is a place that is recommended to everyone who wishes to have a great day out relaxed and welcoming. During our visit today, we found this museum whilst on route to the very reasonably priced car park. Going inside, we were greeted by a lovely lady, who had injured her arm previously, to greet us with a warm smile and welcoming attitude.

My three children can be loud at times but this lady did not judge or look down at us. She looked at them as welcoming guests to the museum and a valued visitor. My son Christopher has a condition known as ADHD, which can make him hyper, loud, mood swings and sometimes hard to predict. The lady at the desk did not see this a problem and continued to entertain them with the options available.

The children had the chance to take a mystery bucket or a clipboard where they can look for clues or even both. This was free as the children chose the buckets with the animal teddy bears and discovery kit. We started our tour into the first room to discover animals and an interesting x-ray of a mummified animal (I believe it to be).

The information shown here was certainly fascinating as the children started to name the animals shown. My lovely children were learning as they continue upstairs into the garden. The garden has been well preserved and looked after as my children searched for bugs or anything that was a mystery. As we sat down to watch them, you would admire the view that this garden was offering, giving you a relaxing atmosphere and no pressure to leave.

Going back indoors, we had, unfortunately, came on the wrong day to attend the activity centre, which was closed. This did not stop the fun as we ventured back into the room to discover there was an upstairs to the museum. As you enter this room, you get greeted by the old fashion items that were once used and no longer now. There was an old fashion phone, which I fixed (screw was loose) for the children to use.

There was a book next to the phone that would show you the faces of the people who helped towards the great name Hertford. With a brief description, there was would be a number to dial. Using the old fashion phone, you simply dial the number shown and listen to this person speak to you about the past. My two boys had loved every moment of this as they explained to me about the stories they were told on this phone.

There were many items showing you the past on the wall near this, dating back many years. With items on show, you can imagine the times when Hertford was a different place and what life must have been like during these times. Continuing the tour, you would see more old items and areas of the days gone for Hertford.

For me personally, being a train fan, I found the stories of the gentlemen that worked on the trains to be fascinating. Again, using a phone and pushing the button, I listened to one gentleman explain about a time when they drank the odd beer but never got drunk. The reason being was the heat of the train and the workload would make you sweat the drink out. The sound of these men was of pride, excitement and happiness to do a job they loved, wow what a feeling.

To my amazement, the museum had a hidden joy just around the corner. I could hear my children laughing very loudly and have a great deal of fun. I was so pleased to see that the museum had set up an old fashion shop for the children to role play. Excellent!! My daughter was charging my sons £100 for some cheese...hehehe, which was such a joy to watch. They loved every moment of this as they believed they were getting the very best deals.

This part of the room also shows you the medals of the war hero's and the old items once made. There are many items on show and the feeling within the museum is warm and welcoming. There is also another area to view on the left-hand side of the entrance showing you some excellent information about the history. I will certainly make another visit to this location, which I must add is free. If you want a place where you can relax, read, learn and allow your children to be creative, then this is the place for you.

You can also buy many items from the small gift shop that offers you the view of the history of Hertford. I personally got the three DVD's showing the history and some items that my children will enjoy. I would like to thank the council and the staff for such a wonderful place to visit.

My daughters and I visited the Hertford Museum on March 16, 2017. We visited Hertford because the co-founder of Hartford, CT,, where we live, Samuel Stone, was raised there. The museum provided a nice history of the market town, with many fascinating displays detailing the various periods of the towns development. The museum staff was very friendly and provided a free town map with recommendations of what to see and do. The museum is small and can easily be seen in less than an hour. I highly recommend a visit!

I dropped in with my 7 year old and he found enough to entertain him for an hour. We undertook the task sheet available at the front desk to guide us around the museum in search of answers to questions. This added structure to our visit and made it very engaging.

What a lovely little Museum - great Victorian - era taxidermy- including a Platypus - through to a beautiful little courtyard garden that showcases a 1577 garden design. Clean toilets a bonus too.

I've recently moved to Hertford and I found this little museum by chance. It's great! It's free to get in. And, it is stuffed full of the most interesting information about Hertford and local and global artefacts. I took a score off as it was baking. But otherwise I strongly recommend and I'll be going back when the weather is cooler.

We went to this museum as we live in the town, but didn't know that much about the town's history. The museum is well worth a visit. There is plenty to see and according to museum staff, only a fraction of their collection is on display at any one time. That's quite impressive as there is a lot on display already.

It's an attraction that's good for people with kids as well, as they can learn about Hertford's history in relation to the 2nd World War and prior.
The staff sometimes dress up in historical clothing to bring history to life, which makes it more interesting for children.

Such a beautiful place enchanted grounds the building is grand and has a lot of historical information to see, the town it self is a pictorial small town that bless in perfectly with the Hertford museum. Take a trip down to the museum doe d the whole day in Hertford and book a show at the theatre have a meal in the local town centre enjoy this lovely charming town you won't regret it.

They should make more of the castle its importance in History , for being used a temporary parliament & being a royal borough.

Amazing venue, amazing staff & can't thank Jackie enough for making our day so special. Everything we could have asked for & more!

We just did a quick stroll through the gardens as the castle itself is not open to the public. A lot of good photo opportunities on the grounds. If you have some time in Hertford, take a look around.