Wardown House, Museum & Gallery
Please note: Our upper galleries are reopening on Sunday, 14th of May and our café will be closed for a week from 21st May for essential maintenance. It will reopen on 28th May.
More than a museum. Who said time travel wasn’t real? Welcome to a wealthy family home in the Victorian era. Explore the rooms and let the house tell you its story!
Wardown House, Museum and Gallery is a Grade II listed building situated in the beautiful grounds of Wardown Park.
Formerly the home of the Scargill family, then a World War I military hospital, the house is now a museum. But not just any museum, this house transports you back in time, to a Victorian family home. Every room tells a story, with interactive displays, a treasure trove of local curiosities and the largest hat industry and headwear collection in the UK!
Our Morning Room art gallery displays inspiring exhibitions throughout the year and our Dining Room café, overlooking Wardown Park, serves up the most delicious coffee and cake . You can even treat yourself to an Afternoon Tea.
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If you enjoy visiting Wardown House Museum & Gallery, why not explore other museums Bedfordshire has to offer? Click here to see a map that shows the top 20 museums in the county. Bedfordshire Museums are varied to suit a wide range of interests and hobbies, so there is something to suit everyone, and each museum is unique. Download the map, and click on the links of museums that interest you to plan your trip.
Key Information
Facilities
Toilets
Fully accessible toilet facilities are located on the ground floor.
Breastfeeding Room
Want to breast feed in private? Our breastfeeding room, complete with a comfy chair and baby-changing table is available for your use.
Food & Drink
The Dining Room offers a delicious menu of light bites, lunch options and afternoon tea.
Gift Shop
Our gift shop combines traditional Victorian products with modern museum retail to create a charming range of gifts that will delight all ages. Taking original design features from the redevelopment of the house, these gifts are truly unique. Every item has a story to tell, even Pompey the Penguin our chosen house mascot! All gift shop profits go back into maintaining our heritage sites and keeping them free to enter.
Accessibility
A lift is available on the ground floor of the museum, taking you up to the first floor, to continue your journey through the house. Fully accessible toilets are also situated on the ground floor.
Getting here
Parking
We have two free car parks on site, one can be accessed via Old Bedford Road and the other via New Bedford Road. During the winter months, we recommend you use New Bedford Road, as the lighting is much better suited for darker conditions.
Train
The site is approximately 1 mile from Luton station. It’s a lovely walk on a summer’s day, but if you’d prefer to travel via cab, a taxi rank is located directly outside Luton station.
Bus
Hop aboard any of these buses from Luton Town Centre: 35, 41, 79, 81, 757, 755, 828, 829, 24, 24H, 25 and 26
Lived in Luton most of my life and found the museum very interesting. Found out things I didn't know about my own town. Nice coffee shop with some nice views. Looking forward to re - visiting again as the gardens will look lovely.
