Welcome to the Tavistock Museum Website
We are a town and community museum situated at the historic Court Gate in the centre of Tavistock. Our exhibitions and stories will fascinate the whole family!

There’s plenty to discover at Tavistock Museum!
- Explore the history of Tavistock’s once magnificent Medieval Abbey.
- Find out why local hero Sir Francis Drake is now such a controversial figure.
- Discover how the town lost its two railway stations.
- Learn how the Tamar Valley and Tavistock came to form part of the Mining Landscape World Heritage Site.

Tavistock Museum is run by a charitable trust and staffed by a dedicated team of volunteers. Could you spare some time to help out with our town and community museum? Find out how you could get involved!
What's Happening?
80th Commemoration of D Day - From Tavistock to Omaha Beach
In 1943, planning began for the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare. Originally codenamed Operation Neptune, this invasion would be a crucial part of what came to be known as D-Day, with 5,000 ships and landing crafts involved. On 6th June 1944, more than 150,000 troops landed on five beaches in Normandy – the result of unprecedented cooperation between international armed forces. By 1944, over two million troops from over a dozen countries were in Britain in preparation for the invasion.
2024 marks 80 years since the D-Day landings commenced – a pivotal point of the War, which ultimately began the process through which victory was achieved by the allies. To mark the anniversary, our museum’s new exhibit explores Tavistock’s involvement in the historic invasion.


The Railways of Tavistock
These days, the North station buildings have been converted into holiday accommodation and the South station has gone completely. Even the access road has been replaced by another, which now leads to the town’s fire station, police station, clinics and public service buildings.
Our exhibit will allow you to explore this bygone era of rail travel.
Greetings From Tavistock - The Changing Face of the Town in Postcards
Today, thanks partly to a craze in the early 1900s for sending and collecting postcards, many old examples survive in excellent condition, despite their age. Some became part of collections that were never posted. Others provide fascinating insights to the types of messages sent home to loved ones – anything from “I love you” to “the weather was very disagreeable indeed during my visit!”
Tavistock Museum holds an enviable collection of postcard images, several of which will be displayed as part of this exhibition.


Arabella Buckley - Victorian Science Writer
Arabella had no formal education but learnt about natural sciences and became one of Charles Darwin’s closest friends. Her best known books are The Fairy-Land of Science (1879), Winners In Life’s Race (1893) and Eyes and No Eyes (1903).
Come and find out more about Arabella and her life in our new exhibition.
How to Find Us
Opening Times
11 am – 3 pm Tuesday – Saturday from 1 April to 31 October 2025.
All other times by prior arrangement only.
We welcome school visits – please contact us to arrange your trip!