Events at Bristol's museums
Enjoy the best exhibitions and displays in Bristol
Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives work with historians, photographers and artists to offer large-scale and exciting exhibitions.
Come and explore the natural wonders of Bristol and learn about the region, from prehistoric times to present day, by joining in with the upcoming fun and exciting events on offer. There truly is something for everyone to discover!
Warrior Treasures: Saxon Gold from the Staffordshire Hoard
22 October – 23 April 2017
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
Set within a mysterious forest enter Warrior Treasures to be captivated by a dazzling collection of gold, silver and semi-precious gems from Anglo-Saxon weaponry.
Damaged and fragmentary, these superbly crafted fittings were discarded, but who buried them? And did they intend to come back for them?
The collection is part of the Staffordshire Hoard – the greatest ever find of Anglo-Saxon gold. It almost certainly represents the spoils of war, fought in an ancient kingdom during the 7th century AD.
Get up close to these magnificent treasures and discover how a sword was more than a weapon - it revealed a warrior’s status, wealth, family and even religious beliefs.
Skeletons: Our Buried Bones
8 April – 3 September 2017
M Shed
Twelve human skeletons from Bristol and London, each with a unique story to tell.
A young man, buried without ceremony in South Gloucestershire 3,500 years ago. A Roman couple found in a single stone coffin and a girl from a Victorian burial ground.
They reflect society’s rich and varied past and the changing face of the places we live and work in today.
Alongside the exhibition, an exploratory space reveals some of the science behind the stories. Test your knowledge of bones; search for hidden clues to analyse skeletons yourself; and hear from experts of the excavation site, lab and museum.
A touring exhibition from Museum of London and Wellcome Trust. Please note this exhibition contains human remains.
Pliosaurus!
17 June – 7 January 2018
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
Let’s take you back in time, 150 million years ago to be precise…
Bristol is now a Jurassic ocean teeming with extraordinary creatures! The biggest and fiercest of all was the huge marine reptile, the pliosaur (Pliosaurus carpenteri).
The length of a bus with sharp teeth the size of bananas, four huge flippers and crushingly powerful jaws, the pliosaur was the ultimate predator and would have swam over Bristol. There is nothing alive like them today.
Dive into the Jurassic deep this summer and come face to face with a giant who was anything but gentle. Will you dare to look inside her mouth or listen to her heartbeat?
After going back in time and meeting the beast, we’ll bring you back to the present day to see one of the world’s most complete pliosaur fossils.
Aimed at 3-11 year olds, this exhibition offers a range of activities to investigate how this special creature lived and died.
For further information on all of the above events, opening hours and contact information please visit the Bristol's museums website
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