Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery
The imposing red-brick exterior looks every inch the Victorian museum, but a £24-million revamp has brought the exhibits bang up to date. Interactive displays focus on Exeter's heritage from prehistory to the present, as well as global exploration and the concept of collecting. Look out for Exeter's Roman-era artefacts, local Tudor carvings and the striking ethnographic displays, which include African masks, samurai armour and the mummy of Shep en-Mut.
RAMM’s world-class collections and ambitious programming ensure that the museum is a place of discovery which encourages everyone to be curious, and inspires us to shape a better future.
The Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery is a service of Exeter City Council, its major funder. RAMM is also an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Following a major redevelopment project, in 2012 RAMM received the UK’s most significant sector award, the Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year. Explore below to find out more about RAMM.
The history of RAMM
RAMM’s distinctive façade – a mosaic of local stone – has been a much-loved Exeter landmark for over 150 years. Its architect, John Hayward, was inspired by medieval churches to include arches, columns, tracery and even a rose window. His design captured the Victorians’ love of the Middle Ages in the style known as Gothic Revival.
From 2007 to 2011, RAMM underwent a major redevelopment, primarily funded by Exeter City Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. A new gallery, entrance and courtyard were designed by the architectural firm of Allies and Morrison. In 2012, RAMM won the Art Fund prize for Museum of the Year.