# List of museums in Cumbria

This list of museums in Cumbria, England contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit art galleries and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included.
To use the sortable table, click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order.
| Name | Town/City | Type | Summary |
| Abbot Hall Art Gallery | Kendal | Art | Collections include George Romney, J. M. W. Turner, 18th and 19th century watercolours, and modern paintings |
| Armitt Library | Ambleside | Multiple | Local history, natural history, features over 450 watercolours by Beatrix Potter of archaeological and zoological subjects |
| Beacon Museum, Whitehaven | Whitehaven | Multiple | website, local history, art, industry, natural history, maritime heritage |
| Beatrix Potter Gallery | Hawkshead | Art | Operated by the National Trust, original sketches and watercolours by Beatrix Potter for her books |
| Birdoswald Roman Fort | Gilsland | Archaeology | Excavated Roman fort |
| Blackwell | Bowness-on-Windermere | Historic house | Arts and Crafts Movement style house from the turn-of-the-20th century, with period rooms, art exhibits |
| Brantwood | Coniston | Historic house | Home and museum of art critic John Ruskin, art displays, gardens and grounds |
| Brougham Hall | Brougham | Historic house | Restored country house with local history exhibits |
| Carlisle Castle | Carlisle | Military | Operated by English Heritage, historic fortress and museum of the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment |
| Dalemain Estate | Ullswater | Historic house | Medieval, Tudor and early Georgian house and Lake District gardens |
| Dalton Castle | Dalton-in-Furness | Local | Operated by the National Trust, 14th century peel tower with displays of local history |
| Derwent Island House | Keswick | Historic house | Operated by the National Trust, 18th-century house on an island, open only a few days a year by timed ticket |
| Derwent Pencil Museum | Keswick | Industry | Pencil making |
| Dock Museum | Barrow-in-Furness | Local | Local history, shipbuilding, steel industry, World War II bombings |
| Dove Cottage | Grasmere | Historic house | A home and museum of poet William Wordsworth |
| Guildhall Museum, Carlisle | Carlisle | Historic House | website, 1407 building with items related to Guilds |
| Haig Colliery Mining Museum | Whitehaven | Mining | Coal mining |
| Hawkshead Grammar School Museum | Hawkshead | Education | Historic school dating back to the 17th century |
| Helena Thompson Museum | Workington | Multiple | website, period rooms, costumes, decorative arts, local history, industry, culture, agriculture |
| Heron Corn Mill | Beetham | Mill | Working 18th-century watermill |
| Hill Top | Near Sawrey | Historic house | Operated by the National Trust, home of children's author Beatrix Potter |
| Holker Hall | Grange-over-Sands | Historic house | Large country house and gardens |
| Hub of the North Pennines Museum | Alston | Multiple | website, vintage cars, motorbikes, bicycles, local history, agriculture, model railroad |
| Hutton in the Forest | Penrith | Historic house | Medieval manor house and gardens |
| Kendal Museum | Kendal | Multiple | Local history, culture, archaeology, geology, local and world natural history, Roman Britain, Ancient Egypt |
| Keswick Museum and Art Gallery | Keswick | Multiple | Local history, natural history, minerals, art, collection of oddities |
| Lakeland Motor Museum | Backbarrow | Automotive | Classic automobiles and memorabilia |
| Laurel and Hardy Museum | Ulverston | Biographical | website, comedy team Laurel and Hardy |
| Levens Hall | Kendal | Historic house | Manor house, topiary garden, steam vehicle and engine collection |
| Maryport Maritime Museum | Maryport | Maritime | website, Maryport's maritime and painting history, also industry, social and political history |
| Millom Discovery Centre | Millom | Local | Period store displays, iron mining, rural trades, 19th century miner's cottage, agriculture, archaeology, poet Norman Nicholson, local history |
| Mirehouse | Keswick | Historic house | 17th-century house and gardens with connections to Lord Tennyson, Edward Fitzgerald, Thomas Carlyle and William Wordsworth |
| Muncaster Castle | Ravenglass | Historic house | Decorated castle, gardens |
| Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry | Kendal | Multiple | Local history, period rooms, agriculture, mining, Arts & Crafts movement, costumes |
| Nenthead Mines Heritage Centre | Nenthead | Mining | website, mineral mining past of the North Pennines, lead and zinc mine, equipment, buildings |
| Norman Centre | Appleby-in-Westmorland | History | website, castle keep with interactive experience |
| Penrith and Eden Museum | Penrith | Local | website, local history, geology, archaeology |
| Quaker Tapestry | Kendal | Religious | 77 embroidered panels illustrating the history of the Quakers from the 17th century to the present |
| Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway | Ravenglass | Railway | Heritage railway and museum at the station |
| Rheged Centre | Penrith | Art | website, attraction with galleries for art and photography, also 3D films, shops, play areas |
| Rum Story | Whitehaven | Industry | Story of the rum trade and the creation of rum, located in an original 1785 trading shop and warehouses |
| Ruskin Museum | Coniston | Local | Local history, copper mining, slate, geology, lace, farming, art critic John Ruskin, car and motorboat racer Donald Campbell |
| Rydal Mount | Ambleside | Historic house | A home and museum of poet William Wordsworth |
| Senhouse Roman Museum | Maryport | Archaeology | website, site of the Roman fort Alauna, artifacts |
| Sir John Barrow Cottage | Ulverston | Historic house | Birthplace of statesman Sir John Barrow, 1st Baronet, currently closed |
| Sizergh Castle & Garden | Helsington | Historic house | Operated by the National Trust, medieval castle, stately home and garden, woodlands |
| Solway Aviation Museum | Carlisle | Aviation | Located at the Carlisle Lake District Airport, World War II aviation and local aviation history |
| Solway Coast Discovery Centre | Silloth | Local | website, local history, culture, natural history, art gallery |
| Stott Park Bobbin Mill | Newby Bridge | Industry | Operated by English Heritage, former bobbin mill with preserved engines |
| Threlkeld Quarry & Mining Museum | Threlkeld | Mining | website, former microgranite quarry, exhibits, tools and artifacts from area mines |
| Townend | Troutbeck | Historic house | Operated by the National Trust, wealthy farming family's house |
| Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery | Carlisle | Multiple | Contemporary and historic art, decorative art, costumes and textiles, natural history, archaeology, Roman Britain, Carlisle's social history |
| Windermere Jetty: Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories | Windermere | Maritime | Boat collection and "the sights, smells and sounds of life on the lake" |
| Wordsworth House | Cockermouth | Historic house | Operated by the National Trust, 18th century Georgian townhouse, childhood home of poet William Wordsworth |
| World in Miniature Museum | Houghton | Toy | website, collection of miniature furnished room displays |

## Defunct museums

* Cars of the Stars Motor Museum, Keswick, closed in 2011
* Cumberland Toy and Model Museum, Cockermouth, website
* Florence Mine Heritage Centre, Egremont
* James Bond Museum, Keswick, closed in 2011
* Keswick Mining Museum, Cotehill, website
* Lanternhouse International, Ulverston, website
* RAF Millom Museum, closed in 2010