The National Horse Racing Museum
The National Horse Racing Museum occupies part of the buildings that were known as the Subscription Rooms which were a focal point of Newmarket and consequently are steeped in history.
In the middle of the nineteenth century, the betting men would meet at the Subscription Rooms after racing. Beneath the lovely lantern window, still in the ceiling of Gallery 1, and amidst columns and pilaster reminiscent of the Regency period, heavy gamblers like George Payne, Sir Joseph Hawley and the reckless Marquess of Hastings wagered on forthcoming events. Outside the doors of the Rooms a large crowd would wait eager to learn from the emerging members which horses were being backed.
The Garden Club:
The Museum's gardens, adjacent to the Café, are a wonderful place for relaxation and refreshment hidden behind the busy High Street. The Museum is looking for volunteers to form a working group to look after and develop the gardens to the benefit of all our potential visitors. A regular commitment of a couple of hours a week is requested in order to create an efficient rosta and acceptable work load for all.
The Practical Gallery
The Museum’s Practical Gallery is hands-on. The visitor can even experience the thrill of riding a winner! You can dress up in racing silks before weighing out and riding the Museum’s horse simulator – as used by jockeys and apprentices for practice. For the record you can then pose in front of the winner’s blanket.
Learn about the horse, tack up our model horse with expert guidance from our staff who will also be happy to talk about the daily routine in a trainers yard. The Museum prides itself with the living history oral sessions it is able to give visitors.
VISITORS INFORMATION:
Open Daily (including Bank Holidays) from Monday 1st March until Sunday 31st October 2010.
11-00am to 4-30pm (last admission at 4-00pm)
Open at 10-00am on Newmarket race days.
| Admission prices for 2010 |
| Adults |
£6.00 |
| Concessions |
£5.00 |
| Children (under 16 years) |
£3.00 |
| Family ticket(2 adults + 2 children) |
£13.00 |
| 10% reduction for pre-booked groups of 20+ |
The Museum is situated near the centre of Newmarket on the High Street adjacent to the Jockey Club buildings and Page's Jewellery shop and Hughes Electrical Store and opposite the Thing-Me-Bobs Store. The nearest car parks are marked in blue.
Newmarket is served by trains from Ipswich and Cambridge and buses from London Victoria, Stansted, Cambridge and Great Yarmouth.
There is disabled access for wheelchairs to the Museum shop, café and galleries.
There is an elevator lift in the Practical Gallery which takes you up to the British Sporting Art Trust galleries and exhibition.
Address:
The National Horse Racing Museum
99 High Street,
Newmarket
Post code: CB8 8JH