The Cottage Museum

What it’s like

A tiny 18th-century cottage in Lancaster you can look round for £2, with kids under 18 free.

This is a small, old cottage tucked into Lancaster that's been kept as a museum, and it's the sort of place you pop into for half an hour rather than plan a whole day around. It only opens on Saturday afternoons, 1pm to 4pm, so you can't just turn up on a whim midweek and expect the door open.

At £2 for an adult and free for anyone under 18, it's cheap enough that you won't feel bad if the visit is a short one. If you're planning on seeing Lancaster's other museums too, the Multipass is worth a look: £8 for a week or £10 for the year gets you into the Maritime Museum and City Museum as well, which stacks up quickly if you're making a proper day of it.

Worth knowing before you go: there are no toilets or running water on site, so sort that out beforehand. The building itself is genuinely old, which means small tight staircases, dark rooms and uneven floors, with no lifts or ramps anywhere. That's charming if you fancy the authentic feel of an old cottage, but it makes it a tricky one for buggies or wheelchairs, and it's cash only on the door.

Parking is on-street pay and display opposite, or one of the car parks within walking distance. Given the Saturday-only hours, it's the kind of stop you slot in alongside other Lancaster plans rather than a destination on its own.

Facilities

Need to know

Parking

Limited on-street pay & display parking opposite the Cottage

Wheelchairs

Very limited accessibility. Small tight staircases, dark areas, uneven floors

• No toilets or running water on site, so go before you arrive
• Cash only, no card payments
• The Multipass (£8 weekly, £10 annual) covers this plus the Maritime and City Museums if you're doing more than one
• Under-18s get in free

Plan your visit

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