About Us
We believe that history should be experienced by everyone.
Experience History is a free platform connecting people across the UK with museums, galleries, historic sites, heritage events, and local history communities.
Our story
Why Experience History exists
The United Kingdom has one of the richest and most varied heritage landscapes in the world. More than 2,500 museums and galleries. Thousands of historic sites. Hundreds of local history groups. Countless collections, stories, and objects that between them cover every period of human history and every corner of these islands.
And yet too many of those museums are hard to find. Too many collections sit unseen. Too many local history groups meet in relative obscurity, unknown to the very people who would love to join them. Too many history festivals and living history events go unadvertised beyond their immediate communities. Experience History exists to change that.
What we do
One platform. The whole heritage landscape.
At the heart of the platform is an interactive map — the most complete map of UK museums ever built. Search it by location, topic, or type of institution and you will find everything from the British Museum to a single-room local collection in a converted chapel. Every one of them matters. Every one of them deserves to be discovered.
Interactive Map
The most complete map of UK museums ever built. Searchable by location, topic, or institution type — from national collections to single-room local museums.
Local History Societies
A searchable directory of local history groups and societies, filterable by area, topic, and meeting format — helping people find communities that share their passion.
Events
Listings for history festivals, living history events, reenactments, heritage open days, and academic conferences — all in one place, searchable by date and region.
Collection Content
Rich content from museums and galleries across the UK — objects, stories, and insights that bring collections to life for audiences who may never visit in person.
Newsletter
A fortnightly newsletter connecting history enthusiasts with the museums, events, and communities that make the UK's heritage sector what it is.
The EH Awards
The annual Experience History Awards, celebrating excellence across the full breadth of the sector — from national institutions to volunteer-run local collections.
Why we built it
The information exists. It just isn't joined up.
If you live near a major city, finding a museum is easy. Google will give you several options within seconds. But if you live somewhere more rural, or if you are looking for something specific — a collection focused on a particular period, a family-friendly museum in an unfamiliar county, a local history group in a town you have just moved to — the experience quickly becomes frustrating, or even impossible.
The information exists. The museums, groups and events exist. They are just not joined up in a way that makes them easy to find.
We also noticed something else. The heritage sector, particularly its smaller end, struggles enormously with visibility. A volunteer-run museum with three rooms and an extraordinary collection of local photographs might have no marketing budget and no dedicated digital presence. A local history society with forty years of research behind it might have a website that has not been updated since 2009. A living history group running a genuinely brilliant public event might be reaching the same two hundred people every year because they have no way of reaching anyone else.
Experience History is our answer to both of those problems. A single, well-designed, easy-to-use platform that makes the whole of the UK's heritage landscape discoverable, and gives every institution, group, and event a genuine, affordable way to reach the audiences they deserve.
How we work
Working with museums & heritage organisations
Any museum, gallery, or heritage site in the UK can add a basic listing for free. We want the platform to be as complete as possible, and we never want cost to be the reason an institution is missing from the map.
Free Basic Listing
Any museum, gallery, or heritage site in the UK can add a free basic listing to the map. Cost is never the reason an institution is missing. Basic listings can also be submitted by visitors who want to put their favourite local museum on the map.
Full Listing Subscription
An affordable annual subscription unlocks a full listing with richer content, collection highlights, visitor information, images, and the tools to present your institution more fully — priced to be within reach of volunteer-run organisations and small independents.
Event Listings
History festivals, reenactment events, living history groups, and heritage event organisers can purchase time-limited listings that put their events in front of an engaged, self-selected audience actively looking for history-related experiences.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is Experience History free to use?
Yes. Visiting the platform, searching the map, browsing listings, and using the Local History directory are all completely free. There are no paywalls, no subscription requirements, and no advertising targeted at visitors.
How do museums get listed?
Any museum, gallery, or heritage site in the UK can add a free basic listing through the For Museums page. Upgraded full listings are available for an affordable annual fee.
Can anyone add a museum?
We should have most museums already on the map, but if you notice your local museum missing, you can submit it for listing. Basic listings can be submitted by anyone, including visitors who want to make sure their favourite local museum is on the map. All listings are reviewed before going live to ensure accuracy and quality.
How do I find a local history group near me?
Visit our Local History page and search by postcode, town, or region. You can filter by distance to find societies within a few miles of home.
How do I list a history event or festival?
Event organisers can purchase a time-limited listing through our Events page. Listings are available for history festivals, living history events, reenactments, heritage open days, conferences, and study days.
I've noticed an inaccuracy in a listing. How do I report it?
Use the Report an Error link on any listing page, or get in touch with us directly through the Contact page. We take the accuracy of our information seriously and will follow up on every report.
I represent a museum that would like to get involved. Who do I speak to?
First, head to our For Museums page. If you can't find what you're looking for, we'd love to hear from you — get in touch through our Contact page and a member of the team will come back to you promptly.
Add your museum to the map
Free to list. Easy to set up. Discoverable by thousands of history enthusiasts across the UK.