Chard Museum is a registered charity (No. 270186) set up in 1970. It is managed by a group of Trustees who, like all the workers involved with the Museum, are unpaid volunteers.
First registered under the Museums and Galleries Registration Scheme in 1990, it was awarded full Accreditation in April, 2006, one of the first volunteer-run museums in the South West to receive this recognition.

The Museum exhibitions have been expanded and improved steadily over the years and contain several collections of national importance including those of John Stringfellow (1799-1883), an early pioneer of powered flight, and James Gillingham (1839-1924) who was an important maker of artificial limbs.

Chard Museum is now open. It will close on Friday 30th October, 2009.

New for 2009 is a reorganised display on John Stringfellow who, in 1848, became the first person in the world to fly a heavier-than-air flying machine.
Also new will be a selection of recent acquisitions and a display on a local brush factory
Our display of 1960s costumes and accessories, including items by Christian Dior and Mary Quant (kindly loaned to the Museum by local people) will be on show again throughout the season.

The Museum is always pleased to receive visits from schools and teachers are welcome to make a free visit beforehand to look round the Museum. For details phone the Custodian on 01460 65091.
The Museum also has Resource Boxes on World War II and The Victorians which can be loaned to local schools. For more information phone 01460 64017.