Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum
A Victorian seaside villa museum on East Cliff, combining lavish interior decoration with a global collection that includes Japanese art and Pre-Raphaelite paintings.
The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum was originally East Cliff Hall, a birthday present that hotelier Sir Merton Russell-Cotes gave his wife in 1901. It blends Italian, Scottish baronial, and Moorish styles, and its painted ceilings, mosaics, and stained glass are well preserved. The collections the couple gathered on their travels around the world are displayed here. The Japanese lacquerware, armor, and Noh theatre masks are especially renowned. The gallery holds Pre-Raphaelite paintings, including works by Rossetti, and Victorian-era paintings. The rear garden overlooks the bay and the harbor, and there is a café on site. Admission is about £9, and the museum is closed on Mondays. It is about a 5-minute walk from the harbor.
Opening hours
Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00; closed Mondays
Nearby sights
- Bournemouth Lower Gardens
- St Peter's Church, Bournemouth
- Oceanarium Bournemouth
- Bournemouth Beach & Pier
- Alum Chine
- Boscombe Pier
- Compton Acres
- Sandbanks Beach