Coventry is a city famous for its many attractions. Being near the River Sherbourne, it gradually became a center of attention with infrastructures like the museums in Coventry.
The city is considered one of the more essential ones of England, due to its rich history and the amount of tourism it garners. However, we will discuss that in the latter half of the article.
In the first part of the article, we will go through some of the museums residing inside the beautiful city.
1. Best Museums in Coventry
1.1. Coventry Transport Museum
Coventry Transport and Motor Museum is one of the largest publicly owned collections of British vehicles to visit.
In addition to this, it is also filled to the limit with fun collections and should undoubtedly be the first one on your list.
Nevertheless, Coventry Transport Museum collections contain 14 galleries home to the fastest vehicles in the world.
Which in turn includes futuristic bicycles and transport champions. That also includes many of the marvels of engineering in vehicles of the last 200 years.
Attractions
Without a doubt, its most famous collection and the ones to celebrate include spectacular feats of British engineering and commercial vehicles.
During your visit, you can also see up close two of the fastest cars in the world, Thrust SSC and Thrust 2.
Official site- https://www.transport-museum.com/
1.2. Herbert Art Gallery
From contemporary art to portraits or exhibitions to social history talks. There is no limit to what galleries you can visit in one of the world’s greatest museums and galleries.
Furthermore, it hardly matters if you are an adult or a child to see the hidden beauty of the pieces. There is something for almost every single one of you.
Moreover, Herbert is famous for hosting exhibitions of beautiful artwork.
According to their official website. Here is what you can expect from Herbert Art Gallery.
- Explore world-class exhibitions that are common in Herbert’s art gallery.
- Extraordinary events for all ages.
- Ever-changing displays.
- Subsequently, unique experiences.
- Gain a fresh perspective on the legend of Lady Godiva, discover your ancestors’ history in the Coventry Archives, and explore Coventry’s history from the 1500s onwards.
- Unfortunately, there are no free tickets.
Attractions
The art gallery boasts a collection of art galleries that covers a vast array of topics, time, and themes, such as
- Archaeology
- Social and Industrial History
- Visual Arts
- Archives
- Natural History
- Even the household artworks of world-famous artists.
Official link- https://www.theherbert.org/
1.3. Midland Air Museum
The Midland Air Museum (MAM) is located just outside the village of Baginton in Warwickshire, UK. It is particularly near Coventry Airport and could be your first stop to visit. Nonetheless, getting free tickets might be difficult.
However, the attractions of the museum include an exhibition of the Sir Frank Whittle Jet Centre (named after the inventor of jet engine technology).
Also known as the large hangar, it is also where many vintage exhibits are placed.
On the other hand, It also has a small hangar to see and a fenced-off green area where many famous historical aircraft are on display.
Attractions-
The museum has several aero engines on display with a dedicated section on the work of the latest events.
Piston engines-
- Alvis Leonides
- Bentley BR1
- Rolls-Royce Griffon
Gas turbine engines-
- Mamba
- Double Mamba
- Sapphire
Official link- https://www.midlandairmuseum.co.uk/
1.4. Coventry Blitz Museum
It is considered one of the most famous infrastructures in all of Coventry.
After all, it shows what kind of dangerous experience life was like in wartime Coventry, unlike today’s peace.
Located in the area of the Cathedral Ruins, the Blitz Museum is a treasure trove of 1940s memorabilia and artifacts. However, you probably still won’t get free entry there.
The air raid aimed at Coventry on the night of 14 November 1940 was the single most concentrated attack on a British city amid the Second World War. The official death toll from the night was 554 in the records.
Certainly, the real figure could have been much higher with how many people couldn’t be counted.
It opens on Monday and Saturday.
Link- https://www.coventrycathedral.org.uk/visit/see-and-do/blitz-museum
1.5. The National Motorcycle Museum
National Motorcycle Museum of Coventry occupies an 8-acre (equivalent to 32,000 m²) site in Bickenhill, Solihull, England, and holds the world’s largest collection Of British motorcycles.
Subsequently, the museum’s collection exhibitions are famous for having more than 850 motorcycles, which almost cover over a century’s worth of motorcycle science.
The infrastructure has conference and exhibition areas too. Although, It is located close to the junction of the A45 and the M42. It is still pretty close to Birmingham Airport.
Attractions-
Additionally, the most recent attraction for you to make the trip to the motorcycle exhibitions will be well-known brands such as BSA, Triumph, and Norton.
Official link- https://www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk/
2. The City of Coventry and its Roots
Coventry is a city based in the west of England. It is mostly recognized by its location near the River Sherbourne.
The origins of the present settlements are a little hard to find and not fully realized yet.
However, Coventry, according to the records, probably began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement.
Although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages, it is considered an old place.
Since the symbol was taken from a Saxon landowner called Cofa, the tree might have marked either the center or the boundary of the settlement.
It indeed might sound impossible by today’s standards, but back in the days of our history, that surely wasn’t the case.
Closing Remarks
Last but not least, it all boils down to the love you have for your history.
In conclusion, museums are a place where we keep past records to remind the future generation of where we all came from.
On the other hand, now that we are doing things that could not have been thought possible in the past. We need museums more than ever before.
Coventry, one of the prominent cities of England, is a hub for tourism. Hence, it is rich in different kinds of cultures, which is also the reason why you should visit every single one of the museums listed above.
