Elizabethan House Museum

About

Built around 1596 for the merchant Benjamin Cowper, the Elizabethan House Museum on Great Yarmouth's South Quay was bought in 1635 by John Carter, a prominent merchant whose friend Oliver Cromwell is said to have visited often. The house became a meeting place for Parliamentarians during the Civil War, and local tradition holds that the fate of Charles I was decided here, a story visitors can weigh up in the Conspiracy Room. Mary Aldred bequeathed the house to the National Trust, and Norfolk Museums Service now runs it as a hands-on museum of family life from Tudor to Victorian times, with panelled rooms, a Victorian kitchen and scullery, a toy room, Tudor costumes to try on and a small walled garden. Reviewers praise the friendly staff and the ornate plaster ceilings, and several say the house is compact enough for a short visit. One tip: start with the introductory film in the first ground-floor room. Only assistance dogs are admitted.

House & GardenWalking routesToiletsHeritage trailWedding venueAssistance dogs only

Check today’s timesSee all times

Museum10:00to 16:00

Opening times may change at short notice.

Open Sunday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, until 30 October 2026; last admission is at 3.30pm. Closed on Saturdays.

The National Trust calendar shows the museum closed in November and December 2026; check before visiting out of season.

Managed by Norfolk Museums Service for the National Trust. National Trust members and Norfolk Museums Pass holders enter free; bring proof of eligibility.

Tickets can be bought on the door, or online at least a day ahead for a 10% saving. Booking is recommended at busy times.

PricingFree with National Trust membershipNT memberFree entryNon-member£7.50

Entry

Non-member prices

Adult (18+)£7.50

Child (4 to 17)£6.50

Family discount adult£6.80

Pricing details

On-the-day price set by Norfolk Museums Service; booking online at least a day ahead costs 6.75. National Trust members and Norfolk Museums Pass holders enter free with proof. A twilight ticket (last hour before closing, not bookable online) costs 2.00. No Gift Aid option is listed.

On-the-day price; 5.85 when booked online at least a day ahead. Children under 4 go free. Children in households receiving means-tested benefits go free.

Discounted adult ticket available with a paid child ticket; 6.12 when booked online at least a day ahead. Adults receiving means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit go free.

ParkingParking not known

The Trust's page does not say how parking is charged.

Parking details

There is no National Trust car park. The borough council's pay and display car park at the rear of the museum is open to visitors at weekends only; other parking is on South Quay, near the historic quayside and in the town centre. Charges are not confirmed here.

The pin marks the museum at 4 South Quay, the arrival point for this town-centre house.