Guernsey Museum
The Guernsey Museum and Art Gallery was opened at Candie Gardens in a purpose-built facility in 1978. Since then it has expanded to include Castle Cornet and Fort Grey.
History
The Guernsey Museums Service was started based on the donation of two major private collections to the States of Guernsey:
- The collection of Frederick Corbin Lukis, presented in 1907
- The collection of Wilfred Carey, presented in 1929
The collections were combined in 1938, to form the Lukis and Island Museum, and housed in St Barnabus Church.
In 1948, Castle Cornet was demilitarised and presented to the States of Guernsey by the British Government, and was opened to the public.
The States appointed its first full-time professional curator, Rona Cole, for the Museum in 1972, and in 1978 moved the collections to their new home at Candie Gardens.
Museums
Candie Museum
The Candie Museum houses two permanent displays:
- The Rona Cole Art Gallery - a permanent display of the art collection, including works by ...
- The Guernsey Story - the history of Guernsey told through a series of displays
It also features other exhibitions throughout the year.
Castle Cornet
Castle Cornet has been a dominant feature of St Peter Port Harbour for around 800 years. It now houses the following museums, as well as providing a venue for open air concerts and theatre during the summer months.
- Royal Guernsey Militia museum
- Royal Guernsey Light Infantry museum
- Maritime Museum
- 201 Squadron RAF Museum - "Guernsey's Own" squadron
Fort Grey
The island's Shipwreck Museum is housed at Fort Grey, situated off the west coast of the island, near Rocquaine. Its rocky coast, including the notorious rocks known as Les Hanois, has been the site of many historic shipwrecks.
