Nottingham Castle - Nottingham Castle Museum

Nottingham Castle Museum

The ducal mansion is still in use as a museum and art gallery. It houses most of the City of Nottingham's fine and decorative art collections, galleries on the history and archaeology of Nottingham and the surrounding areas, and the regimental museum of the Sherwood Foresters.

Ticketing for the museum is now combined with admission to the Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard located nearby in five 17th- century cottages at the bottom of the castle rock.

Notable elements of the collections are:

• 15th Century Nottingham alabaster carvings, including those found in 1779 at St. Peter's Church, Flawford
• Watercolours by Richard Parkes Bonnington and Paul Sandby
• The Joseph Collection of Wedgwood Jasperware
• The Ballantyne Collection of contemporary ceramics
• Salt-glazed stoneware, including locally-made "bear jugs"
• A costume collection including Nottingham lace making
• Roman votive offerings from the Temple of Diana Nemorensis at Lake Nemi (mostly no longer on public display)
• Works by George Wallis, whose son George Harry Wallis was the museum's first Director.

Additionally, The Nottingham Castle Victoria Cross Memorial, dedicated on 7 May 2010, lists Albert Ball and 19 other Nottinghamshire recipients of the Victoria Cross.

In 2005, the Castle was the only venue outside the USA to host the 'Waking Dreams' touring exhibition of Pre-Raphaelite art. The show attracted visitors from all over Europe and brought the Castle Museum to international attention as a gallery space.