Coronavirus (COVID-19)

If you are planning on travelling distance to attractions, we would recommend that you contact the venues directly in advance to avoid disappointment.

If you, or any of your party have a new persistant cough, or develop a fever of 38C, we would instead advise you to use the NHS's dedicated website for professional advice.

First Garden City Heritage Museum

The First Garden City Heritage Museum tells the story of Letchworth, the world’s first Garden City, and its legacy.

The museum explores the history of this unique town and its people, and celebrates the incredible achievement of its founder, Ebenezer Howard.

It safeguards and makes accessible an internationally significant collection and enables people to explore this collection for inspiration, learning and enjoyment.

Our permanent displays tell the story of Letchworth Garden City’s unique development, following the acorn of Ebenezer Howard’s idea through to its fulfilment - the realisation of his dream in bricks & mortar and in fields & trees. His vision of space, sunlight and greenery has created a legacy that is still copied around the world today.

The museum is housed in a beautiful and unique 1907 thatched building, designed by architect Barry Parker. You can visit his office, which is filled with hand-made Arts and Crafts furniture and paintings, and learn how he and Raymond Unwin planned the town.

Our special exhibition programme explores the lives of the people of Letchworth Garden City – how they lived, their houses & gardens, how they earned their living, where they spent their money, what they did for entertainment and more. Previous exhibitions have focused on cinema, school life and domestic life amongst other topics.

We hope that exploring the site will encourage you to visit the museum, but if you are unable to, we hope you will get a sense of the unique and rich history of Letchworth, the World's first Garden City...

  • Currently: Clear sky, 6° C
  • Friday: Sunny, 8° C
  • Saturday: Light rain, 6° C