Holkham Hall and Bygones Museum Museums

Holkham Hall, home of the Coke family and the Earls of Leicester, was built between 1734 and 1764 by Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester. This Palladian style mansion reflects Thomas Coke's appreciation of classical art developed during his "Grand Tour" of Europe which lasted 6 years and from which he returned in the spring of 1718.

The house today is little altered from the original structure. The vestibule on the north side of the house and the terraced gardens to the South were built during the 1850s by the 2nd Earl.

Holkham today is not a museum. Beside the Earl and his family, three other families live here throughout the year. Although the house is closed to the public in the winter, it is never empty or idle. Its library, statues, paintings and furniture are a major source for academic research. Lord Leicester has loaned paintings, furniture and manuscripts to Galleries and Museums in Italy, Germany, England, Japan and the USA. In 1999, there were 14 major exhibitions containing Holkham artefacts.

You might also enjoy a trip around the lake on our electric launch, which runs throughout the main visitors' season when the Hall is open (weather permitting).

The Bygones Museum and History of Farming Exhibition invite visitors to step back in time.

The Bygones Museum with its exhibition of domestic and agricultural memorabilia complements the grandeur of the Hall and allows visitors to relive memories or learn about life in times gone by. The adjacent History of Farming Exhibition illustrates how a great estate such as Holkham works and has evolved.

The Ancient House building in Holkham Village is home to the impressive Holkham Art Gallery, whilst Holkham Nursery Gardens, located in the Park, is famed for it's elegant layout and wide range of plants. .