The history of law enforcement and other policing activities comes alive via displays of archives, photographs, uniforms, vehicles and weapons.
Get a glimpse into the life of county police forces at the Museum of Policing in Cheshire. Learn about their foundation and evolution from the early 1800s to the present day. The Museum of Policing in Cheshire began in the 1960s when officers started collecting and storing artifacts at Crewe’s Force Training Centre. Today the collection is housed within an active police station, which is also the Warrington headquarters of Cheshire Constabulary.
The tour starts by passing through an entrance that resembles the Tardis time-traveling machine featured in the television series Dr. Who. Continue to a room displaying guns, uniforms and truncheons and then see a mock Victorian-era street. Next is a gallery of medals and a timeline of significant events in the history of Cheshire Constabulary.
Find the main exhibits displayed in a set of former Victorian-era prison cells. There’s a collection of police officer’s badges, coats, hats and handcuffs. Newspaper reports recount curious regional events from 1788 to 1935. Browse examples of marriage certificates, prisoner registers and wanted posters. Another cell is set up to look like the office of the Crime Investigation Department (CID).
Visitors of all ages will have fun trying on uniforms and being momentarily locked in a cell. In the building’s courtyard are transportation artifacts, including bicycles, a car, motorbike helmets and a siren. See the display of donated miniature police cars, which show how much cars have changed over the years.
Located in Warrington town center, the museum is easy to get to on foot from other major attractions. Among these is the Pyramid Arts Centre and Warrington Museum and Art Gallery. The museum is right near the Warrington Bank Quay train station. If you are driving, there is limited hour parking on Museum Street.
The Museum of Policing in Cheshire is open from Monday to Friday, but you need to book an appointment to gain access. Admission is free. Register for a visit by using the contact form on the museum’s official website.
