6 unmissable cultural attractions in Cambridge

Set on the east bank of the River Cam, Cambridge is surely one of England’s most storied medieval cities, its cathedral and various colleges imbuing it with a grandeur on par with that of Padua, Siena or Salamanca. Synonymous with its world-famous university — not to mention the writers, thinkers and scholars who studied there — it comes as no surprise that this age-old centre of learning is home to a plethora of marvellously idiosyncratic museums and art galleries.

1. Fitzwilliam Museum 

With a globe-spanning collection of some half a million artworks and artifacts, the Fitzwilliam is the University of Cambridge’s showpiece museum. Highlights include masterpieces by Titian and Canaletto, Anglo-Saxon jewellery and a wide range of priceless Islamic ceramics, just to name a few. There are more than 30 galleries to take in. 

2. Polar Museum

This small museum is based in the university’s Scott Polar Research Institute, set up by a surviving member of Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition to Antarctica. It’s packed with all manner of objects relating to polar exploration: sleeping bags, Inuit artworks and expedition diaries, as well as Ernest Shackleton’s snow goggles. The museum is open Wednesdays to Saturdays; check the latest times before visiting. 

3. Museum of Zoology

Celebrate the diversity of animal life at this university museum, which has some of the best natural history collections in the world. It’s home to a menagerie of impressive exhibits, from an almost 70ft fin whale to an African elephant. The specimens on display span the whole animal kingdom.

4. Centre for Computing History

With a focus on the social and cultural impact of technology, this museum explores the incredible advances made in computing over the past few decades, as well as during the earlier days of the Information Age. It’s a great day out with children, with mobile phones, calculators, games consoles and vintage computers all on show. The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.  

5. Kettle’s Yard

Based in a former family home and still retaining a cottage-like feel, this much-loved contemporary and modern art gallery is one of Cambridge’s quirkier attractions. That’s not to lower your expectations: the former occupant of the house was a curator at the Tate Gallery in London, and what’s on show is his own prized collection of paintings, sculptures, furniture and other curious objects. 

6. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Dedicating a collection to the history of humanity is an ambitious aim, and pulling the feat off says plenty about this museum. The MAA was founded in 1884 by Cambridge academics, and the university’s archaeologists, anthropologists and other researchers have continued to donate treasures over the years. There’s a strong focus on the Cambridge area, with an array of local archaeological finds on display.