📍 Gloucester
Nature in Art
The world's first museum dedicated to art inspired by nature, in a Georgian mansion near Gloucester with sculpture gardens and a children's playground.
✦ We visited
The outdoor sculpture garden makes a good start before the galleries, and the handling boxes inside give children a real reason to stop and look closely. The holiday activity programme is worth checking in advance, as those days make the visit especially engaging for younger children.
Nature in Art at Wallsworth Hall is the world's first museum and art gallery dedicated to fine, decorative and applied art inspired by nature. The collection spans 1,500 years and draws on work by over 600 artists from more than 50 countries, covering paintings, prints, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and more, all united by the natural world as subject and inspiration. It is a genuine and distinctive gallery in a handsome Georgian mansion on the A38 about three miles north of Gloucester, and quite unlike any other museum in the region.
For families the grounds hold as much interest as the galleries. There are sculptures to discover on the lawns, a children's playground and a garden that doubles as outdoor exhibition space in the warmer months. Indoors, themed handling boxes in the gallery spaces give children a way to engage with different art techniques and materials, and the gallery runs school-holiday activity days with a range of creative workshops for children, which include free gallery entry on those days. An artist in residence works on site and can sometimes be seen at work, which children often find quietly fascinating.
The programme of special exhibitions changes several times a year, so there is usually something fresh on alongside the permanent collection. The cafe serves hot drinks, light lunches and cakes. It suits babies through to older children and grown-ups. Being closed on Mondays is worth knowing before you set off; all other days it is open from 10am and worth the short drive from Gloucester or Cheltenham.
Good for: animals, outdoors, arts, sensory. Ages: 0–2, 3–4, 5–7, 8–11, 12+.
Good to know
What is Nature in Art?
It is the world's first museum and art gallery dedicated to art inspired by nature, with 1,500 years of work by over 600 artists from more than 50 countries, housed in a Georgian mansion near Gloucester.
Is there outdoor space at Nature in Art?
Yes, the grounds have sculptures on the lawns, outdoor exhibition pieces and a children's playground, making it a both-indoor-and-outdoor visit.
Is Nature in Art good during school holidays?
The gallery runs creative activity days for children through the school holidays, including free gallery entry on those days; check the website for current dates.
