What's On

We offer a range of public activities throughout the year. Our temporary exhibitions include displays of current research, work by artists, and our community cabinet displays co-curated by visitors, students and community groups.

Events and Activities

Lates at the Sedgwick Museum: Behind the Scenes Uncovered

Explore the Museum in an atmospheric evening setting, as we share our work and collections behind the scenes.

Thursday 20th November, 6pm - 9pm

Free, booking essential

Join us after hours and find out about our work caring for one of the most important geology collections in the world.

Throughout the evening:

Meet our team at our drop-in stations. Chat with our collections team about their work, and get up close with some of our fossil collections.

Explore hidden treasures from our document archive with our archivist, and chat with our museum-based historian about his research on the Museum in the late 19th and early 20th century.

At 7pm:

Join an informal ‘in-conversation’ with our colleague Jack Ashby, Assistant Director of the University Museum of Zoology, as we discuss his book, Nature's Memory, Behind the Scenes at the World's Natural History Museums. Jack will shine a light on the how natural history museums present 'life as we show it', and so are not as natural as you might think.

Free drink (wine, beer or soft) on arrival.

This event is FREE but booking is essential. Book your place here  from Mon 3rd November.
 

Bridging Binaries: LGBTQ+ Tour

Wednesday 12th November, 1pm - 1.45pm
Wednesday 26th November, 1pm  - 1.45pm

Free, booking essential

We are proud to present our new LGBTQ+ tour as part of the University Cambridge Museums' Bridging Binaries programme. 

It is hard to say for certain that a 19th century scientist was queer just from their memoirs. It is difficult to know whether they were in a romantic relationship with the 'secretary' they lived with, or were they just that - a secretary. Were the two unmarried women who lived together for thirty years really just 'close friends'? Looking for gender queerness in Museum collections can be challenging. 

Join us to explore and celebrate queer histories linked to our collections and people, extricated and inferred from letters, choice words and omissions. 

For age 18+. 

FREE, but booking essential. Email  the Museum to book your free place on the tour: sedgwickmuseum@esc.cam.ac.uk  

Illustrations by Layo Danbury, 2025

Staff Favourites tours

Wednesday 5th November, 1pm - 1.30pm
Wednesday 19th November, 1pm - 1.30pm

Free, drop-in

Come and be inspired by the displays and objects that our staff love.

Giant deer, fossil fish teeth, the rocks that built Cambridge... just some of the specimens on display that our staff can't wait to discuss with you. Beware, their enthusiasm is infectious!

Drop into our shop to book your free place on the tour.

We also have regular fossil handling activities on Saturdays and in school holidays, please do phone (01223 333456) to check what's on when you plan to visit.

Exhibitions

Breaking New Ground: Celebrating Past, Present and Future Women Earth Scientists at the University of Cambridge

Join us in celebrating women Earth scientists in this temporary display, co-curated by two Earth Sciences students.

Free, drop-in

How many women Earth scientists can you name? With a focus on the University of Cambridge, Breaking New Ground is a celebration of women in Earth Sciences.

The display includes trailblazing, but historically overlooked early Earth scientists, perspectives from women who are currently researching, teaching, working or studying in the university's Department of Earth Sciences, and two local young people who share their passion for Geology.

This exhibition was co-curated by two Earth Sciences students at the university.