Guided Heritage Walks return for 2026!

Guided Heritage Walks: Discover Cambridge’s industrial past.

In collaboration with Cambridge Industrial Archaeology Group, Cambridge Museum of Technology is proud to present a series of walking tours led by expert guides.

Discover Cambridge’s industrial history hiding in plain sight all around us. Access to the Museum is included in the price of each walk.

River Walk: Jesus Green to Riverside

The banks of the river Cam were once teeming with industries and the river itself was an important trading route. From brewers to scientific instrument makers, from boat builders to the gas works, they could all be found along the river. Small ferries once carried passengers, vehicles and animals across the water but were replaced by bridges as Cambridge grew. If you know where to look, there are still traces to be seen and stories to be told of the industries and the workers of the past. 

The tour will begin at Jesus Lock and end at Cambridge Museum of Technology, home of Cambridge’s industrial heritage, where you will be able to explore the displays.

Prospective Dates: Friday 19 June | Friday 17 July | Friday 21 August | Friday 18 September 2026.

Energy Walks: Cambridge Gasworks

Explore the former Cambridge gasworks (off Newmarket Road) and its impact on local society, economy and the environment. Featuring documentary sources (such as maps, photographs, company records and eyewitness reports), the tour will: explore the sights (and smells) of the former Cambridge gasworks, its operations, stories of its workers, evaluate its environmental impact, and invite participants to assess its legacy: past, present and future.

This tour will begin at the Cheddars Lane (upper) gate of Cambridge Museum of Technology (on a step-free route around Cheddars Lane, Newmarket Road, River Lane and Riverside) will visit archaeological remains from what was the largest industrial complex in Cambridge: the University and Town Gas-Light Company. The tour will end at Cambridge Museum of Technology, home of Cambridge’s industrial heritage, where you will be able to explore the displays

Prospective Date: Sunday 16 August 2026.

Railway Walk: Cambridge North

Explore Cambridge's industrial heritage with a guided walk. Local guides from the Cambridge Industrial Archaeology Group will help you explore the site of the former Chesterton byways (reopened as a passenger station in 2017).

The tour will begin at the foyer of North Cambridge Railway Station to the Cambridge Museum of Technology. Walk (~1.3 miles/2km).

Follow the railway route southbound, via a pedestrian bridge across the River Cam; rediscover old railway lines across Stourbridge Common before arriving at the Cambridge Museum of Technology in Riverside.

Prospective Date: Saturday 11 July 2026 | Saturday 26 September 2026

Group size is limited (to maximum of 16) and tickets must be purchased in advance, either via the Museum’s Events Calendar or by contacting the Museum directly.

For all of the above walks

• £16pp

• Access to the Museum is included in your ticket (please bring copy of your receipt).

• Group size limited: tickets must be purchased in advance (online or from museum)

• Suitable for ages 11+.

• All-weather (come suitably prepared!)

• Check before leaving the start time and start location of the walk (several walks do NOT begin at the Museum). Please aim to arrive at least 5 minutes before the start time of the walk, which will depart promptly!

Lunar New Year at the Cambridge Museum of Technology | A Celebration in Retrospect

As the old year gives way to the new, we gathered beneath warm lights to welcome the Spring Festival together at the Cambridge Museum of Technology.

In February, Cambridge still carried the chill of winter, yet inside the Museum a quiet sense of renewal was already in the air. For one special day, we brought the spirit of the Lunar New Year into the galleries, creating a meeting point between Chinese tradition and British industrial heritage under one roof.

In the Print Workshop, families experienced traditional British relief printing techniques. Horse motifs and fish patterns — symbols of strength and prosperity — were pressed onto red paper in shimmering gold ink. Between crimson sheets and carved blocks, Chinese New Year imagery found a gentle dialogue with British craft traditions.

Meanwhile, the Pye Gallery was filled with energy and anticipation. Children gathered around the chocolate 3D printer, watching intently as liquid chocolate was gradually layered into shape. Patient and wide-eyed, they followed the process as if witnessing a small act of magic unfold before them.

At the hands-on craft tables, visitors of all ages took part with enthusiasm and creativity. Some practised calligraphy, others mastered the delicate art of paper-cutting, while many explored their own interpretations of festive design. International children eagerly attempted to write the character “福” (good fortune), carefully studying each brushstroke. With the warm guidance of Chinese student volunteers, they completed their own Lunar New Year creations.

Adults joined in with equal dedication. One mother carefully copied the words “I love you” onto a bookmark for her daughter — a quiet gesture of affection expressed through ink and paper. Members of the overseas Chinese community wrote elegant Spring Festival couplets, allowing memories of home to flow gently through their brushwork. A young visitor, dressed in traditional Chinese attire, added another vivid note of cultural expression within the Museum’s historic walls.

Though languages differed, culture brought people closer together. Shared participation dissolved boundaries and fostered connection. Under one roof, diverse faces and voices welcomed the New Year side by side — a living reflection of the spirit that spring belongs to all.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us. This gathering has become a warm footnote to the season’s turning.

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Blog by museum volunteers Lori Zhao and Tracy Chenxi Dong

Work on redevelopment of Engineers House starts on 10 November 2025

Cambridge Museum of Technology is thrilled to announce a major redevelopment of the Engineers House site will start on 10 November 2025 and should be completed in early 2026. During this period there will be some disruption which we hope to minimise.

A temporary toilet block will be sited in the bicycle parking area as the toilet block in the grounds of the Engineers House will not be accessible during this period. There will be no wheelchair access to the Engineer’s House until the redevlopment ends - we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Calverleys (bar) and Scotts (pizza) will continue to operate from the inside of the Engineers House until the new development is completed.

KK will continue to operate as normal throughout this period.