Huntingdon is well placed for a wide choice of things to do. As well as the shops, cafes and restaurants, there are a number of places to visit for all the family.
Cromwell Museum
The Museum opened in 1962 in the old grammar school where Cromwell and Samuel Pepys were once pupils.
After leaving school, Cromwell studied briefly at Cambridge before marrying and settling in Huntingdon. At his death on 3 September 1658 he was the head of state and for some a ‘king in all but name’. He is an intensely controversial and fascinating figure of British history.
The Museum sets out neither to celebrate nor denigrate his achievements but to interpret, where possible, the significance of ‘God’s Englishman’.
The building opened to the public in 1842 as the Huntingdon Literary and Scientific Institution, with the objectives of promoting “Moral and Intellectual Improvement, Scientific and General Information, Agricultural Knowledge, Literature and The Arts.”
After the war use of the building declined, and when the town council sought to build a commemorative Community Centre as a war memorial it was eventually decided (after a decade of public fundraising and slow progress), rather than erect a new building, the former Institution building should be adapted.
The building was bought for £2705 in 1956, and reopened in 1959 as The Commemoration Hall, with new stairs for the gallery under the octagonal skylight that had housed the library and museum, a new kitchen and booking office, and a Maplewood dance floor and a stage in the main hall. Today the building is a charity run Arts and Entertainment venue right on the High Street of Huntingdon with an Arts Cafe open Mon – Sat 9.00 – 5.00pm. Evenings the building hosts all many of Entertainment from professional Comedy Nights, Tribute Band Acts to local and professional touring theatre shows.
Hinchingbrooke House
This Tudor country house was built around an early 13th century nunnery. It was given by Henry VIII to Richard Cromwell in 1538 at the time of the Dissolution. Queen Elizabeth I came here and King James I was a regular visitor. The next owners, the Montagu family, soon to become the Earls of Sandwich, also played an important part in British history and the House remained their ancestral home until the 1960s when it became a school housing the 6th form. Hinchingbrooke School was formerly Huntingdon Grammar School which, on the site of what is now the Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon, was attended by Oliver Cromwell and Samuel Pepys.
The House provides facilities for weddings, balls, dinner dances and conferences and is open to the public during the summer months.
Open grasslands, meadows, woodlands and lakes cover 170 acres with a wealth of wildlife everywhere. Perfect for walking the dog, exploring with children, enjoying tea and homemade cakes in the cafe or picnicking with friends or family. Look out for the Foraging Days in Spring and Summer.
Hinchingbrooke House Performing Arts Theatre
Set within the grounds of Hinchingbrooke House, this is a purpose built Performing Arts Centre and an exciting venue for exhibitions, concerts and theatrical productions.
Directly accessible from all major routes, with good car parking facilities, the centre is an exciting venue for a whole range of events; shows, plays, choral, orchestral, musicals and dance.
Huntingdon Racecourse
Voted Best Small Racecourse in the South Midlands and East Anglia by the Racegoers Club, Huntingdon Racecourse has a unique charm with extensive hospitality, advertising and sponsorship opportunities.
Race events take place throughout the year.
Here are some quick links to other Places of Interest around the area.
Huntingdonshire Association for Tourism