London’s Unique Fan Museum

The Fan Museum is the Only Museum in the World that’s Dedicated to All Aspects of Fans:

18th Century French Fan

A truly unique museum to visit on your London holiday is the Fan Museum in Greenwich. The Fan Museum is the only museum in the world that is dedicated to all aspects of fans and fan making. With its collection of more than 3,500 mostly antique fans from around the globe, the Museum has the single-most important collection of fans and related fan material in the world.

The Fan Museum in Greenwich opened in 1991 and is housed in a beautifully restored 1721 building. The Museum’s  collection and the fans on loan from other collections are displayed in changing themed exhibitions.  These themed exhibitions present the fans in their historical, sociological and economic contexts.

For conservation reasons, the entire fan collection cannot be displayed at the one time. The displays are split into a permanent exhibition and temporary exhibition. The permanent exhibition serves as an introduction to fans, their history, how they are made etc. The temporary exhibitions are thematic displays which are changed three times a year so a new exhibition can be seen every four months. Some of the themes include War & Peace, Adam and Eve, A Touch of Dutch, A Fanfare for the Sun King which features fans made for Louis XIV, etc.

There is a free audio guide for the permanent exhibition and catalogues are available for temporary exhibitions. Also, the Fan Museum’s staff are happy to have a chat and advise you on your visit.

Hand Fan

The Fan Museum also has a conservation unit that does work for other museums and the public. It has a library and research facilities which are available to the public by appointment. In addition, the Museum also has a wide range of educational programs for people of all ages. And whether you’re interested in a fan making course or you want a fan commissioned for a very special occasion, the Museum offers these services as well.

Also at the Fan Museum is a landscaped Japanese-style garden, an orangery with a much-admired mural, and not forgetting the gift shop with its exquisite range of fan-themed gifts.

The Museum is open Tuesdays to Saturdays (11:00 – 17:00) and Sundays (12:00 – 17:00)

Address:
12 Crooms Hill,
Greenwich, London SE10 8ER
Website: www.fan-museum.org/

Map of Greenwich:

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