John Bunyan Museum
Bedford, Bedfordshire
About John Bunyan Museum
The John Bunyan Museum welcomes families to come and partake in some truly interesting education!
John Bunyan Museum tells the story of the Bedford man who wrote The Pilgrim's Progress, arguably one of the greatest novels in the English language. During his remarkable life Bunyan was a soldier, tinker, preacher and dissenter, spending a whopping 12 years in Bedford prison for illegal preaching!
Museum visitors walk through Bunyan's life and times: see 17th Century Bedford, hear Bunyan tell his story, and visit him in prison if you like! Free family friendly trails are available to help children explore the museum, which help keep little legs moving.
On entering the museum, visitors are greeted with a 3 dimensional model of Bunyan towards the end of his life and visitors are invited by Bunyan to join him as he looks back over it. The periphery of the room is made up by a series of tableaux, room sets and reconstructions, interspersed with information points which are extra handy for those visiting to support school work.
Bunyan Meeting church was built in 1850, and stands on the site of Bunyan's original church where he was minister from 1671 to 1688. Scenes from The Pilgrim's Progress can be found on the bronze entrance doors and stunning stained glass windows, which is a delight for fans.
It's well worth noting that there is no onsite parking; the closest multi-storey car park is in Lurke Street, less than 2 minutes' walk away. Pre-booked groups and schools are welcome year round, and limited coach parking is available.
Opening Times
The Museum is open from 11am to 4pm (last entry 3:45pm) Tuesday to Saturday from the March to November (closed Good Friday). The Library is open to researchers by appointment only.
Pricing & Tickets
Admission is free but donations are welcome.
Book in advance for cheapest tickets
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