Partners & projects

Museum & Art Swindon is a vibrant and creative cultural destination for everyone, with a team of passionate experts at their hearts. They provide inspiration and enjoyment, offering a sense of place and pride for local residents and beyond; sharing Swindon’s stories through their diverse collections and showcasing modern and contemporary British art.

Explore the captivating history of Lydiard House Museum, a remarkable Grade I listed structure in the heart of Lydiard Park. Roam through the refined State Rooms, showcasing intricate plasterwork and the St John family’s original furnishings. Admire portraits and photographs chronicling the family’s residence since Elizabethan times in this enchanting historical setting.

If you’re planning a longer visit, Lydiard Park Hotel provides the ideal experience. Located within 260 acres of the Grade II listed historic landscape of Lydiard Park, you can take a stroll through the Georgian Walled Garden, explore the Grade I listed Palladian mansion and St Mary’s Church, and enjoy lakeside paths and forest walks are all on the doorstep.

You can book a stay in one of the 31 modern bedrooms and dine in style at the Palm Bar & Restaurant.

Wessex Museums is a thriving partnership of museums across Dorset and Wiltshire of which STEAM is a part of.  Its mission is to build resilience and relevance of the museums in the partnership by connecting, inspiring and adding value to people’s lives.  Wessex Museums’ website shares learning, resources and inspiration across the wider museums and arts sector.

The Friends was formed back in 1986 when the Swindon works finally closed. It is a charitable company with Lady Judy McAlpine and Pete Waterman as Patrons.

The overall aim of the Friends is to support the STEAM Museum in promoting the history and legacy of the Great Western Railway and in particular the railway works at Swindon through a programme of investment, education and promotion.

We have partnered with Girl Guiding South West to put together an exciting challenge pack with activities suitable for all sections. The activities can be adapted to suit the circumstances of individual units and help to encourage girls to learn about engineering and history.

Girls are able to earn a limited-edition STEAM Challenge Badge!

To find our more visit the project page here.

The National Railway Museum in York is home to iconic locomotives and beautiful collections. See world-changing inventions like the Japanese Bullet Train and stand face-to-face with the world’s fastest steam locomotive, Mallard.

Prime Theare Swindon make professional productions for children and young people that tour schools and venues across the UK.

The organisation runs Prime Youth Theatre for 150 young people aged 5-25 years, who enjoy weekly workshops learning acting techniques and other theatre skills.

STEAM is partnered with the Science Museum Group on their project ‘Science in your world’.

Every year STEAM Museum hosts the Great Western Brick Show with Brickish.

The Great Western Brick Show is one of the largest displays of LEGO fan models in the UK and enables you to explore our fantastic museum along with the many Brick displays and activities.

The show also includes:

• Interactive Building – help create an all-new giant LEGO® mosaic from over 100,000 bricks!
• LEGO® marketplace offering the latest sets as well as some rare and collectible gems.
• LEGO® and Duplo® brick pits tables for children
• Lego Robot Battles