Thomas Gainsborough (1727-88) was born in Sudbury and baptised at the Independent Meeting-House in Friars Street on 14 May 1727, the fifth son and ninth child of John and Mary Gainsborough. In 1958, Gainsborough’s House Society was formed to purchase the house and establish it as a centre for Thomas Gainsborough. The Museum opened to the public in 1961 and has remained open for over 50 years.
In 2019, the House commenced a transformational refurbishment with £10m invested into the site. For the first time in its history, the House closed its doors for three years to welcome this upgrade. The vision was to build upon the rich history of Gainsborough’s House while also making the museum experience more accessible, exciting for its visitors and to truly celebrate Gainsborough along with his followers and contemporaries.
The beautiful historic garden at the heart of Gainsborough’s House is maintained by a devoted body of volunteers, who garden exclusively with plants that were available in Gainsborough’s lifetime.
This peaceful oasis is overlooked by The Watering Place café.
We have recently agreed a discount for train travellers , to get £5 off at the ticket office, please show your train ticket