Salisbury Museum, Salisbury (must see)

The Salisbury Museum (previously known as The Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum) houses one of the best collections relating to Stonehenge and local archaeology. The museum itself is housed in The King's House, a historic building where King James I of England was entertained in 1610 and 1613. Set in the surroundings of the Salisbury Cathedral Close, the museum faces the west front of the Cathedral.

The original three-storey edifice with mullioned and transom windows, ornate plaster ceilings and a fine oak-balustraded staircase, contains the main exhibition gallery with the ceramics gallery above. The arms of James I's eldest son, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, can be seen in a window in the Wedgewood gallery upstairs.

In the summer of 2014, the Museum had a new gallery added, recounting the history of Salisbury and the surrounding area, from prehistoric times until the Norman Conquest, and highlighting the city's unique place in history. On display there are some of the most important archaeological finds in Britain, such as artefacts from the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, the Pitt Rivers Wessex Collection and the Amesbury Archer.

The Museum boasts a lavish art collection comprising over 4,000 paintings, prints and drawings, representing local personalities, topographical scenes, special events and everyday life, created by local artists of note. Among these are a number of images of Stonehenge, including a watercolour by JMW Turner.

The outstanding Costume Collection showcases items of clothing, such as wedding dresses, uniforms, formal wear and lace samples produced by Downton Lace, worn by people in and around Salisbury in the past 250 years.

The Museum also has a remarkable collection of ceramics, featuring local Verwood and Wiltshire Brown ware alongside celebrated Wedgwood, Bow and Chelsea potteries. There is also a collection of locally-made cutlery.