The Museum is situated within the Old Library building on the University of Exeter's Streatham Campus. Enter through the glass main entrance doors on the chapel side of the building by pushing the button on the post.
Opening times The museum galleries are open 10am-5pm 7 days a week, including Bank Holidays, except between Christmas and New Year when the building is closed.
At weekends and bank holidays Curatorial staff are not available, although the galleries are monitored by security staff.
Research facilities are open Monday to Friday, 10.00 to 12.30 and 13.30 to 16.30 by prior appointment, except for bank holidays when they are closed. See below for more details.
Admission: Free
Tours: If you would like a tour, please contact us for information. Tours are only available on weekdays for five or more people, preferably during the university vacation time if at all possible. We welcome groups from schools and colleges and our curatorial team are happy to discuss tours which are tailored to particular areas of the curriculum. If you would like to organise a tour, please see here for details.
If you are bringing a large group, even if you don't want a tour, then we would be grateful if you could let us know in advance of your visit.
Contact us: You can contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at 01392 724321. Curatorial staff are not here on Saturday or Sunday but the galleries are open for you to visit and enjoy. If you leave a message we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Disabled Access: We have disabled parking spaces in the small car park to the rear of the Old Library building. Turn up Poole's gate from Prince of Wales Road and then take a left into the car park. Cars with disabled stickers can also park just in front of the building on the chapel side but please note that there are uneven cobbles here. and there is ramp access into the museum and a lift that will accomodate all but the very largest wheelchairs between the two galleries. We would advise wheelchair users to come by car as the road up to the museum from Prince of Wales Road is cobbled. You can contact us for more information.
Information for visitors in German can be found here. Besucherinformationen zum Museum auf Deutsch können Sie hier finden. hier.
Guide Book You can pick up a copy of our guide book at our entrance to go round the galleries with during your visit - just return when you depart. You can purchase a copy of our guide book for £10 through our online store at https://store.exeter.ac.uk/product-catalogue/education-student-experience/bill-douglas-cinema-museum/bill-douglas-cinema-museum-guide . Please give your mailing address details. You can also purchase the book during your visit if the curatorial staff are available.
Virtual Galleries
There are virtual panoramas of the Upper Gallery and the Lower Gallery which you can see by clicking on the links below:
How to find us
The museum is located in the Old Library building on the University of Exeter's Streatham Campus. Research and learning facilities including the Museum, the University Special Collections and library and study facilities are located in the building.
By Car
To visit The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, follow the signs for the city centre from A30/A38/M5 and then follow signs for the University. The Old Library is situated half way along Prince of Wales Road, adjacent to the University Chapel. You will see a large sign for the museum by a turning circle - follow the signs up the hill.
Pay and display parking is available along Prince of Wales Road but please be aware that spaces are limited during term-time. There is a designated parking space in the car park behind the Museum for registered disabled visitors, and lift and ramp access is available for wheelchair users. If you are planning to visit during the week in term-time it may be possible to arrange a permit for parking outside the museum - please email us. At weekends and in the vacations you may be able to park outside the museum in any case.
By Bus
The 'UNI' bus service runs at regular intervals between the University and the city centre and the timetable is here; if travelling from the city centre get off the bus by the Queen's Building and walk down the hill past the chapel and you will find the Old Library building in which we are housed.
By Train
The University is just a short walk of about 15 minutes from both Exeter St David's (though this is uphill) and Exeter Central Stations. You can catch the Uni bus from opposite Central Station.
A more detailed map of the University campus can be found on the University of Exeter website.
Researching the collections
Items from The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum collections are available for consultation in the Special Collections Reading Room, situated in Research Commons, Old Library. The reading room is open Monday to Friday, 10.00 to 12.30 and 13.30 to 16.30 (except Bank Holidays and between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day). You can book here.
You can check out material that might be relevant to your study through our catalogue, which is on this website . You can put a search term in to the search box and create a collection by clicking the ‘Add to My Collection’ button. When you try and leave it will ask you save the collection. Do so and a web link is generated. Email this to [email protected] or include the link in your reading room booking. We will only get back to you if there is a problem, otherwise assume that material requested will be ready for you at the appointment time you requested.
