Gainsborough's House

Gainsborough’s House is the international centre for Thomas Gainsborough and holds an outstanding collection of his work. A varied programme of temporary exhibitions is also on show throughout the year. 

Gainsborough’s House is the childhood home of Thomas Gainsborough RA (1727–1788). Today, the permanent collection of Gainsborough's House encompasses the whole career of Thomas Gainsborough, from early portraits and landscapes painted in Suffolk during the 1750s, to later works from his Bath and London periods of the 1760s – 1780s. The house at 46 Gainsborough Street dates back to the sixteenth century, and behind the Georgian brick façade that was added in 1723, much of its early history is still visible. It was occupied both by private individuals and run as a tea-shop and B&B in the centuries following Gainsborough's death, and it opened to the public in 1961, after a vigorous campaign to save it as a museum for the nation. The collection of works on paper include drawings and prints as well as paintings by Gainsborough and his contemporaries; like Cedric Morris and John Constable.

In 2019, Gainsborough’s House commenced a £10m building project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. On 21 November 2022, the museum re-opened to the public after a transformational refurbishment; introducing 3 new exhibition spaces to accompany the original Grade I listed building. The museum is now the largest gallery in Suffolk.