London Fan Museum

The Fan Museum is located in Greenwich London andthe arts, the national art collections fund, English
is undoubtedly the first ever museum dedicatedHeritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund, The Heritage of
entirely to “fans”. The museum was set upLondon Trust and by many individuals and corporate
to keep the art of fan making alive. The Fan Museumsupporters.
is used as a centre of academic research andOn the 8th of June in the year 2005 some of the
conservation too. The museum is home to more thanfans were stolen from The Fan Museum. The theft
4000 objects related to fan making or fans. Eachreportedly took place around 2:45 pm BST. According
item is distinctly different and unique. Apart from theto the sources one entire cabinet was broken and
permanent display of its objects, the Fan Museumthe fans were removed. The thief was apparently
also features many temporary or seasonal thematicabout 6 feet tall, aged around 35 years, a Caucasian
exhibitions many a times during the year (usuallymale. The thief was never caught and is still at large.
every 4 months).The Fan Museum was privileged as The Duchess of
The one of its kind museum holds the largestCornwall accepted to be the Patron of the Fan
collection of fans dating back to the 11th Century.Museum on 7th of January 2009. The day was also
The museum also has been a home to some of thespecial in history as the Duchess of Cornwall was the
finest exquisite fans from the 18th and 19th century.first member of the Royal family to visit The Fan
You can explore more than 3500 antique fansMuseum. The Director and Founder of The Fan
including a variety of ceiling fans, etc at the museum.Museum - Helene Alexander, gave a personal tour to
the Duchess of Cornwall.
HistoryThe Fan Museum remains open all days of the year
The Fan Museum was first opened to the public inand only remains closed on the Good Friday and
the year 1991 and ever since has been amongst oneEaster Sunday and Mondays. The museum opens on
of the busiest London attractions. The English TouristTuesdays to Saturdays from 11:00am to 5:00pm BST
Board and the National Art Collections Fund bothand 12:00pm to5:00pm BST on Sundays.
awarded The Fan Museum for its contributions to the
Arts and tourism in the first year of theThe museum charges a £4 entrance fee for adults,
museum’s opening. The Fan Museum has a£3 for children under 16 and children under 7 are
gallery, a Japanese garden, a pond, a stream and aadmitted free of charge. There are special
gifts shop. The museum also features a Greenhouseconcessions of £3 for senior citizens and students
which is termed as the ‘orangery’ and iswith identity cards. On Tuesdays, handicap or disabled
highly appreciated for its wall paintings.visitors and Old Age Pensioners (OAP) are admitted
The oldest fan at The Fan Museum is believed to befree of cost. Also afternoon tea is served in the
belonging to the tenth century. Conversely, theOrangery from 3pm onwards on Tuesdays and
collection of fans dating to the 18th and 19th centurySundays.
is equally impressive. The Fan Museum also has aThe nearest London Underground stations are the
reference library and fan-making classes are also heldCutty Sark tube station, Deptford Bridge DLR station
at the museum premises.and the New Cross tube station. The closest mainline
The Fan museum is administrated by a charitablerailway stations are Greenwich Station which is half a
trust and over the years has been sponsored by thekilometer and Maze Hill Station which is under a
London Tourist Board, the foundation for sports andkilometer from the museum.