elgar birthplace museum

We came across this lovely museum by chance, and seemed to be the only visitors. Staff were very welcoming, and the exhibits were interesting. We had audio guides to help us. Gift shop had lots of different items, mostly relating to Elgar of course. Well worth a visit.

I found the cottage and visitors centre interesting and well worth a visit and informative , the cafe was a littlen basic but the staff where most helpfull

we stopped here on a visit to Worcester - it is very easy to find and has plenty of good parking. Staff were very welcoming and the shop has some lovely items to purchase. They don't have a separate café, but there is a coffee machine in the corner of the shop with tables and chairs and there are cakes and snacks available. There is an audio guide for free, but we didn't use it. Before you leave the main entrance to go the little house where Elgar was born, there is a room with a rolling AV presentation about Elgar, which is interesting even if you are not into classical music. The house is a short walk on a gravel path and is not very big - the stairs to the top floor are very steep and narrow, so if you have mobility problems you are going to miss out on the contents of these rooms. A great deal of the artefacts actually belonged to Elgar, but most would only be of mega interest if you like classical music I suppose. If you wander down the small garden there is a lifesize statue of Elgar sitting on a bench ... almost designed to be used a photo opportunity for facebook picture taking as you can sit next to the great composer! Reasonable price for entry and good toilets and displays ... maybe not to everyone's taste, and they do have stuff for kids but not sure now much they'd enjoy it ... but us seniors did !

Good for people who are fans of Elgar / classical music. The kids were a bit bored but it was interesting for adults

We saw the little cottage place he was born, even the exact room he was born in! Lovely building and grounds.

Visited on a cold November day, so not the best to appreciate the lovely garden. All the staff were very friendly and helpful. We took the audio tour and it gave a good insight into life of the man and the artifacts in the cottage. The stairs in the cottage were very steep and my elderly father could not manage them, however, the staff gave him printed material to show and explain what was up there so he didn't miss out. That was a really nice touch. A great way to spend a couple of hours, or possibly longer on a nice day to enjoy the garden.

We've been here twice but we've always run out of time to see everything, we're due to return soon.What a fascinating man Elgar was.

On a glorious very warm autumn day, I arrived here by bus from Worcester bus station with a mile or so walk from the nearest bus stop. There is a bus that drops you outside but that would have only given me 2 1/2 hours here and I thought I might need longer. To look and listen to everything properly and listen to any music through the audio headphones supplied, then have a drink and cake in the foyer, I got my timing just right. There is a short film first, followed with a stroll round the visitor centre which gives you an insight into Elgar's life then through the garden to his birthplace cottage. Have your photo taken sitting next to this great man on a bench at the bottom of the garden!! The volunteer guides are very knowledgeable and friendly. By the way there is a great statue of Elgar leaning against a bicycle looking at Hereford Cathedral in the cathedral grounds.

Well thought out and a great way to spend an afternoon reading and learning the history and lifetime of this great British composer

We arrived 10minutes early as we hadn't realized the museum didn't open until 11am. However the very friendly woman at the front desk saw us at the door and let us in so we started with a cup of coffee in the foyer. The museum consists of 2 parts - a small modern buiding with exhibits and the actual Elgar birthplace cottage next door. There is a very useful audio guide with headphones (included in the admission price) which gives a good intoduction to Elgar and his music especially if like me you had very little prior knowledge. We visited on a Saturday morning in October and it was not overly busy so we were able to wander around with no feeling of rush or hassle. We spent about 90minutes which seemed about long enough to get a good feel of the place. The attendants appeared to be volunteers and were happy to chat knowledgeably in answer to any questions I had. The place itself was spick and span.

Love going to Croome. Always have a good walk round the park and tea and cake in the 1940's airmens' mess style cafe afterwards.

A lovely collection of memorabilia of Elgar's life and works. Well worth spending a couple of hours looking and listening.

Very interesting, volunteers were so friendly and helpful. Parking was easy and free. Can even get a coffee or cup of tea. We're very helpful to us as one of our members was in a wheelchair.

It's not that we were especially interested in the composer Elgar, but we never miss an opportunity to visit the birthplace of a famous artist. It gives such an insight in the person and his/her work. Elgars Birhtplace Museum did all that. We loved it. And his music.

Obviously this is primarily a place of interest to those who like Elgar's music and are interested in his life. Although Elgar lived in many places during his lifetime, this cottage, where he was born, is the focus for exhibits from throughout his lifetime. The cottage is beautifully preserved, with an English cottage garden, which has a bench with a sculpture of Elgar relaxing with his pipe, looking towards his beloved Malvern Hills. A good spot for souvenir photos!Opposite the car-park (which is surrounded by an apple orchard) for the venue is a museum building with exhibits, a video about Elgar's life, and a loan service of headsets which accompany the museum exhibits and the cottage visit. It is well worth getting the headset, which has both commentaries and music, and really brings the whole experience to life. The staff, many of whom are volunteers, are all pleasant, helpful and knowledgeable. There is a souvenir shop, and a small snack-bar. Everywhere is very clean and well-kept.A fascinating place for a delightful visit, which may be taken at your own pace. We were there for around 2 hours, and could have stayed for longer.