Founded in 1919 by respected local geologist Charles Henry Gore, the museum is home to objects dating from prehistory to the present, including collections exploring archeology to industrial history.The art gallery was established in 1941, after local art collector H. J. P. Bomford gifted 21 works of art to Swindon town. The collection is home to works by widely celebrated British artists, such as Roger Fry, Edward Wadsworth and Kyffin Williams.