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Chester·Romans
A Roman tombstone in the Grosvenor Museum carved with a cavalryman riding down a fallen enemy.

Roman museums in Chester

Chester has two places to see Roman Chester indoors. The Grosvenor Museum is free and holds one of the finest collections of Roman military tombstones in Britain, many taken from the city walls. The Deva Roman Experience is a paid, hands-on attraction with a reconstructed Roman street, best for children and a wet day. Do the Grosvenor for the real objects, Deva for the fun.

The Grosvenor Museum

Opened in 1886, the Grosvenor is Chester’s museum of history and art, and its Roman collection is the reason to go. The heart of it is the tombstones: memorials to soldiers of the Twentieth Legion and their families, carved in the local red sandstone, many found in 1883, 1887 and the 1890s built into the lower courses of the north wall, where the Romans themselves had reused them in repairs.

Look for the cavalryman riding down a fallen enemy, and the funeral banquet scenes, where the dead person reclines on a couch with a cup in hand. The inscriptions give names, ages, units and sometimes the heir who paid for the stone. There is also a cast of Minerva’s Shrine, finds from the fortress and its amphitheatre, and a schools programme with Roman soldier tours.

Fragment of a Roman tombstone showing two figures at a funeral banquet.
A funeral banquet scene. Photo: Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Painted reconstruction of a stonemason carving a soldier's tombstone in a yard outside the fortress.
How the stones were made. Artist’s reconstruction.

The Deva Roman Experience

Formerly the Dewa Roman Experience and now run by the community interest company Big Heritage, this is Roman Chester as a day out: a reconstructed street of the fortress you walk through, Roman objects to handle, and remains excavated beneath the building. It is built for families, and it is the best Roman option in Chester when it rains.

Ink sketch of a Roman soldier's tombstone with a figure in a niche.
A soldier's tombstone
Ink sketch of a Roman rotary quern for grinding grain.
A quern for grinding grain

Which should you choose?

  • For real Roman objects, and for free: the Grosvenor Museum.
  • For children under about twelve, or a wet afternoon: the Deva Roman Experience.
  • For a full Roman day: both. They are about five minutes’ walk apart, and the self-guided Roman walk passes both.

Questions people ask

Is there a Roman museum in Chester?

Two. The Grosvenor Museum on Grosvenor Street is a free museum with a major collection of Roman tombstones and finds. The Deva Roman Experience on Pierpoint Lane is a paid, hands-on attraction with a reconstructed Roman street, aimed especially at families.

Is the Grosvenor Museum free?

Yes, with a suggested donation (£3 when we checked). It has generally opened Tuesday to Saturday 10.30am to 5pm and Sunday 1pm to 4pm, and is closed on Mondays except bank holidays; check before you go.

How much is the Deva Roman Experience?

When we checked, the venue's own page listed adults £8, students £7, children aged 5 to 15 £5 and under-5s free, card payments only. Prices change, so confirm on its website.

When is the Deva Roman Experience open?

It welcomes schools on weekdays and the public at weekends, 10am to 6pm with last entry at 5pm, with extra days in school holidays. Check its booking page for the current days.

What is in the Grosvenor Museum's Roman gallery?

One of the finest collections of Roman military tombstones in Britain, many found reused in the city's north wall in the 1880s and 1890s, along with finds from the fortress and a cast of Minerva's Shrine.

Dewa or Deva: which is right?

Both spellings refer to Roman Chester. The attraction was long called the Dewa Roman Experience and now uses Deva.

Facts and visitor details checked 26 October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check with the venue before you travel. Sources: Cheshire West and Chester Council on the Grosvenor Museum; West Cheshire Museums schools, Grosvenor Museum; Deva Roman Experience, visit page.