Located on the west side of the Civic Square, the Changzhou Museum is symmetrically laid out with the Changzhou Grand Theater on the east side of the square. Besides exhibiting exquisite ancient artifacts and calligraphy, the museum also houses a Natural History Museum for children, featuring animals and natural science knowledge that children are interested in, making it an ideal destination for family visits.
The museum has one basement level and four above-ground levels, with the basement and the fourth level above ground designated as storage and office areas. The first to third levels are exhibition areas, which include two permanent exhibitions, two special exhibitions, as well as temporary and special exhibitions. The first floor is the Xie Zhiliu Art Gallery, featuring a special exhibition ‘Xie Zhiliu Art Exhibition’, showcasing the calligraphy and painting works of contemporary artist Xie Zhiliu. The second floor is the Changzhou Historical and Cultural Exhibition Hall, with a permanent exhibition ‘Dragon Soaring in Zhongwu – Changzhou Historical and Cultural Exhibition’, displaying artifacts in chronological order, including jade from the Liangzhu culture period, primitive celadon from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, lacquer and porcelain from the Song and Yuan dynasties, and calligraphy and painting from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The third floor is part of the Children’s Natural History Museum, with a permanent exhibition ‘The Magic of Nature, Our Beautiful Home – Natural Resources Exhibition’, featuring specimens of various wild animals, insects, and marine fish. The third floor also has a special exhibition ‘Mr. Liu Guojun’s Donated Redwood Furniture Exhibition’, arranged in a Ming and Qing style hall, study, and bedroom, displaying redwood furniture from the late Qing dynasty to the modern era, all adorned with beautiful patterns. Next to the Changzhou Museum is the Changzhou City Planning Exhibition Hall, which displays the history of Changzhou’s urban construction and achievements since the reform and opening up, and can be visited together. Opening hours are from 09:00 to 17:00 on Tuesdays to Sundays from 01/01 to 09/30; from 09:00 to 17:00 on Tuesdays to Sundays from 10/08 to 12/31; closed all day on Mondays during 01/01 to 09/30 and 10/08 to 12/31; open from 09:00 to 18:00 during New Year’s Day, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival; open from 09:00 to 21:00 from 10/01 to 10/03; open from 09:00 to 18:00 from 10/04 to 10/07. Service facilities include free guided tours every Saturday, Sunday, and legal holidays at 9:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 2:00 PM, and 3:00 PM. For permanent exhibitions, the fee is 50 RMB per session for 1-10 people in Chinese and 100 RMB for English, lasting about 60 minutes, with a maximum of 30 people per batch; for 11-30 people, it is 100 RMB in Chinese and 200 RMB in English. For special exhibitions, the fee is 50 RMB per session for 1-10 people and lasts about 30 minutes. Audio guides are available for free rental. Address: Visitor Center, free stroller rental, free rain gear rental, and free wheelchair rental are provided.
