The Buxton Museum and Art Gallery occupies a handsome building on Terrace Road and houses collections focused on the geology, archaeology, and history of the Peak District and Derbyshire. The geology displays are particularly strong — the Peak District's limestone and gritstone landscapes are geologically fascinating, and the museum explains both the formation and the human use of the rock through time.
The archaeology collections include finds from Poole's Cavern and from numerous prehistoric and Romano-British sites in the region. There are also displays on the social history of Buxton as a spa town, with costume, furniture, and objects from the Georgian and Victorian periods. Admission is free, and the museum is a good option for a rainy afternoon.