Cowes Heritage was formed by a group of volunteers in 2003 with the main aim of staging regular exhibitions, each concerning a particular aspect of the history of Cowes and surrounding area.
The first themed exhibition, held in an empty High Street shop, was 'Cowes at War', about experiences and incidents in the town during World War II. It attracted more than 3,000 people over its three-week run. This coincided with the 60th anniversary of D Day June 6th 1944.
Since then there have been nine more themed exhibitions, with the last taking place in October/November 2012 - which looked at all aspects of life in Cowes during the 1950s. Next year's exhibition with concentrate on people who have contributed to the rich history, up to the present day, of Cowes.
Cowes Heritage’s ultimate objective is to have a permanent home of its own. While admission to exhibitions is free it welcomes donations and raises further funds from the sale of specially produced DVDs and publications, which are now available from our online shop.
As well as three-week exhibitions Cowes Heritage mounts regular displays in the local library and gives talks to local organisations.