HM Customs & Excise National Museum

Museum closure

The Customs & Excise Museum closed for refurbishment on 2 December 2007. The museum will reopen in May 2008 as a brand new gallery in the basement of Merseyside Maritime Museum, 'Seized: revenue and customs uncovered'.

'Seized: revenue and customs uncovered', will be the national museum of HM Revenue and Customs. The only one in Britain, it will draw on contraband seizures and other archive material from all over the country, one of the most important collections of its type anywhere in the world.

While the museum is closed you can still find out about the ingenious and often dangerous world of smuggling, prohibited goods and concealment on this website. Discover just how far some people will go to try and avoid paying their duty!

Our staff will also be running customs themed events and activities at Merseyside Maritime Museum throughout the closure.