Norwich Castle Museum has been named winner of the Museums and Heritage Award for Restoration or Conservation Project of the Year, recognising the major restoration of its Norman Keep which reopened in summer 2025.

The castle also reached the final of the Art Fund Museum of the Year award, one of the most high-profile prizes in the UK museum sector. Both accolades were highlighted to councillors at the Norfolk Joint Museums Committee meeting on 24 July 2026.

The Keep project, which carried a budget of £34 million, remains in final account settlement with the contractor. Officers told the committee that the County Council's own figure for outstanding costs stands at £6.5 million, though discussions are ongoing.

Since reopening, the castle has introduced new visitor spaces including the British Museum Partnership Gallery, Rooftop Battlements, and a new early years area called Snap's Den, which opened in June 2026. Staffing structures were reviewed ahead of the reopening to reflect the expanded offering.

Museum pass memberships have also continued to rise following the reopening, with the Access All Eras campaign credited as a contributing factor.

Director of Culture and Heritage Steve Miller told the committee that the Norfolk Museums Service now has some of the highest school engagement figures in the country, with 52,058 school visits recorded across its ten museums in 2025-26.