The Museum was founded in 1973 when a group of local people began to collect items found in farms and factories that were being closed down to make way for the development of Milton Keynes, the UK’s last ‘new city’.
Milton Keynes Development Corporation allowed the enthusiasts to house the items in Stacey Hill Farm, Wolverton.
The estate itself had strong historical interest having been bought by the eminent physician Dr John Radcliffe in 1713, when he became MP for Buckingham.
The volunteers formed themselves into the Stacey Hill Society to develop the collection with the long term aim of creating a proper museum. Since this time, ownership of the collection has remained separate from the ownership of the land and buildings.
