The Laurel and Hardy Museum

The Laurel and Hardy Museum was started by Bill Cubin, a fan of the early 20th-century comedy duo. It started as a few scrapbooks of photos, and over time grew until the collection filled a small room in Cubin’s home in the town of Ulverston. He began inviting locals and fellow fans to see his collection and eventually interest spread.

Laurel and Hardy were a comedy duo act consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel and American Oliver Hardy. As the birthplace of Stan Laurel himself, Ulverston was the perfect site for this museum. Though Cubin died in 1997, the museum has continued on, run by younger members of his family. Following a substantial donation by a fellow Laurel and Hardy fan, the collection was able to be moved from a spare room to the local Roxy cinema site in 2009.

The museum traces Laurel’s childhood and subsequent career. It is packed with information on how the duo got together in America, and numerous photos and artifacts, including letters, personal items, film props, movie posters, family photos, and memorabilia. A cinema at the museum plays classic Laurel and Hardy films, which you can sit and enjoy to your heart’s content.