Britain's first collection of horse-drawn carriages is now considered to be the finest in Europe. Highlights include governess carts, gigs and royal and estate carriages. Sir Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake, 12-time Mayor of Maidstone, opened the museum in 1946 anticipating that many obsolete carriages would be lost forever otherwise, advertising for them in the Times. The Museum's home is the 14th-century stable block of an Archbishop’s Palace. Admission is free.