Haslemere Educational Museum was founded in 1888 by the eminent surgeon Sir Jonathan Hutchinson to display his growing collection of natural history specimens.

Already a successful surgeon with homes in London and Haslemere, Sir Jonathan Hutchinson was also keenly interested in the full spectrum of science and nature.

He was a writer and photographer with a keen interest in pond life, and wrote the book on this topic for the Observer series of pocket guides.

The reference library covers the whole spectrum of science and history with about 7,000 books, 13,500 scientific and historical periodicals and over 22,000 documents, largely but not exclusively relating to the local area.

[13] As well as the collections and interactive exhibits within the museum building there are extensive grounds, including a herb garden, pond, meadow and woodland featuring a large variety of wild plants which in turn attract wildlife.

[14] The museum has facilities for exhibitions and runs regular workshops, courses and lectures for people of all ages, as well as providing outreach visits to schools and community groups.

With the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund, the museum is establishing online databases[15] and enabled the employment of a full-time professional education specialist.