They are packed with gems which tell the amazing story of Suffolk’s rich history - but which is the county’s top museum?
With so much fascinating history inside them, it may be difficult to pick from the likes of Lowestoft Maritime Museum, the Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket and the Lettering Arts Trust in Snape.
But that was the tough task which faced the judges of the 2019 Suffolk Museum Awards, who chose Aldeburgh's Red House - the home of Suffolk-born classical composer Benjamin Britten - and Bawdsey Radar as the best large and small museums respectively.
Others to win included Ipswich Museum, which took home the Innovation Award for the way it helps even the most vulnerable to access its exhibits delving into the town's past, and Lowestoft Maritime Museum for increasing the number of young visitors by 65% - earning it the Family Friendly Award.
The Natural Science Volunteer Team at Ipswich Museum won Volunteers of the Year for their tireless effort and dedication to efficiently archive and catalogue part of the museum's collection.
Palace House's "comprehensive learning offer with hands-on workshops, self-led visits with trails for school groups" won the Newmarket site the Schools Session Award, while the Museum of East Anglian Life had already been confirmed as winner of the Object of the Year for its tin of chocolate worm cakes.
That category followed a public vote on the East Anglian Daily Times website.
Others to be highly commended at the awards ceremony at the University of Suffolk's Waterfront Building on Wednesday, October 30 were Felixstowe Museum, in the Small Museum of the Year category, and Elaine Nason from Laxfield Museum and Paul Durbidge from Lowestoft Museum - both in the Volunteer of the Year category.
Jayne Austin, Suffolk Museums development and partnership manager, said: "Wherever you go in Suffolk, you won't be far from a museum which preserves and promotes the county's rich and diverse heritage.
"The high number of public nominations highlighted the quality and diversity of what museums in Suffolk have to offer. The judges had a very difficult job."
The Red House
The Red House in Aldeburgh is the home of Suffolk's classical composer Benjamin Britten, where he lived with he partner Peter Pears for nearly 20 years from 1957.
Organisers said they want to make people proud of the role he played in the county.
Dr Christopher Hilton, head of archive and library at The Red House, who collected the Large Museum of the Year Award on behalf of the organisation, said: "We are really honoured to be chosen as Large Museum of the Year from such a strong field.
"The Red House is the home of Benjamin Britten who was both a figure of global importance and a proud Suffolk boy.
"The award is in a sense for Britten himself - an indication of what he means to the county."
Bawdsey Radar
The nature of Bawdsey Radar's secretive role during the Second World War and beyond means that even today, not everyone knows about the site's major international significance and the museum there.
In 2016/7, the transmitter block underwent a major restoration programme funded by Historic England and others to transform it from a derelict condition into a building which now has a sustainable future.
Mary Wain, the recently retired chairwoman of Bawdsey Radar Trust, who collected the Small Museum of the Year Award on behalf of Bawdsey Radar, said: "This is the best possible prize for the incredible amount of hard work that has been put in over the last 15 years by the team of volunteers."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here