Northampton Museum and Art Gallery is a museum in the city of Northampton, England. Open since 1865, the museum has more than 150 years of history behind it and identifies itself as a place of exchange and meeting, celebrating the city of Northampton locally and internationally with its collections, among which that of footwear stands out. The museum was born with the desire to help people to expand their cultural heritage through libraries and museums. The shoe collection, aka the "Shoe Collection", was specifically founded as a reference collection for Northampton shoemakers to help them in their craft. The museum serves as a landmark for Northampton's arts, heritage and culture and is recognized as an international center of excellence for footwear heritage. The museum has recently been redeveloped and expanded, it reopened in early 2021.