Welcome to the web site of the world famous museum devoted to Laurel & Hardy in Ulverston, the town where Stan was born on 16th June 1890.

Everything you want to know about them is in the museum. The late Bill Cubin, the founder of the museum, devoted his life to these famous comedians and collected an amazing variety of memorabilia, believed to be the largest in the world, including letters, photographs, personal items and furniture.

A large extension gives ample room to browse and a small cinema shows films and documentaries all day. Disabled persons have full access.

"Finest Museum in Lakeland"

- A Week in the Lakes - Daily Telegraph

	Aussie & Pam Hurst, Liverpool	"...Thouroughly Enjoyable"
	Andy, Surrey	"Excellent"
	Ann Ward & Payne Juliana, USA	"Pleasant Nostalgia"
	Chris Mellor, Blackpool	"Wonderful As Usual"
	M.P. McInerney, Australia	"...Thoroughly Enjoyed it. You do a great job"

For our opening times and how to find us please go to our Contact Us page.

The Museum started life as one man’s collection stemming from his love of ‘the boy’s’. Originally just one room it was soon overflowing with pictures and news clippings. As his interest developed he began to research into the history of Laurel and Hardy, especially Stan.

During this time he looked into the family tree and unearthed a very interesting fact; Stan was not born in North Shields (as was originally claimed) but in a small terraced house in Ulverston. In 1976 Bill obtained a birth certificate stating Arthur Stanley Jefferson (Stan changed his name in 1931) was born in his Grandfathers’ house in foundry cottages (later renamed Argyll Street) to a theatre owner/ comedian father and actress mother. Young Stan was a sickly child so it was decided the he should stay with his Grandparents for a while rather than join his parents in North Shields. Stan did move to North Shields when he was about four and a statue remembers the time he spent there.

The Museum's Cinema

As the collection grew other fans heard about it and private viewings were arranged. So Bill could share his collection. This proved extremely popular and over a period of a few years the doors were opened more and more until, in 1983 an official opening was arranged with Jeffrey Holland (of Hi-de-Hi fame) cutting the ribbon. Since then the Museum has been open seven days a week for 11 months of the year.

In 1990, Stan’s centenary year, a celebration was held with over five thousand people in attendance.

As the collection kept growing, space did not until in 1992 Nico Moritz, a Dutch Laurel and Hardy fan donated his winnings from a TV quiz to the Museum, which facilitated an extension opened by Bella Emberg, to house the still growing collection.

Bill died in 1997 but his legacy lives on and the Museum is still in the family, run by his Daughter and Grandsons.