Gerald the Giraffe voted as the public’s favourite museum object

Published: 3 December 2021

The striking Samurai armour came second, while the ancient meteorite followed in third place.

This summer RAMM launched Treasures of the Museum, an exciting trail highlighting sixteen of the museum’s most iconic objects. After taking part in the trail or exploring the objects online, visitors were asked to vote for their favourite.

Gerald the Giraffe was announced as the museum’s most popular object, receiving 102 out of 371 total votes. Standing at 17 feet tall, Gerald has won the hearts of children and adults alike ever since he first took up residency at RAMM over 100 years ago.

Although Gerald has been crowned the winner, all of RAMM’s collections are equally treasured, each with a unique story to tell about our shared history. Comprising of over one million individual objects and specimens from all over the globe, the collections contain items of local, national and international importance, and many are of outstanding historical or cultural significance.

Julien Parsons, Senior Collections Officer, says:

‘The Treasures of the Museum trail offers a wonderful opportunity for our visitors to discover fascinating objects in person, a real treat after the closures caused by the pandemic. The trail highlights RAMM’s rich and distinctive collections, connecting local people to their shared history and contributing to a greater sense of pride in their city. Gerald the Giraffe is a deserving winner and much loved mascot of our brilliant museum.’