‘Playing with Light’ – ‘Jouer auve la Leunmiéthe’ in Jèrriais, the Island’s native language – opens this weekend and is filled with specially commissioned interactive exhibits, objects from the collections and stories about how light has helped to tell the time, light our homes, safely guide shipping and entertain us.

Lucy Layton, Jersey Heritage’s Exhibitions Curator, said: “’Playing with Light’ promises to be one of the most fun exhibitions we’ve ever had at Jersey Museum and a fantastic outing for all, especially families. With interactive exhibits throughout the exhibition, there are lots of opportunities to press buttons, pull levers and get involved in discovering all about ‘light’, how it works and its links to Jersey’s history.

“Visitors can discover what a rainbow is, how the Neolithic passage grave at La Hougue Bie aligns with the seasonal path of the sun, how the iconic Corbière lighthouse keeps sailors safe and the part Jersey played in the story of early photography. From the natural light of the changing seasons to the artificial light in our modern homes, there are lots of ways to play with light at this new exhibition!”

Highlights of the new exhibition include a camera obscura projecting live images of the Weighbridge, a laser harp enabling the user to play music with light, Victorian photographs to view through a stereoscope giving a 3D effect, and a flash photography booth where visitors can freeze their shadows. There are also photos on display of August’s eclipse taken by Islanders and selected by Jersey Evening Post photographers.

The collection items on display include coloured glassware, such as Victorian soda and chemist shop bottles, maritime navigation lights with Fresnel lenses, an 18th-century sundial, and a homemade dynamo torch from the Occupation years.

As the new exhibition explores early photography, black and white photographs from the Société Jersiaise Photo Archive have also been added to the neighbouring ‘Seeing the Light’ art gallery to take visitors from one exhibition to the other.

The interactive exhibits in ‘Playing with Light’ are suitable for children aged six and older, as well as adult visitors. Younger children can enjoy the ‘Glow Room’, a special Early Years area within the exhibition with a lightbox, an infinity mirror and a projector for imaginative play.

  • ‘Playing with Light’ is on the second floor of Jersey Museum and is open daily to the public from Saturday, 24 October 2026. Usual entry fees apply. Free to Jersey Heritage Members and children under six.