The John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection is the second largest arms and armor collection in the USA. These 1500+ objects range from ancient Egypt to nineteenth-century Japan, but at their heart are the suits of steel armor from medieval and Renaissance Europe.
From 1931 to 2013, the Higgins Collection was on view at Worcester’s Higgins Armory Museum. Since 2014, the collection has been at the Worcester Art Museum, where we are currently working to create a dedicated Arms and Armor gallery to display them.
What Can I See?
Over a hundred objects from the collection are currently on view, including five full suits of armor. Several suits are on display in WAM’s paintings galleries, and ancient armor can be seen in our Greek and Roman galleries. In our Medieval Galleries you can explore Arms and Armor Open Storage, featuring highlights from the collection from across the centuries and around the world. Here you can also try on a helmet or heft a sword to feel what these objects were really like.
In a few years, we will have the entire Higgins Collection on view in a dedicated Arms and Armor Gallery.
Armor in the Galleries
View suits of armor and other Higgins objects along with other works from the cultures that produced them.
Open Storage
Discover for yourself: blade weapons, arms of the Samurai, staff weapons, curiosities of arms and armor, and more.
The Medieval World
See medieval arms and armor side-by-side with stained glass, stonework, and paintings from the Middle Ages.
What Can I Do?
In addition to the gallery displays, WAM offers a wide range of programs where you can learn more about arms and armor, and even experience firsthand what it was like to wear armor or wield a sword.
Online Presentations
Through live, virtual demonstrations, learn about the development of armor and how it worked.
Costumed Interpretive Presentations*
Encounter costumed Roman, Viking, and Medieval presenters to learn about the arms and armor of their time.
Arms & Armor Art Cart*
Assisted by an Educator, discover reproduction armor pieces and see for yourself how armor worked.
* Due to state and local guidelines related to COVID-19 and group gatherings, as well as our concern for the safety and comfort of our patrons and staff, these live presentations and hands-on activities are suspended until further notice.
View the Collection Online
The entire Higgins Collection can be accessed through WAM’s online collection search.
Related Content
Object Studies
View more Higgins Collection and Arms & Armor videos on our WAM YouTube playlist.
Folding Spetum
Object Number: 2014.304
Sea Conch Helmet
Visor of Helmet in the form of a Sea Conch Shell
Object Number: 2014.89
Selected WAM Updates
Battle Ready: Weapons and Tactics of the European Soldier
Battle Ready: Suitable Protection for the European Soldier
Uncovering the Stylish Complexity and Craftsmanship of Samurai Armor
Spotlight on the Sport of Jousting and its Decline
A Short History of Tournaments: Uncovering its Origins and the Melee
Stuart Pyhrr Visits the Higgins Collection
Master Series Talks
The Art Of Combat
A rare original copy of Joachim Meyer's sixteenth-century swordplay manual The Art of Combat (Die Kunst des Fechtens) is one of the many treasures in the Higgins Armory Collection. Jeffrey Forgeng, The Higgins Curator of Arms & Armor and Medieval Art, discusses this fascinating source for the history of combat arts.
Helmet for a Gladiator
Who were the gladiators and how did they see themselves? What meanings did civilized Romans see in the displays of blood, skill, and courage? Dr. Donald G. Kyle, Professor of History at the University of Texas, Arlington, addresses these and other questions.
Past Exhibitions
Knights!
March 29, 2014 – November, 2016
Only three months after the closing of the Higgins Armory Museum, this exhibition marked the first step in the long-term integration of arms and armor into WAM's Collection.
Samurai!
April 18 – September 6, 2015
This exhibition drew inspiration from the recently-acquired Japanese arms and armor in the Higgins Armory Collection to examine contemporary perceptions of this centuries-old tradition.
Press
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Worcester Art Museum to preserve Higgins Armory legacy with new Arms and Armor Gallery
By Elaine Thompson, November 3, 2018
Channel 3 News
NEH grant and plans for the permanent arms and armor galleries at Worcester Art Museum
May 1, 2018
MassLive.com
Higgins Armory collection will find a long-term home at the Worcester Art Museum
By Aviva Luttrell, April 25, 2018 (updated January 30, 2019)
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
A new call to arms at Worcester Art Museum: planning for display of Higgins Armory collection
By Steven H. Foskett Jr., April 24, 2018
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