On the ground floor there are the history, industries and civic rooms, and on the first floor the Oriental, dolls and natural history rooms. The stairs and corridors are used mainly for military exhibits. The history room contains objects used in everyday life from early times, a stock of a pivot gun found on the castle site, the town-crier's staff, and some interesting old maps of Staffordshire, including one by John Speed and another by Christopher Saxton. The main exhibit in the industries room is a showcase containing Pomona ware, a Newcastle pottery of 1725-55. In the same room are examples of 19th century pipe moulds, some splendid Staffordshire toy wares, and also bracket and long-case clocks of local manufacture. The adjoining room is called the civics room and has, as its central exhibit, the town's first fire engine, built in 1740 by Richard Newsham, of London. Hanging on the walls are several Royal Charters: one is dated 8th July, 1372, confirming Henry Ill's 1235 Gild Merchant Charter granted to the Burgesses of Newcastle. There is also the first minute book, 1368-1684.

At the top of the stairs the showcases contain a collection of clocks, including an hour glass, a water clock, a Wedgwood earthenware mantle clock of 1879, and various electric movements. The Oriental room consists of the Shorter Collection, which includes a 19th century Japanese Lac cabinet, a Chinese painted alabaster screen, a large tapestry, Chinese pottery, animals, vases and other beautiful exhibits. The next area is devoted to a delightful array of colourful dolls and toys from 1840 to the present. There are 19th century teasets, children's books, costumes, a large Noah's Ark, and even doll pottery heads which were made locally during the two great wars. And, finally, there is the natural history room which has a large showcase containing stuffed birds and three aquariums."