Warwick's Market Hall Museum set to reopen this weekend

A heritage museum in Warwick is set to reopen this weekend after getting a £1.5 million facelift.
Photo by Warwickshire County Council.Photo by Warwickshire County Council.
Photo by Warwickshire County Council.

The Market Hall Museum, will reopen its doors to the public on Saturday after a 17 month redevelopment project.

Work began inside the building in September 2016, which was supported by a £1million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

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The work included removing sections of the first and second floors and installing a lift.

The Warwickshire Bear covered up at the Market Hall Museum.The Warwickshire Bear covered up at the Market Hall Museum.
The Warwickshire Bear covered up at the Market Hall Museum.

The new museum has been modernised and now has new technology and a theme that focuses on ‘Made Here, Getting Here and Living Here’.

The recently refurbished galleries within the Market Hall Museum reflect the life and times of Warwickshire, from hundreds of millions of years ago up to the present day.

On the ground floor, there is also the new cafe, which has a retail section.

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There are also virtual reality exhibitions, a Lego ichthyosaur and interactive exhibitions and family trails at the museum.

Councillors Jenny St John and John Holland using the new lift at the Market Hall Museum.Councillors Jenny St John and John Holland using the new lift at the Market Hall Museum.
Councillors Jenny St John and John Holland using the new lift at the Market Hall Museum.

Visitors at the reopening will also have the chance to take part in helping to build a life-sized Warwickshire bear.

Warwick Cllr John Holland said: “This is an important project for Warwick. The most recent review of our town centre identified this refurbishment as top priority.

“It will be available to Warwick residents and also a key part of our visitor economy. In addition we have secured the future of our museum and strengthened our role as the county town.

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“We will be providing a service to the whole county through the new web site and travelling exhibitions. Cllr St John and I had to speak at Cabinet meetings twice to ensure that the museum would be fully accessible and we are pleased that this has been achieved.”

The Warwickshire Bear covered up at the Market Hall Museum.The Warwickshire Bear covered up at the Market Hall Museum.
The Warwickshire Bear covered up at the Market Hall Museum.

Cllr Philip Johnson, chair of the communities overview and scrutiny committee, added: “It’s fantastic for Warwick and the wider county, that Market Hall Museum is reopening to the public. Accessibility is a priority for the Warwickshire County Council and the addition of a lift to the museum has transformed the building, providing access to all the new galleries and innovative displays for all visitors.”

The museum will be officially opened on Saturday at 10.30am and will then be followed by several tours and show and tell talks throughout the day.

Once officially opened the museum will be open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, the cafe will be open Tuesday to Saturday 8am to 4pm and the shop will be open Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 5pm.