TIME is running out for anyone wanting to enjoy a final visit to Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens before work starts on a major redevelopment project.
The museum will close its doors to visitors this Saturday, August 29 for an ambitious £13.6million overhaul and is not set to reopen until late 2028.
In what is set to be a four-year redevelopment, the museum’s ground floor will be transformed to create new galleries showcasing Sunderland’s stories, people and rich heritage.
A new entrance will be built to connect the museum to Mowbray Park and the plans also include a new community learning facility.
During the closure, essential repairs and upgrades will also be made to the historic building, helping to ensure its future.
The project has been funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, The Wolfson Foundation, Friends of Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens and other partners.
Throughout the closure, the museum will be taking its handling collection, stories and expertise into communities via a big activity programme across the city, along with activities at the new Culture House Sunderland which opens next month.
Loan boxes will be taken into schools and pop-up museum events, workshops and community talks are planned. Hard hat tours are also expected to be available, offering a rare chance to see the redevelopment in progress.
During the closure, museum collections along with the Winter Gardens plants and tropical fish will continue to be professionally cared for, with items relocated and stored where necessary.
