Barrow’s Dock Museum is celebrating its 30th birthday and a recent major refurbishment.
Westmorland and Furness Council’s Dock Museum is holding a special weekend of events at the end of the month to mark the occasion and officially reopen the Shipyard Gallery, which has undergone its first major refurbishment in over two decades.
The gallery will be officially opened by His Majesty’s Deputy Lieutenant for Cumbria, Commander Philip Burns MBE, at a private event on Friday, 27 September 2024.
The museum will then hold two days of family-friendly celebrations and events on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 September for all to enjoy.
This will include children’s workshops where you can build your own periscope, construct a hovercraft, make a boat or try your hand at printmaking, as well as other entertainment.
The Shipyard Town Project has helped to create new staff posts, build a research pod, install solar panels and now, the culmination of this project, refurbish the Shipyard Gallery.
The project has been funded by National Lottery players with a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as additional funding from Westmorland and Furness Council, BAE Systems Maritime, Furness Maritime Trust and the Sir John Fisher Foundation.
Councillor Virginia Taylor, Westmorland and Furness Council cabinet member for sustainable communities and localities, said: “Barrow-in-Furness is rightly proud of the shipbuilding heritage which has shaped our past and will play an important role in our future.
“Now the Shipyard Town project is complete, we have more exciting exhibits to showcase and share our long and important history with visitors, both local and from further afield.
“The Dock Museum is already a much-loved attraction, so whether you’ve never visited before or visited many times, I encourage everyone to come along and see what’s new.
“We look forward to welcoming you all, sharing this milestone with you and celebrating Brilliant Barrow together!”
Helen Featherstone, England North director at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “It is incredibly exciting news that, following a major refurbishment, the Dock Museum is officially reopening the Ship Building Gallery as well as celebrating its 30th birthday.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, we’re proud to have supported Westmorland and Furness Council to showcase the rich shipbuilding and engineering heritage of Barrow-in-Furness to local people, and visitors from further afield.”
Jim Perks, Head of Future Workforce Strategy BAE Systems added: “We are immensely proud to have played a part in the Shipyard Town Project and we were pleased to donate shipyard images for the whole community to enjoy.
“Our rich maritime heritage is something we should all be proud of now and for generations to come.”
Charlotte Hawley, Collections and Exhibition Manager at The Dock Museum, said the museum is incredibly excited to reveal its Shipyard Gallery to visitors.
She added: “There is something new in here for everyone to enjoy. We are so very proud of our museum, telling the stories about the people who have made Barrow great and its industrial past, present and future, on a global scale.
“This is a very special time for us and we are extremely grateful to all of the funders and partners for helping us to deliver this unique chapter as well as celebrating our 30th birthday.”
Everyone is welcome to explore the new gallery, watch performances in the amphitheatre and visit the museum grounds for free during the Shipyard Town launch weekend on 28 and 29 September.
Tickets for the children’s workshops running as part of the celebrations on the middle floor are £1 and require booking due to limited numbers.
