Public invited to behind the scenes tour of new museum and art gallery
Residents and visitors are invited to attend a ‘behind the scenes’ tour at one of Shrewsbury’s biggest building and restoration projects.
The new Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery will be open to the public on Saturday 6 October 2012 between 9am and 3pm, for an opportunity to view the restoration works going on at the Old Music Hall.
The Old Music Hall complex is currently undergoing a major restoration to repair and preserve the buildings ,whilst creating a new museum and art gallery for the town and tourist information centre.
Shropshire Council, together with ISG Construction, the main contractor for the museum project, have organised an open day at the site, on The Square in Shrewsbury, to give locals and visitors a sneak preview of the developments that have been taken place at the historic building.
Mike Owen, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for tourism and culture, said:
“We want to ensure people get the opportunity to see the excellent work that’s taking place on the new museum, which when finished will be a much-welcomed addition to our town’s tourist attractions.
“Following our last very successful public tour, we have organised another fantastic opportunity for people to come along to see what is going on behind the scenes and to hear about our exciting plans.
“I would really encourage people to come along on Saturday 6 October to join us on this wonderful tour and experience to one of Shropshire’s finest heritage buildings.”
Andrew Bannerman, local Shropshire Councillor for Quarry and Coton Hill, added:
“We are all looking forward to the opening of the new Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, and this will be an opportunity to see how far work has progressed towards this goal. The restoration has had to deal with some huge challenges, because of the complex nature of the building and its history, stretching back to medieval times. So it will be very exciting to see how the work has moved on from the early stages of stripping back, towards the architect’s vision of the completed museum and visitor centre.”
Potential visitors should be aware that the Old Music Hall is still very much a building site with a dusty environment and uneven surfaces. Please be aware that normal access arrangements, lifts etc are not in place.
Visitors are advised to wear stout shoes for the tour and enter the site through the gates on Swan Hill, where they will be met by one of our tour guides.
Guided tours will take approximately 30-45 minutes. Tours start at 9am, 9.45am, 10.30am, 11.15am 12 noon, 1.15pm and 2pm. Please arrive at the Swan Hill entrance 10 minutes before the start of your booked tour.
Booking is essential as places are limited. To book your place, or for more information about the event, call 01743 258888, book in person at Shrewsbury Visitor Information Centre, Rowley’s House, Barker Street, Shrewsbury, or email visitorinfo@shropshire.gov.uk, leaving your name, contact details and the numbers in your party.
The project has been supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England.
