Great North Museum to open on 23 May 2009
An artist's impression of the museum's Living Planet gallery
The Great North Museum, a new £26million Heritage Lottery Fund-backed visitor attraction housing internationally-important collections, opens on Saturday 23 May in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The new museum incorporates collections from the Hancock Museum and Newcastle University’s Museum of Antiquities, Shefton Museum and Hatton Gallery, bringing together the North East’s premier collections of archaeology, natural history and geology under one roof.
Steve McLean, Great North Museum project manager, explains:
“The new museum is situated in the former Hancock Museum, which closed its doors three years ago to undergo this fantastic transformation. People will recognise the famous Hancock façade but the refurbished interior and impressive extension are all brand new!
“The Great North Museum charts 500 million years of natural and human evolution, bringing to life the history of our planet and its people through breathtaking displays of world-class treasures.”
The creation of the Great North Museum has been made possible by £8.75million in funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), in addition to generous funding from a wide range of supporters including the European Regional Development Fund, One North East, Newcastle University, Newcastle City Council, TyneWear Partnership, Northern Rock Foundation, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Garfield Weston Foundation, Clore Duffield Foundation and the DCMS/Wolfson Foundation Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund.
The creation of the Great North Museum is part of the wider Great North Museum project involving the redevelopment of the city’s magnificent Victorian Hancock Museum, the management of the Hatton Gallery and the development of an off-site store and resource centre.
Professor Paul Younger, Newcastle University pro-vice-chancellor for engagement, and chair of the Great North Museum board, says:
“The natural history and archaeology collections which have now been brought together in the Great North Museum are the fruit of over 200 years of world-wide endeavour by North East collectors. Thorough documentation of these collections in comprehensive archives gives them great intellectual value.
“As well as a stunning addition to Newcastle’s growing array of iconic cultural centres, we now have a world-class resource that will support academic study for generations to come.”
The project has been led by Newcastle University in partnership with Tyne & Wear Museums, Newcastle City Council, the Natural History Society of Northumbria and the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Highlights of the new museum include a life-size replica T. rex skeleton, mummies from Ancient Egypt, and a superb collection of Greek art and archaeology.
Visitors can track the story of planet Earth from its place in the universe – brought to life in the Museum’s planetarium – through ancient world civilisations, to natural history and life today.
Live animals from around the world, alongside the well-known Victorian specimens, make up a spectacular display of life on Earth, past and present, and highlighting the needs for conservation efforts worldwide.
The Great North Museum will also serve as the gateway to the environment and landscape of the North East of England. The Hadrian’s Wall Gallery displays exhibits from the entire length of the wall in the single greatest collection of artefacts from the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site. Visitors can discover the fascinating history of Rome’s North Western frontier, including an inscription stone which proves that the wall was built on the orders of Emperor Hadrian.
Ivor Crowther, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the North East, says:
“We’re delighted that the new Great North Museum, with an investment of nearly £9million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, is now ready to welcome a whole new generation of users and visitors. It will provide an invaluable resource to the people of the North East and beyond, and is a real boost to museum provision in the Region.”
A stunning new temporary exhibition space is capable of housing some of the largest touring exhibitions whilst a comprehensive library houses one of the UK’s most important collections of works on natural history and archaeology.
Like any modern cultural facility, the Museum will feature excellent new cafes and other visitor facilities. Admission to the Museum will be free.
The Great North Museum has been designed by Sir Terry Farrell. Sir Terry grew up in Newcastle and the museum is the latest in a long series of designs for Newcastle including the International Centre for Life and masterplans for the Quayside and Newcastle University.