Member Article

Work begins on Great North Museum project

Work has begun on transforming the Hancock Museum, which closed its doors to the public on 23 April 2006, into a world-class visitor attraction as part of the £26 million Great North Museum project. When the new museum opens in 2009, it will incorporate collections from the Hancock Museum and Newcastle University’s Museum of Antiquities, the Shefton Museum and the Hatton Gallery.

Lindy Gilliland, Project Manager for the Great North Museum project, said: “This is the first part of the museum redevelopment that can be seen from the outside of the museum and it is very exciting. I want to reassure people that we are not demolishing the museum and that it is only the back of the building which is not part of the original structure that we are removing and extending. “The redevelopment of the museum will enhance the original features of the building both inside and out whilst updating displays and facilities to create a world-class visitor attraction for the 21st century.”

Since the Hancock Museum closed its doors, staff have been busy packing away the many exhibits, including a six foot tuna, a huge set of 10,000 year old giant deer antlers and an enormous bison, all to be safely stored until the museum reopens. Highlights of the new museum are said to include a large-scale, interactive model of Hadrian’s Wall, new displays of the animal and plant kingdoms, ancient Greek and Egyptian artefacts, a planetarium and a life-size T-Rex dinosaur skeleton.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .