Dock Museum facts for kids
The Dock Museum seen facing southwards towards Devonshire Dock Hall
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| Established | 1907 (as Furness Museum) |
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| Location | North Road, Barrow-in-Furness, England, United Kingdom |
| Collection size | 2,100 objects |
| Visitors | 52,000 (2015) |
The Dock Museum is a cool place to visit in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It tells the story of the town's past. You can learn about how Barrow became famous for building ships and making steel. It even had the world's biggest steelworks once! The museum also covers the Furness Railway and how the town was affected during World War II.
There has been a museum in Barrow since 1907. The Dock Museum opened in its current spot in 1994. It quickly became popular, with 50,000 visitors in its first year. In 2001, a huge 120,000 people visited! The museum is free to enter and is owned by the public.
Contents
Exploring the Museum's Exhibits
When you first walk into the Dock Museum, you'll find galleries on the ground floor. These show how Barrow-in-Furness grew very quickly. They also explain how the town was impacted by World War II.
The biggest part of the museum is inside an old dry dock. This is a special area where ships were built or repaired. Here, you'll find three floors packed with amazing things. There are models of ships and submarines that were built right here in Barrow. You can also see many other interesting displays.
The museum has a huge collection of old photos from the shipyard. These are called the Vickers Photographic Archive. It has 10,000 glass plate negatives! On the very bottom floor, you can watch a film about Barrow's past and present. The museum is named after the historic dock it's built in. This dock opened in 1872 and is one of the museum's main attractions.
More Than Just Ships
Many people think the Dock Museum is only about ships. But it's much more than a maritime museum! It has a strong collection about ancient times, before recorded history. You can also see natural history items, old household furnishings, and toys.
The museum is currently holding the Furness Hoard. This is a collection of Viking treasures found in 2011. The museum hopes to buy these amazing artifacts soon.
Historic Boats on Display
The Dock Museum also preserves several small boats. One is a yacht called White Rose, built in the late 1800s. There's also Banshee, a type of fishing boat called a Whammel. Another boat is Nance, a traditional prawner from Morecambe Bay, built in 1914.
The museum's largest boat is the RNLB Herbert Leigh. This lifeboat is located outside, next to North Road.
Museum Location and Facilities
The Dock Museum is located in Barrow-in-Furness, right next to the Walney Channel. It has a unique shape, so it's easy to spot from the nearby A590 road and Hindpool Road.
The museum has a coffee shop called 'Bridge Coffee Shop'. There's also a gift shop where you can find souvenirs. Kids will love the maritime-themed adventure playground outside! The museum has toilets and is fully accessible for everyone.
You can also access the 'Channelside Walk' from the museum. This path leads up to the town's old slag banks. From there, you can get great views of Barrow, Walney Island, the Lake District, and even the Isle of Man on a clear day.
Images for kids
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The Dock Museum seen facing southwards towards Devonshire Dock Hall
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Shipbuilders models of two Barrow-built ocean liners displayed in the Dock Museum
