Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery facts for kids
The new museum, gallery and library under construction, now completed
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Established | 1964 |
|---|---|
| Location | Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England |
| Type | Military Museum |
The Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery is a cool place to visit in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It's a museum where you can learn about history, art, and even see some amazing old objects!
Contents
Exploring Doncaster's History and Art
The first museum in Doncaster opened its doors in 1909. It was located in a building called Beechfield House. For a while, it even had a small zoo!
In 1964, the museum moved to a brand new building. This new space was made just for showing off its collections. These collections included natural history, like old animals and plants. It also had archaeology, which is about ancient people and their tools. You could also see local history items and beautiful fine art.
Amazing Discoveries at the Museum
Did you know that a new type of extinct animal was found right here? In 2008, scientists looked at a fossil in the museum's collection. They realized it was a new species of Ichthyosaurus. This was a big sea reptile that lived long ago. It was officially named Ichthyosaurus anningae in 2015.
The museum also has a special section for soldiers. It's home to the Regimental Museum of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. This part tells the story of a local army group.
Another cool item on display is the Roman Danum shield. This ancient shield was found in Doncaster in 1971. It gives us a peek into what life was like when the Romans were here.
In 2009, the museum won an award. It was for having the "Most Improved Audience Figures." This means more people were coming to visit and enjoy the museum!
A Brand New Museum for Doncaster
The old museum building closed its doors in January 2020. This was because a new, even better museum was being built! The plan was to open it in summer 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused some delays.
The new building cost about £14 million to build. It was finished in October 2020. This amazing new place is called 'The Danum Gallery, Library and Museum'. It's a huge building that even includes the old Doncaster High School for Girls building. The new museum finally opened to the public on May 29, 2021.
Celebrating Doncaster's Rail History
A special part of the new museum opened in September 2021. It's a rail heritage centre. This area celebrates Doncaster's important role in building trains.
You can see two famous locomotives there. One is the Great Northern Railway C1 class locomotive No. 251. The other is the London and North Eastern Railway Class V2 4771 locomotive Green Arrow. Both of these impressive trains were built right in Doncaster! They are on loan from the National Railway Museum for three years.
Today, the original museum site on Chequer Road has a new purpose. It is now home to the Doncaster Archives and Local Studies Library. This is where you can find old records and books about the local area.
