Great North Museum: Hancock facts for kids
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| Established | 1884 |
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| Location | Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Type | Natural history museum |
| Visitors | 638,454 (2009) |
| Owner | Natural History Society of Northumbria |
| Public transit access | Haymarket Metro/Bus station |
| Great North Museum | |
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The Great North Museum: Hancock is an exciting museum in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It's a place where you can explore both natural history and amazing ancient civilisations.
The museum first opened in 1884 and was known as the Hancock Museum. Later, in 2006, it joined forces with two museums from Newcastle University: the Museum of Antiquities and the Shefton Museum. Together, they became the Great North Museum. After a big makeover, the museum reopened in May 2009.
The Natural History Society of Northumbria owns most of the museum's collections. However, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums helps manage it for Newcastle University.
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Where is the Museum?
The museum is located right on the campus of Newcastle University. You can find it near the Great North Road and Barras Bridge.
Getting there is easy! The closest train station is Haymarket Metro. There's also a bus station nearby. Did you know that an old air raid shelter entrance from World War II is hidden beneath the museum grounds? It leads to the Victoria Tunnel.
A Look Back: Museum History
The museum's collection started a long time ago, around 1780. A man named Marmaduke Tunstall began gathering items from nature and different cultures worldwide. After he passed away, his collection was bought by George Allan. Later, in 1823, it was acquired by the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne.
One of the oldest items you can still see today is a wombat. It was the first complete wombat ever brought to Europe! In 1829, a group called the Natural History Society of Northumbria was formed. This group focused on science and helped grow the collection even more.
The museum moved to its current spot in 1884. This happened because the collection had grown too big for its first small museum, which opened in 1834. A very generous person named William Armstrong gave a large sum of money to help build the new museum. The museum was renamed in the 1890s to honor local naturalists, Albany and John Hancock.
Since 1959, Newcastle University has helped look after the museum and its collections.
Reopening as the Great North Museum
The Hancock Museum closed in April 2006 for a big renovation. It reopened in May 2009 as the Great North Museum: Hancock. This huge project cost £26 million! Many groups worked together to make it happen, including Newcastle University and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The new museum has many exciting new areas. You can explore natural history, geology, and learn about Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece. There are also displays on the Romans and Hadrian's Wall, different World Cultures, and Pre-history.
The museum also added a fun, interactive study zone and a special area for younger children. It even has a digital Planetarium where you can explore space! The new museum now holds not only the Hancock Museum's collections but also those from the University's Museum of Antiquities and Shefton Museum.
In 2008, the museum looked for someone who looked like the Roman Emperor Hadrian for a photo shoot. This picture would be part of a new display! The museum officially reopened on May 23, 2009. It quickly became very popular, welcoming over 400,000 visitors by August of that year. On November 6, 2009, Queen Elizabeth II herself officially opened the museum! By August 2010, the museum had welcomed its one millionth visitor.
Amazing Collections
The museum is home to many incredible exhibits. You can see a life-size model of an African elephant. There's also an Egyptian mummy named Bakt-en-Hor. And don't miss the full-size replica of a T-Rex skeleton!
One of the most famous residents is Sparkie, Newcastle's talking budgie. He was stuffed after he passed away in 1962 and is now part of a special display. The museum also has another Egyptian mummy named Irtyru.
The huge African elephant model was made by Zephyr Wildlife. They took a mold from a real stuffed elephant in Germany! To get the giant elephant into the museum, they needed a special crane. The full-size T-Rex dinosaur model came all the way from Canada. It was one of the first things placed in the new museum because it was so big!
Other cool exhibitions include:
- Hadrian's Wall: Learn about Roman life in northern England.
- Natural Northumbria: Discover the amazing wildlife found in the northeast of England.
- Ancient Egypt: Explore the world of the Ancient Egyptians and see the museum's two mummies.
- Ice Age to Iron Age: Travel back in time to see the history of the British Isles over the last 12,000 years.
- World Cultures: See artifacts and displays from different cultures around the globe.
- The Shefton Collection: This area has one of the most detailed collections of Greek artifacts in the UK.
- Explore: This is a hands-on area with regular interactive sessions.
The interactive Bio-Wall lets you investigate hundreds of creatures. You can find out where they live and how they survive in places like the Arctic and the Desert. You can also see a great white shark display, and specimens of a polar bear and a giraffe from the museum's historic collections. There's even a moa skeleton!
From May to October 2019, the museum hosted Dippy the dinosaur as part of its UK tour. The museum's archives also hold beautiful 19th-century paintings of plants by Margaret Rebecca Dickinson.
Museum Library
The Great North Museum Library is open to everyone. It's located on the second floor of the museum. This library holds three important collections: the Library and Archives of the Natural History Society of Northumbria, the Library of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, and Newcastle University's Cowen Library.
Images for kids
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The Great North Museum: Hancock building.
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The Hancock Museum logo used immediately prior to becoming the Great North Museum.
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The Hadrian's Wall display area.
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The impressive elephant display.
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The mighty T-Rex in the dinosaur hall.
