Lancaster City Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lancaster City Museum |
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The museum, seen across Market Square
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| Former names | Old Town Hall |
| General information | |
| Type | Museum |
| Town or city | Lancaster, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 54°02′56″N 2°48′06″W / 54.0489°N 2.8017°W |
| Construction started | 1781 |
| Completed | 1783 |
| Opened | (as Lancaster City Museum) 1923 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Sandstone ashlar with slate roof |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Major Thomas Jarrett |
| Main contractor | Robert Charnley and Robert Dickinson |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: City Museum, The Old Town Hall | |
| Designated: | 22 December 1953 |
| Reference #: | 1194971 |
The Lancaster City Museum is a museum in Lancaster, England. It's a great place to learn about the city's past. The museum is located in Market Square. It is housed in a very old building that used to be the Town Hall for Lancaster.
Contents
Discovering the Museum's History
The building where the museum is located is called the Old Town Hall. It's a very important historic building. It's listed as a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a special building that needs to be protected.
Building the Old Town Hall
Major Thomas Jarrett designed this building. Construction started in 1781 and finished in 1783. A special dome-like structure called a cupola was added in 1782. This part was designed by Thomas Harrison. The building was made bigger in 1871 and again in 1886.
In 1910, the city government moved to a new Town Hall building. The old Town Hall then became the Lancaster City Museum in 1923.
What the Building Looks Like
The museum building has two floors. It's made from a type of stone called sandstone. The front has a grand entrance with four columns. The front of the building has five large, arched windows. In the middle, under the columns, there's an arched door with four steps leading up to it.
On top of the building is the cupola. It has a square base and then an eight-sided section with a clock face. Above that is a round part with columns, topped by a dome. The clock inside was made in 1851 and still needs to be wound by hand every week!
Past Lives of the Building
The ground floor of the building was once open. It was used as a market for things like grain and butter. Later, these open spaces were filled in with the windows you see today.
Over the years, this building has been used for many different things. Besides being the Town Hall and now a museum, it also held the town court. It even had small jail cells! For a while, it also housed branches of Barclays Bank and National Westminster Bank.
Exploring the Museum's Collections
The museum opened in 1923. Its collections show the history and archaeology of Lancaster and the areas around it.
Amazing Discoveries
One of the most exciting items is the Lancaster Roman Tombstone. This ancient memorial dates back to around 100 AD. It was found near Lancaster in 2005. The tombstone shows a Roman soldier riding a horse. It's a key piece of Lancaster's dramatic past. It helps us understand what life was like long ago.
The museum also managed to get the Silverdale Hoard. This amazing collection of Viking-era silver was found in the Lancaster area in 2011. It's a fantastic addition to the museum's treasures.
Other Collections
The museum also includes the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum. This part of the museum tells the story of a famous local army regiment.
The museum has been given "Accredited" status. This means it meets high standards for how it cares for its collections and serves the public.
Gallery
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The rear of the museum, on New Street, 2011
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View to the east, across Market Square, from the museum entrance, 2011
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
- Listed buildings in Lancaster, Lancashire
- List of works by Thomas Harrison
