Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens facts for kids
Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens from Mowbray Park
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| Established | 1846 |
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| Location | Burdon Road, Sunderland, England |
| Type | Museum |
The Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens is a cool museum in Sunderland, England. It's a place where you can explore history, art, and nature. One of its most amazing exhibits is the only known British example of a gliding reptile! This ancient creature was the oldest known animal with a backbone that could glide through the air. It was found in a place called Eppleton quarry. The museum also has a special collection that is considered very important for the whole country.
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History of the Museum
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The Sunderland Museum first opened its doors in 1846. It was located in the Athenaeum Building on Fawcett Street. This was a big deal because it was the first museum outside London to be paid for by the local town council.
The museum started collecting art very early on. Its first recorded art purchase was a painting of the new South Dock opening in 1850. This might have been the very first time a town council ever asked an artist to create a painting for them!
Moving to a New Home
In 1879, the museum moved to a much bigger building. This new building was right next to Mowbray Park. It included a library and a special glass building called a winter garden. This winter garden was designed like the famous The Crystal Palace.
A very important person, U.S. President Ulysses Grant, was there when the first stone of the new building was laid in 1877. The building officially opened two years later, in 1879.
Rebuilding the Winter Garden
During World War II, the Winter Garden was badly damaged. A special type of bomb called a parachute mine hit it in 1941. The damaged part had to be taken down the next year.
In the 1960s, a new part was added to the museum where the Winter Garden used to be. Then, in 2001, the museum got money from a lottery to make big improvements. They built a brand new Winter Garden and made the whole museum much better for visitors.
Today, the Winter Gardens are home to more than 2,000 different kinds of flowers and plants. It's a beautiful place to visit!
Museum's Popularity
In 2003, the Sunderland Museum was recognized as the most visited museum outside of London. This shows how many people love coming to explore its collections!
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum has many interesting things to see. One of its special collections is a large group of Sunderland Lustreware pottery. This pottery was made right here in Sunderland and is known for its shiny, colorful designs.
Other cool things you can find at the museum include:
- A stuffed lion that was brought to the museum in 1879.
- The remains of a walrus that came all the way from Siberia in the 1880s.
- The very first Nissan car that was made in Sunderland.
- The bones of a human being.
- A dinosaur bone that was found in the local area.
Library and Art
The museum used to have a library inside it. But in 1995, the library moved to a new place called the City Library and Arts Centre. This new center is on Fawcett Street. Moving the library gave the museum more space for its amazing exhibitions.
The new City Library and Arts Centre also has the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art. This gallery is famous for showing the work of new and exciting artists from the North of England.
L.S. Lowry's Connection
The famous artist L.S. Lowry discovered Sunderland in 1960. He loved it so much that it became like a second home to him. He once said, "One day I was travelling south from Tyneside and I realised this was what I had always been looking for."
The Sunderland Museum has a very important collection of Lowry's artwork. They have six of his paintings and 30 more on long-term loan. Only the museums in Salford and Manchester have more Lowry paintings than Sunderland.
