Weston Park Museum facts for kids
Aerial view of Western Park Museum
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| Established | 1875 |
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| Location | Western Bank, Weston Park Museum, Mushroom Ln, Sheffield S10 2TP, England |
Weston Park Museum is a big museum in Sheffield, England. It's located inside Weston Park, about a mile west of the city center. It's the largest museum in Sheffield and is in a special old building. The museum is run by Museums Sheffield. Before 2006, it was known as the Sheffield City Museum and Mappin Art Gallery.
Contents
Museum History: From House to Museum
The museum first opened its doors in 1875. It was located in a building called Weston House, and the land around it later became Weston Park. In 1887, a new part was added to the building. It was built in a fancy style called neoclassical, which looks like old Greek and Roman buildings.
The Mappin Art Gallery was built next to the museum. It was made to hold a collection of art given to the city by a businessman named John Newton Mappin. Later, in the 1930s, Weston Hall was taken down. A new building was then built in its place, right next to the Mappin Art Gallery. This new part was finished in 1937, with some money coming from a local businessman named J. G. Graves.
Changes Over the Years
For a long time, the whole place was officially called the Sheffield City Museum and Mappin Art Gallery. The museum showed off collections about Sheffield's old history, nature, art, and how people lived. The Mappin Art Gallery displayed Mappin's art and also held special art shows.
In December 1940, during World War II, the Mappin Art Gallery was badly hit by bombs. A large part of the building was destroyed, and the rest was damaged. Even so, the museum stayed open to visitors during the 1950s and 1960s. The Mappin Art Gallery was fixed up and reopened in 1965. For many years after that, it hosted important art exhibitions.
Modern Updates and New Name
Both buildings closed in March 2003 for a big renovation. This project cost about £17.3 million. It was paid for by different grants and the Sheffield City Council. The building reopened in October 2006 as Weston Park Museum. This meant the Mappin Art Gallery no longer had its own separate name. The museum closed again briefly in 2016 for more updates and to celebrate ten years since its big reopening.
What You Can See at the Museum
Weston Park Museum has many interesting things to explore.
Ancient Discoveries
The museum has exhibits about archaeology, which is the study of old human history. You can see a copy of Bronze Age rock art from a place called Gardom's Edge. There are also many items collected by Thomas Bateman, a famous collector. One very special item is the Benty Grange helmet. This helmet is very similar to the helmets described in the old English poem Beowulf.
Explore the Galleries
The museum has seven main galleries, each with a different theme:
- The Harold Cantor Gallery: This gallery holds temporary exhibitions. These often include big shows that travel from national museums like the V&A and the British Museum.
- Sheffield Life and Times: Learn about the history of Sheffield and how people lived there.
- History Lab: A fun place to discover more about history.
- Arctic World: Explore the cold regions of the world and the animals that live there.
- What On Earth!: Discover amazing facts about our planet and nature.
- Treasures: See some of the museum's most valuable and interesting items.
- Picturing Sheffield: Look at how Sheffield has changed over time through pictures.
Weather Station
The museum is also home to one of the oldest weather stations in the country. It has been collecting information about Sheffield's weather since 1882!
Visitors and Awards
Weston Park Museum welcomes around 250,000 visitors every year. In 2007, it was nominated for the important Gulbenkian Prize. In 2008, the museum won The Guardian's Family Friendly Museums award, showing it's a great place for families to visit.
