Weymouth Museum facts for kids
Weymouth Museum is a cool place in Weymouth, Dorset, England, where you can learn about the town's history. It first opened in 1972 in an old school building. Later, in 1990, it moved to a special place called Brewers Quay, which is close to Weymouth Harbour. Even though Brewers Quay is still its main home, the museum is currently closed because the building is being updated.
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History of Weymouth Museum
How the Museum Started
The Weymouth Museum of Local History first opened its doors in 1972. It was located in an old building that used to be the Melcombe Regis Boys' School on Westham Road. Before becoming a museum, this building hosted a special exhibition in 1971. This exhibition celebrated 400 years since the towns of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis joined together. The next year, the permanent museum opened in the same building. It had five main rooms showing the town's history in order, plus another room for changing exhibits.
Moving to Brewers Quay
In 1987, the museum's first building was planned to be taken down. This was part of a bigger plan to update the area, including making the Weymouth Marina from part of the harbour. After closing in 1989, the museum found a new home. It moved to Brewers Quay, which was an old brewery building. This building was being turned into an indoor shopping area. The "Friends of Weymouth Museum" group signed an agreement for 25 years, and all the museum's collections were moved.
Brewers Quay opened in June 1990. At first, Weymouth Museum shared the space with an exhibit called Timewalk. This exhibit took visitors on a journey through the town's history and its connections to the sea, starting from the 1300s. In 1999, the museum became a separate charity. It reopened in 2000. However, Brewers Quay had some money problems, and new owners took over the building several times. This made it hard for the museum to plan for the future.
In 2010, Brewers Quay was sold to a new group. The building then closed for more updates. There was a plan to keep space for the museum, but the new owners changed their minds. Brewers Quay reopened in 2013, mostly as a place to buy old items. The museum was given a temporary space and reopened in December of that year.
Recent Updates and Future Plans
Weymouth Museum closed again in 2016. The antiques shop at Brewers Quay also closed in 2017. In January 2016, the local council approved plans for the Weymouth Museum Trust to move and make the museum bigger within Brewers Quay. This was part of a larger project to redevelop the building. The museum hoped to get some money for the project from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The council also promised £94,000.
In March 2018, the museum opened again with temporary exhibits. These exhibits showed a small part of its collection inside Brewers Quay. The big redevelopment project was expected to finish for an opening in 2020, but the plans slowed down.
From May 30, 2022, a temporary "pop-up shop" museum opened on St Thomas Street. It stayed open until October 27, 2023. The redevelopment of Brewers Quay started in 2024. It is expected to be finished in 2026, with a dedicated space for the museum on the ground floor.
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