Weymouth Museum facts for kids
Weymouth Museum is a museum located in Weymouth, Dorset, England. It has a permanent home inside Brewers Quay, which is close to Weymouth Harbour. The museum is currently closed because the Brewers Quay building is being updated.
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The Museum's Story
Weymouth Museum first opened its doors in 1972. It was originally located in the old Melcombe Regis Boys' School building on Westham Road. Before the museum moved in, a temporary local history show was held there in 1971. This show was very popular, which led to the school building becoming the permanent home for the museum.
Moving to Brewers Quay
In 1987, there were plans to redevelop the area, including turning part of the harbour into Weymouth Marina. Because of these plans, the museum had to leave the old school building in January 1989, as it was going to be torn down. After a time of not knowing where it would go, Weymouth Museum found a new home. It moved to Brewers Quay, which used to be a brewery. This old brewery was being turned into a shopping area. The museum signed an agreement to stay there, and all its collections were moved to the new spot.
Changes at Brewers Quay
Brewers Quay opened in June 1990. At first, Weymouth Museum shared the space with an exhibition called Timewalk. This exhibition showed visitors the history of Weymouth and its connections to the sea, going all the way back to the 1300s. In 1999, the museum became a separate organization. It reopened in 2000 as a charitable trust, which means it's run for public benefit, not for profit.
However, Brewers Quay had some financial problems. The building was sold to new owners several times, which made things difficult for the museum. In 2010, Brewers Quay was sold again and closed for redevelopment. Even though there were plans to keep space for the museum, the new owners decided it wasn't possible. Brewers Quay reopened in 2013, mostly as a place to buy antiques. The museum was given a temporary space and reopened in December of that year.
Future Plans for the Museum
Weymouth Museum closed again in 2016, and the antiques market at Brewers Quay closed in 2017. In January 2016, the local council approved plans for the museum to move and expand within Brewers Quay as part of a bigger redevelopment project. The museum hoped to get some of the money needed for this project from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The council also promised to help with funding. In March 2018, the museum reopened with temporary exhibits to show a small part of its collection inside Brewers Quay. The big redevelopment project is expected to be finished for a 2020 opening, giving the museum a new, permanent home.
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