English attraction to reopen next month after four years – following huge multi-million-pound renovation
A TOP attraction is set to reopen in the UK later this year following a huge redevelopment project.
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery will gradually begin to reopen next month after being closed for nearly four years.
The much-loved Birmingham attraction closed in March 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
When Birmingham hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2022, the site briefly reopened with a series of pop-up exhibitions.
After the Commonwealth Games ended, the museum closed its doors again to allow for essential maintenance work to be carried out.
Located inside Birmingham City Council House, which is a Grade II listed building, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery‘s refurbishment was part of a wider redevelopment across the entire complex.
According to the design and construction company, the Acivio Group, Birmingham City Council was awarded a £4,998,820 grant by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports.
The grant was delivered by Arts Council England, and it was put towards electrical upgrades on the site.
Funding for the roof and new lifts came from the government’s Museums Estate and Development Fund.
The initial estimates for the entire renovation, including the renovation of the Council House, were put at £32.5million, according to the Express and Star.
It is not known how much was spent solely on the refurbishment of the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery will start to partially reopen from next month.
The Gas Hall will reopen on February 10, 2024, with an exhibition on Victorian Radicals that is set to feature a collection of paintings from the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
Other key attractions are also set to return to the museum later this year, including the Staffordshire Hoard.
The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever found.
Other parts of the museum are slated to reopen in time for the school summer holidays, including the Round Room, Industrial Gallery, Edwardian Tea Room, and Museum gift shop.
When news of the reopening was unveiled on Facebook, fans of the museum rushed into the comments to share their excitement.
One person wrote: “Great news – delighted we’re getting our art gallery back!”
While another added: “We can’t wait, we’ve really missed the museum while it’s been closed.”
Other Facebook users said they were “very excited” and one hailed the news as “fantastic”.
Entry tickets to the Victorian Radicals exhibition cost £11 for a full-paying adult, while children 15 and under go free.
This isn’t the only museum that’s set to reopen this year following a huge refurbishment.
Perth Museum and Art Gallery in Scotland officially closed back in late 2022, but it’s set to reopen this Easter.
Following the multi-million redevelopment project, Perth Museum will tell the story of Perth as Scotland’s first capital.
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