Formerly the City Museum and Mappin Art Gallery, the Museum has been at the cultural heart of Sheffield for over 130 years. It opened in 1875 to house the city’s archaeological, natural history, decorative art and social history collections.

In 1998 the City established a new Trust to manage its museums and galleries and under this new partnership began a process of new investment and modernisation for all the City’s museums. The task of refurbishing Weston Park Museum began in March 2003.

A funding package of over £19 million was secured from public and private partners including the Heritage Lottery Fund, Sheffield City Council, European Reader Development Fund Objective 1, Department for Culture Media and Sport/Wolfson Museums and Galleries

Improvement Grant, H&L Cantor Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, Millennium Commission, Sheffield Town Turst, Freshgate Foundation, Basil Samuel Foundation, Church Burgesses Trust, Holbeche Corfield Settlement and others.

The Trust committed from the outset to work with existing and potential museum users and partnership organisations, resulting in a substantial programme of consultation on content, the appointment of dedicated community staff, an outreach programme - ‘Museum in the Sun’ - which operated during closure and the involvement of Sheffield communities in display development.

Following three years of redevelopment and a multi-million pound transformation, Weston Park Museum opened on 14 October 2006. 55,000 people, including school and community groups, visited in the first 15 days of opening. Admission is free and the doors are open seven days a week.

The Museum is an accessible, welcoming and vibrant place of culture and learning where visitors can explore many beautiful, varied and unusual treasures from Sheffield’s archaeology, natural and social history, and fine an decorative art collections.

Some of your comments:

I have visited this Museum and Gallery numerous times in the past.  Its refurbishment/redevelopment is superb, a vast improvement on its previous presentation - very child-friendly yet enjoyable and interesting for adults. The new layout is excellent and easy to follow through the themed areas, showing much-loved items of local history in a new light.  I particularly liked the famous Snowy the Polar Bear's new home in the Arctic area, the relocated beehive, the oak tree root area and the more natural bird displays, to select just a few.  Support facilities (cafe, shop, toilets) are to a very high standard. I feel that this Museum is of a very high quality, a great asset to the city and surrounding area and is highly deserving of the Gulbenkian prize.
K M Hartland, Sheffield – 23 February

This is a wonderful place both for me and my husband (who is a Sheffield born lad), and our grandchildren too. I bring them frequently, when I am looking after them and have found the presentation is accessible and informative and they love the reading corners and supply of relevant books.  But I am struck by the number of adults from all walks of life who are here - often with a friend, and I hear them remembering their own experiences and identifying with so much that is on display. Pride and affection among the adults as well as a real interest in their city's history among the young is very clear to see and overhear!  Everything is done to a high standard of finish and it is a space where people are eager to chat to each other even if they are strangers and share their enthusiasm for the Museum.  People feel that it is theirs and are very proud and grateful.
Mrs Elizabeth Morton, Derbyshire – 15 March

This museum is brilliant! I can spend hours of quality time here with my baby, pre-school child and my disabled son. They are never bored. The staff are always really helpful.
Lorraine Reuber, Sheffield – 18 March

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