Chelmsford Museum has plenty on offer during major development project

The major redevelopment project at Chelmsford Museum, Oaklands Park, Chelmsford is now underway and the Victorian House part of the museum has closed to allow for the multimillion pound development project to take place.

In June 2017, it was announced that Chelmsford City Council had secured £1.4 million of National Lottery funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) towards the £2.2m development.  Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, the funding received will complete the museum’s transformation.  The works will see new exhibition areas, and a new café created, as well as improvements to the park with new events and activities throughout the year. The development works are due to run from January 2018, with a grand opening planned Spring 2019.

During this time the modern extension will remain open. Displays and collections that can be experienced include the Bright Sparks exhibitions with information and artefacts about Chelmsford’s industrial pioneers. These include the stories around radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi, Hoffmann Manufacturing Company, and Cromptons. 

The temporary exhibition space has a full programme beginning with a celebration of design classics: ‘Design Icons’. Upstairs the museum’s military collections in the Essex Regiment and Yeomanry exhibitions can also still be visited during the regeneration.  

An information event is being held to give a greater understanding of the museum development project.

‘Chelmsford Museum is Changing – Find Out More’ will take place on Tuesday 13 February from 2pm at Chelmsford Museum. This will be an illustrated talk by Nick Wickenden, Project Lead and Senior Curatorial Consultant.

The museum’s ever popular school sessions include Marconi’s Magic Maths, Stone Age to Iron Age and Local History are available to book throughout the year.

Further information about the event and activities program can be accessed on the museums website.

Councillor Julia Jeapes, Cabinet Member for Leisure said: “I am delighted that we are continuing our commitment to improve our heritage offering in the city. The museum development project is a wonderful addition to our vision to improve Chelmsford Museum and it will contribute a great deal to this. The Council has already invested nearly £5 million in the new museum extension and this latest development shows our contribution to continuing developing and improving our museum.”

For more information about the Chelmsford Museum redevelopment, school services or this year’s events at the museum visit: www.chelmsford.gov.museums