Todays post features Weston Park, part of Museums Sheffield and it written by the Cheers Sheffield blog, a team of International Students living in the city.
What’s fun and educational at the same time? A visit to the museum, of course. And what better place to go to when in Sheffield than the Weston Park Museum, situated in Weston Park.
The museum, which opened it’s doors in 1875, is a major attraction in the city. It is part of four places under Museums Sheffield, which includes the Millenium Gallery and Graves Art Gallery.
Museum visitor assistant Stuart Haxton said: “I think this is a fun and educational place. We have special exhibits that run for a limited time, but our permanent ones are always being redisplayed to feature new and interactive things.”
The museum underwent a four year refurbishment project in 2003, reopening it’s doors to the public in 2006. Since then they have been receiving about 300,000 visitors per year, said Stuart.
Some of the permanent exhibits, such as the Treasures section, showcases a collection of artifacts from all around the world. Younger visitors would love the The What on Earth exhibition, a natural history section featuring rare and extinct animal replicas.
An extinct woolly rhinoceros replica on display at the What on Earth exhibition in Weston Park Museum.
For visitors interested in the history of Sheffield, the Sheffield Life and Times exhibition chronicles the evolution of Sheffield as a city – from its humble beginnings to how it became a major steel production hub.
What makes the museum a worthwhile visit is it’s interactivity. Many of the exhibits at the museum allow visitors to not only learn but have fun at the same time. Visitors can have fun dressing up in periodic costumes, to gain a sense of how people in different eras lived and worked.
University of Sheffield student Jessica Hunter visits the museum once every three weeks with her 2-year old daughter. She thinks the exhibitions are great, but she goes mostly because her daughter ‘loves it here’.
Local insurance advisor Christine Wild was a frequent visitor back when she was a young girl. “I haven’t been here for quite some time now, but I did visit once when it reopened a few years ago,” she said.
“I think the exhibits are lovely, which is why people keep coming back to visit it.
Entry fee: FREE
Location: Weston Park Museum, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TP
lindamac
July 31, 2012
The pictures look great, must include this in my next visit to Sheffield. A great blog.