Museum attracts its millionth visitor

IT cost 19m and took three years to complete, but the success of the restoration of Sheffield’s Weston Park Museum was in no doubt yesterday.

Visitor numbers have exceeded all targets and yesterday morning the museum welcomed its millionth visitor since it reopened in October 2006 following an extensive overhaul.

Christine Marsden, who was at Weston Park with her daughter Lene Marsden and friend Jenny Hall, both five, was met by Spike the woolly rhino – one of the museum’s most popular exhibits – and the leader of Sheffield Council, Councillor Paul Scriven as she walked through the door.

The group was also given a Museums Sheffield family membership and cuddly Spike toys to take home to mark the occasion.

Kim Streets, director of learning and knowledge at Museums Sheffield, said: “We are really delighted with the way that visitors have embraced Weston Park.

“Our aim for the museum has always been to tell the story of the Sheffield for the people of Sheffield and the response we’ve seen over the past three years and the fact we’ve reached this wonderful milestone so quickly is absolutely fantastic.”

Formerly the City Museum and Mappin Art Gallery, the museum first opened in 1875 as a place to house and display Sheffield’s collection of archaeological, natural history, decorative art and social history works and artefacts.

However, by the time it closed in 2003 it had fallen into disrepair. There was no access for people in wheelchairs or those with prams and pushchairs and the atmosphere was dark and dingy – a far cry from the bright and airy space it is now.

Half of the 19m spent on the revamp went into making the building in Weston Park accessible and putting it in a good state of repair.

The investment paid off. In the year before the refurbishment the museum attracted 80,000 visitors but, now, upwards of 285,000 people pass through the doors annually.

The success of the museum was also noted more widely. In 2007 Weston Park was nominated for the prestigious Gulbenkian Award and it went on to win the Guardian’s Family Friendly Museum of the Year title in 2008.

Yesterday’s arrival of the millionth visitor coincided with Community Day at the museum, which involved activities such as Bollywood dancing, Chinese lion dance performers and art workshops. Coun Scriven said: “Sheffielders love Weston Park. The museum holds a very special place in their hearts.”