The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley has announced that it will be expanding by a third and will include new features such as a new learning centre.
The museum will be expanding its offering with an extension that will include new buildings such as a new visitor centre and learning centre for schools. The expansion is said to focus on post-war life, offering greater insight into this period of British history.
The expansion
The museum’s current Rolfe Street Entrance Building will be repurposed and refurbished as a contemporary Learning Centre and a complementary Industrial Learning Space will be created at the heart of the site. Together, they will enhance the museum’s capacity to deliver learning activities for more than 80,000 school children a year.
New buildings will be moved brick-by-brick to be part of the museum’s expansion, too, including West Bromwich’s Gas Showroom and Dudley’s Woodside Library, as well as Wolverhampton’s Elephant & Castle Pub and Lye’s Marsh & Baxter’s Butchers which will be recreated from archive material.
These buildings will form part of the new historic town which will also feature new collections on display which will reflect the lives and stories of people who lived in the Black Country during the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
A contemporary visitor centre and a new car park will be developed as well.
Further information about the Black Country Living Museum
Various learning opportunities are available at the museum such as workshops suitable for different Key Stage groups.
As well as covering History, pupils can also get involved in Design & Technology activities and Travel and Tourism workshops.
School rates are available and can be booked to include workshops for your class.
The development project is being funded by a grant given by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
For more information, visit www.bclm.co.uk.
