Watford Museum is ‘going on tour’ as part of Watford Borough Council’s exciting plans to transform how the town celebrates its diverse history and heritage.
Kicking off this October half-term with a family-friendly event at the Hub in Cassiobury Park, ‘Watford Museum on Tour’ will bring local history and stories to life, giving people a taste of what to expect when the new Watford Museum opens in the Town Hall in autumn 2025.
Over the next two years, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the council will be taking forward plans to transform the Museum and Heritage Service as part of its ambitious Town Hall Quarter Programme. As well as a new home in the Town Hall, that will provide a fabulous, fully accessible setting for the Museum’s wonderful collection of objects, artefacts and local stories, the space will support a varied range of learning activities, community displays and events, right in the heart of the town centre.
Taking the Museum out to the community at a range of locations will also allow the Museum team to prepare for the move to the Town Hall, including cataloguing the 40,000 plus items in the Museum’s collection and working with the community on shaping the service’s future. From October, therefore, the Museum at Benskin House will not be open to the general public but will be available for events and sessions that are already booked until next summer.
Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, said: “We are so fortunate in Watford to have such a rich and diverse history, dating back over the centuries as well as some great stories and memories that really bring to life the town we are today. Taking the Museum ‘on tour’ means local people will be able to learn more about, and enjoy, some of the Museum’s wonderful collection and join us in shaping the next chapter in Watford’s history.
"Our exciting plans for the new Museum and Heritage service are making great progress and I am grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players for helping us take this once in a lifetime opportunity to create somewhere where we will all be able to celebrate what makes Watford so special. I am looking forward to welcoming people to our exciting new museum when it opens in 2025."
Councillor Aga Dychton, Portfolio Holder for Community added: “I want to thank the fantastic team at Watford Museum who are so committed to keeping the town’s history safe and available for us all to enjoy.
"They are putting an amazing effort into ensuring the transition to their new home goes as smoothly as possible and that our ambitions for Watford Museum are delivered. And a thank you must also go to our brilliant volunteers who show such great commitment to Watford and I am sure they will be as delighted as I am to be part of the journey to create a wonderful new home for our town’s heritage.”
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