Plans are afoot to improve the shop/reception area of Sunderland Museum, Library and Winter Gardens.
Making the improvements will mean that the main entrance to the complex will be temporarily closed from Monday 1st October.
Visitors are asked instead to use either the old entrance to the museum via the steps on Borough Road or the café entrance on the terrace in Mowbray Park.
The renovation work will see new flooring, lighting, shelving and signage installed and significant improvements made to the shop. It is hoped that the work will be finished by Christmas.
Though the shop and reception area will be closed while the work is going on, other areas of the Museum, Library and Winter Gardens will remain open, including the café run by Holmeside Coffee.
Sunderland City Council’s portfolio holder for communities and culture, Cllr John Kelly, said, “Sunderland Museum, Library and Winter Gardens is one of the top five most visited attractions in north-east England.”
“Through external funding we are going ahead with a first phase of improvements and over the coming months we’re going to be working with key partners, including Sunderland Culture, to access additional external funding to enable further developments.”
“I think people will be really pleased with the new retail space, which will offer a greater variety of merchandise. It will also offer a range of local heritage books and bespoke crafts designed by local and regional artists.”
“In the meantime, while work is ongoing, our visitor services team will be on-hand throughout to direct visitors around the museum and to help with any enquiries and to ensure that building works take place limiting any impact to our museum and library visitors.”
For more information about Sunderland Museum, Library and Winter Gardens, please go to https://www.seeitdoitsunderland.co.uk/sunderland-museum-winter-gardens.
(Featured image courtesy of Martin Routledge, from Wikipedia Creative Commons.)
