A major new visitor experience is set to enrich Derby’s tourism offer in 2021.
Costing £17 million to design and develop, the Museum of Making will showcase an immersive story of Derby’s rich 300-year history of innovation and industrial revolution.
The new Derby Museums visitor experience will perfectly sit in Derwent Valley Mills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – which is largely considered as the world’s first ever factory.
Not only has the museum injected a new lease of life into the historical silk mill, but is also set to inspire a new generation of makers to get stuck in with a vast range of hands on experiences and interactive displays on offer throughout.
Derwent Valley Mills, the site for Museum of Making
With a collection of 50,000 items, a Rolls-Royce Eagle engine will be used as a centrepiece of the experience – which famously helped to power the world’s first transatlantic flight in 1919.
Developers behind the Museum of Making pride the new revolutionary attraction on being designed and created by the people and industries of Derby – who have promised to unveil a series of exhibitions workshops, activities and event to inspire innovation when open.
The major multi-million pound project was made possible by generous grants through The National Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, D2N2’s Local Growth Fund and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). Derby City Council and Rolls-Royce also continued to support the Museum of Making throughout its development process.
Creating a new visitor experience through a pandemic hasn’t come without challenge. The Museum of Making was completed by Summer 2020, however the launch has since been pushed back to 2021.
The museum is set to open when deemed safe to do and in line with the latest UK Government guidance. Last month (December 2020), Museum of Making Director of Projects and Programs Hannah Fox launched a new video unveiling how the museum is now recruiting before opening to members of the public.
In similar news, Mather & Co has been enlisted to help transform Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings into a thriving community hub.
