 The main entrance to Northampton Museum in May 2023 | |
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| Established | 1884 |
|---|---|
| Location | Guildhall Road, Northampton, England |
| Coordinates | 52°14′12″N 0°53′41″W / 52.2366°N 0.8946°W |
| Website | www |
Northampton Museum and Art Gallery is a public museum in Northampton, England. The museum is owned and run by West Northamptonshire Council and houses one of the largest collection of shoes in the world, with over 15,000 pairs,[1] which was designated by Arts Council England as being of local, national and international importance.
The town's museum was established in 1865, but moved to the current site in 1884, where it shared its space with the town's library. After the library moved in 1910, the museum took over the whole building.[2] The museum was extended in 1935 and again in 1988. In 2012, the museum was refurbished for better access.[1]
The museum closed between 2017 and 2021 for a major £6.7m expansion project.[3][4] The new museum reopened in July 2021, more than a year later than planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ a b "Northampton's world famous shoe museum reopens after refurbishment", BBC News, Northampton, 14 April 2012.
- ^ "Celebrating 150 years of Northampton Museums & Art Gallery", Northampton Borough Council, 27 July 2015.
- ^ "Work to upgrade controversial museum gets underway", ITV News, 21 February 2017.
- ^ Odell, Carly (7 July 2021). "Sneak peek inside Northampton museum after £6.7m refurb ahead of reopening this weekend". Northampton Chronicle and Echo. Retrieved 8 July 2021.