Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life | |
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Location | Summerlee Heritage Park, Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire |
Coordinates | 55°51′59″N 4°01′51″W / 55.86639°N 4.03083°W |
Area | 22 acres (8.9 ha) |
Built | 1836 (industrial site) |
Original use | Summerlee Iron Works |
Restored | 1988 (museum opening) |
Current use | Site museum |
Visitors | 180,000 annually |
Governing body | North Lanarkshire Council |
Owner | Industrial Museums Scotland |
Website | Go Industrial Sumerlee Museum |
Official name | Summerlee Iron Works, furnaces, furnace bank and associated works |
Type | Industrial: iron and steel; kiln, furnace, oven |
Designated | 06/02/1995 |
Reference no. | SM6164 |
Official name | Monkland Canal, Gartsherrie Branch, Summerlee |
Type | Industrial: inland water |
Designated | 16/12/2013 |
Reference no. | SM11340 |
Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life is an industrial and social history museum in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is situated on the site of the Victorian Summerlee Iron Works and the former Hydrocon Crane factory. The main Hydrocon factory building became the museum’s exhibition hall but it has been substantially changed and adapted since. The museum aims to show Lanarkshire's contribution to engineering, mining, steel working, weaving and farming, and also show the lives of the people of the area. It includes interactive displays and a temporary exhibition space. Entry is free of charge.
The museum also incorporates several railway steam locomotives, preserved railway carriages from a 1960s-era Glasgow Blue Train and has a short working heritage tram line.
The museum covers 22 acres and includes two scheduled monuments, Summerlee Iron Works and the Monkland Canal, a large play area, mine and miners' row, outdoor exhibits, a cafe, changing place, gift shop and sweet shop.