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Members of the public will soon be able to step inside the Great North Museum: Hancock, a £26million visitor attraction which opens its doors on Saturday 23 May in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The new museum will house internationally-important collections from the original Hancock Museum, Newcastle University’s Museum of Antiquities and the Shefton Museum. The University’s Hatton Gallery is also part of the Great North Museum but remains in its existing building.

Steve McLean, Great North Museum senior manager, explains: “People will be able to explore 350 million years of natural history and human evolution, and see breath-taking displays of world-class treasures which have been brought together under one roof.”

The new Museum is situated in the former Hancock Museum, which closed its doors three years ago to undergo its transformation into the new Museum, thanks to a £8.75 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Professor Paul Younger, Newcastle University pro-vice-chancellor for engagement, and chair of the Great North Museum board, says: “The collections which have been brought together for the first time in this stunning redevelopment of the Hancock Museum are nothing short of astounding.

“From more than half a million items, 3,500 are on display in our new galleries, combining the fruits of the labours of Victorian scholars from the North East of England with the very latest graphic technology. Not only is the result jaw-droppingly impressive, it also unlocks the research potential of this world class collection for generations to come.”

The project has been led by Newcastle University in partnership with Tyne & Wear Museums, Newcastle City Council, the Natural History Society of Northumbria and the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Highlights of the new Museum include a planetarium, a unique bio-wall displaying the diversity of life on Earth, a life-size replica T. rex skeleton, mummies from Ancient Egypt, a large scale model of Hadrian’s Wall and a display of many of its treasures, and a superb collection of ancient Greek art and archaeology.

Animals from around the world, make up a spectacular display of life on Earth, past and present, and highlight the diversity of the animal kingdom.

The Great North Museum: Hancock will also serve as a gateway to the environment and landscape of North East England. The Hadrian’s Wall Gallery displays exhibits from the entire length of the Wall in the single greatest collection of artefacts from the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site.

A stunning new temporary exhibition space is capable of housing some of the largest touring exhibitions whilst a comprehensive library houses the North East’s most important collections of works on natural history and archaeology.

The creation of the Great North Museum has been made possible by £8.75million in funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), in addition to generous funding from a wide range of supporters including the European Regional Development Fund, One North East, Newcastle University, Newcastle City Council, TyneWear Partnership, Northern Rock Foundation, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Garfield Weston Foundation, Clore Duffield Foundation and the DCMS/Wolfson Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund. Admission to the Museum will be free.
www.greatnorthmuseum.org

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