The weekly feature rounds up the latest updates in museum appointments, openings, funding and new exhibitions from across the UK.
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Openings & closures
English Heritage has unveiled a reconstruction of a 4,500-year-old Neolithic building at Stonehenge, funded by a £1m donation from the Kusuma Trust. The Kusuma Neolithic Hall stands 7 metres high and is based on archaeological evidence of a large prehistoric structure found two miles from the stone circle, near the prehistoric settlement Durrington Walls.
£1m reconstruction of 4,500-year-old building unveiled at Stonehenge
Exhibitions
Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep
Natural History Museum | London
Opened 22 May 2026
Opening 22 May 2026, ‘Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep’ at the Natural History Museum, London, explores marine life from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The exhibition features specimens and casts including an ichthyosaur skull, mosasaur jaw and teeth, and plesiosaur remains drawn from the Museum’s palaeontology collection. Generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, the exhibition includes a hands-on ‘Fierce Factor’ trail and examines how fossil evidence can inform understanding of future ocean ecosystems.
A Manor in the Making
Preston Manor | Brighton
Opened 23 May 2025
A new permanent display at Preston Manor traces nearly 1,000 years of the house’s history, from its first mention in the Domesday Book through to the Edwardian era and World War II. The centrepiece is a 1:12 scale model of the manor, handmade by Lead Duty Manager Tony McDonald over six months using recycled and repurposed materials, measuring approximately 1.5 metres in length. The display also features history panels exploring the pre-Stanford history of the estate and is included with standard entry to the manor.
View museum announcement →
Beneath the Surface
Museum & Art Swindon | Swindon
Opening: 26 May 2026 – Closing: [Date TBC]
‘Beneath the Surface’ is the first major exhibition of Museum & Art Swindon’s studio ceramics collection, tracing the history of British studio ceramics from the early 1920s to the present day. The exhibition examines the evolution of clay as a contemporary art medium, highlighting techniques and styles across the last century and the relationship between art and craft. New acquisitions by artists including Peter Ting, Natasha Daintry and Tessa Eastman feature alongside historic works, and a companion book written by curators Katie Ackrill and Kirsty Hartsiotis has been published to accompany the exhibition.
Happiness! The Ken Dodd Exhibition
Showtown | Blackpool
Opening: 24 June 2026 – Closing: 3 January 2027
The exhibition celebrates the life and career of Sir Ken Dodd OBE, featuring rare artefacts including stage outfits, props, original puppets, archive programmes, photographs and personal notebooks. Developed in partnership with National Museums Liverpool and the Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation, the exhibition was previously shown at the Museum of Liverpool in 2024. A life-size waxwork of Sir Ken on loan from Madame Tussauds Blackpool and an interactive ‘giggle map’ touchscreen are among the displays.
View museum announcement →
Imagining Animals
Tower of London | London
Opening: 19 August 2026 – Closing: 31 August 2026
Created by puppeteer Mervyn Millar and choreographer Suzy Willson in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces, ‘Imagining Animals’ brings large-scale puppetry, music and movement to the Tower of London throughout the day. The event is inspired by the Royal Menagerie, which housed animals at the Tower for over 600 years. The programme also includes a community art installation created by local groups and is included in standard admission, with £1 tickets available for eligible families.
Funding
The Tank Museum’s King Tiger V2 restoration fundraiser has reached nearly half of its £1m target, thanks to a £100,000 donation from William Bannister. The Museum’s Workshop Team has commenced work on the restoration project, with solid progress being made. The public can follow the restoration journey on The Tank Museum Workshop YouTube channel and support the project by visiting tankmuseum.org/ktv2.
Arts Council England has opened a £13.6m Museum Transformation Programme to support museums in rethinking their operational models. The programme, delivered by ACE on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, offers grants of between £50,000 and £1 million to accredited museums in England that can demonstrate an established relationship with a local authority.
