Image: Queues outside Manchester Museum (Photo Twitter / @ward_esme)
Following its £15m project, the museum saw long queues extending into the street throughout its opening week
The recently opened Manchester Museum has attracted more than 50,000 visitors in its first week, it has announced, following its £15 million redevelopment project.
Visitors were pictured queuing to get into the museum from its opening day, on 18th February, and continuing throughout the week. The Museum’s Director, Esme Ward, tweeted a photo of the long queue extending from the entrance on opening day.
Ward said: “Oh my goodness, people queuing to visit [Manchester Museum]. Am now an emotional wreck”.
Oh my goodness, people queuing to visit @McrMuseum Am now an emotional wreck pic.twitter.com/WS7FtJBxeR
— Esme Ward (@ward_esme) February 18, 2023
Five days after reopening on February 23rd, Dr Campbell Price, Curator of Egypt and Sudan at Manchester Museum, shared a video on Twitter of an extensive queue forming at the museum, and said the wait in the queue could be up to an hour.
This morning at THE QUEUE! @McrMuseum #MMreturns pic.twitter.com/9SUn2jmLIv
— Dr Campbell Price (@EgyptMcr) February 22, 2023
The museum closed in 2021 to facilitate the final phase of its capital development project, ‘hello future’, supported by public funding from Arts Council England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The University of Manchester, and numerous philanthropic supporters.
This is the queue today to visit our Manchester Museum – reopened last week and queues like this happen every day. The importance of museums proven by everyone joining this line. Amazing and very moving. @McrMuseum @OfficialUoM pic.twitter.com/KJfQcpQ34Z
— Professor Christopher Pressler (@chris_pressler) February 21, 2023
All the details of its £15 million transformation can be read here.
The Museum has now announced its Spring programme of events, which includes Museum Lates. On 8 March 2023, the museum will stay open to 9pm, and will host a Film Night with a number of screenings in different galleries.
Esme Ward, Director of Manchester Museum, said: “2023 is set to be the most exciting year in the museum’s long history and we hope as many people as possible will join the celebrations – there really is something for everyone.”
