Alistair Hardaker | Image: The Peace Museum before its reopening
Visitor numbers rose from 3,000 to 60,000 a year after its move to Salts Mill, with a new print exhibition and artist installation on show.
The Peace Museum in Bradford is to reopen this month after the completion of a major capital investment project.
Backed by £400,000 extended City of Culture funding from DCMS, the project has seen a new heating and cooling system added, allowing it to open year-round.
It will open on Saturday 14 November 2026, revealing objects never previously shown, opening up more of the collection to the public.
The existing displays, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, have been retained and adapted. A number of new exhibits will celebrate the Museum’s role in Bradford City of Culture 2025, including a bespoke installation by the American artist, Ann Hamilton, and screenings of short films made by young people in Bradford, Sarajevo & Derry.
New exhibitions include ‘Pressing Matters: The Power of Print’, which explores how people use ink, paper in campaigning for peace. Drawing from over 16,000 objects (including 2,300+ posters), it features posters, leaflets, pamphlets, newspapers, and printing blocks. It also displays prints co-created by local residents in workshops with People Powered Press in Saltaire, home to the world’s largest letterpress printing press of its kind at Salts Works.
This investment from DCMS comes two years after the museum relocated to Salts Mill in Saltaire in 2025. The museum said it has seen visitor numbers increase from 3,000 to 60,000 a year following the relocation.
The Museum will be hosting a celebration on its opening day with free music and family workshops.
Rachel Julian, chair of the board of trustees at the Peace Museum, called the DCMS funding “transformational”, and “a strong vote of confidence in our mission and the vital role we play in preserving and sharing the histories of peace and social justice movements.
“As the only accredited museum in the UK dedicated to peace movements, we hold a collection of national importance. These works safeguard that heritage and strengthen our ability to share it widely.”
