Weston Park Museum sits at the head of one of the prettiest green spaces in the city, keeping watch over blossom trees, a Victorian bandstand, a duck pond, and our favourite building in Sheffield: the Arts Tower.
Dating back to 1937, when it opened as Sheffield City Museum and Mappin Art Gallery, the museum today traces the social history of Sheffield, as well as leading visitors on expeditions into further flung parts of the world. Learn about the miners' strike and the Great Flood of Sheffield, before putting on a furry coat and exploring the Arctic with Snowy the polar bear.
Our favourite part is the mock Park Hill kitchen. Turn on the TV and you'll hear the most impassioned defence of Sheffield's love-it-or-hate-it 1960s block of flats, read by former caretaker Grenville Squires: "Replace the concrete, repair that crack / Then put the community spirit back / Make it a place we want to see / Please give Park Hill some TLC."
The gift shop is full of toys and natural history-related goodies, and the airy cafe is a great place to refuel on a walk around the park and museum.
2020 update:
Since reopening, Weston Park Museum has brought in measures to help with health and safety in response to Covid. The number of visitors is limited, there'll be one-way routes in some areas, and some interactive displays (such as dressing up costumes) will be unavailable. The museum’s Picnic Space on the first floor is available via free ticketed entry. Find out more about the new measures in place.
You now need to book a free ticket to visit Weston Park Museum. The museum is still accommodating walk-up visits, although capacity is strictly limited. The museum is still free to enter, but donations are very appreciated.
- Words by
- Claire Thornley
- Featured in
- 10 heritage highlights
