Bolling Hall and Cliffe Castle will reopen from 10am on Wednesday 19 May and Bradford Industrial Museum and Cartwright Hall will reopen from 10am Wednesday 26 May.
The opening hours at all sites have been revised and will be Wednesday to Friday 10am to 4pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4pm.
All the museums are free and no pre-booking is required. They also all have fantastic outside spaces including parks and gardens.
Shops at all sites have had a refresh and Cartwright Hall café will reopen fully with table service only to meet Covid rules and with a brand-new menu to enjoy.
As well as the much-loved permanent exhibitions a wonderful programme of events and new displays are planned for re-opening.
Bolling Hall is a mile from the city centre and is situated in gardens with Bowling Park close by. The former home of two important local land-owning families, the Bollings and the Tempests, people can explore the period rooms and how the home has changed throughout the ages. Some people might be intrigued by the stories of the ‘White Lady’ appearing in the Ghost Room!
Cliffe Castle is a world class geology and natural history collection set within the Victorian house of a millionaire textile manufacturer. Cliffe Castle is a jewel in the crown for Keighley. With new displays about the importance of wasps, the return of the observational beehive and a nursery rhyme children’s trail with over 30 characters to find it’s an exciting visit for all ages.
At Bradford Industrial Museum you can visit the historic spinning mill, the mill managers house and back to back houses that mill workers lived in before enjoying the vintage transport collection of locomotives and cars. With three new exhibitions launching on opening ‘The Unfurlings’, ‘3 Streets’ and ‘Industrialised Heart’ showcasing new works by Razwan Ul-Haq an artist of Pakistani heritage it’s the perfect day out for new and previous visitors.
Cartwright Hall Art Gallery showcases works of art by renowned artists such as Bradford-born David Hockney, Yinka Shonibare, Andy Warhol and masters such as William Blake. A visit can be combined with lunch in the gallery’s café followed by a walk in the Green Flag-awarded grounds of Lister Park, with a boating lake, adventure playground and Mughal Gardens.
Two new exhibitions will be on display at Cartwright Hall on re-opening. ‘The Magic Room’, a new wellbeing and community display and ‘Being Young in Bradford’ which draws upon the experiences of six residents who grew up during the vibrant music scene of 1970s Bradford. Being Young in Bradford celebrates the heritage of youth in the city and displays a range of personal collection items relating to Punk, Bradford bands, Sound System DJs, Scooters and Northern Soul.
Free ‘Explore and Draw’ family activity packs can be picked up at all sites.
To ensure visitors enjoy their day out in a Covid-safe way there will be some new measures in place – all of which will feel familiar to visitors as per Covid general safety guidelines in recent months:
School groups are also being welcomed back with a dedicated ‘Just for Schools’ day happening every Tuesday during term-time at each site, so class visits can return to normal and be accommodated in a Covid-safe way.
Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “Opening the doors on our world class museums and galleries offer in Bradford marks a vital turning point in the return to normality. People can once again enjoy a day out at one of our stunning locations and experience the outstanding exhibitions and displays that Bradford owns. With free access to the buildings and displays and an exciting programme of summer events and new exhibitions lined up we encourage people to get a date in their diary to visit and enjoy the beautiful parklands of Cartwright Hall, Cliffe Castle and Bolling Hall or the atmospheric old-style street at Bradford Industrial Museum. Our staff can’t wait to welcome people back.”
For information about Bradford Council-run museums and galleries visit www.bradfordmuseums.org
