Kelham Island Museum re-opens the doors of its much loved children’s play area - The Melting Shop - on Sunday 26 July 2009. Its refurbishment marks the last phase of the museum re-display since the floods of 2007 and coincides with the Museum offering free entrance to everyone during the Sheffield School Summer Holidays.
The Melting Shop gives children the chance to follow the process of making steel in a hands-on way. Kids will love being melted like iron in our swirling ball pool before being poured, rolled and hammered and then shaped into a finished product which could be anything from a steel fork to a submarine!
Also located in The Melting Shop are interactives explaining the processes of steel production including giant 3D jigsaws of the Sheffield Simplex car and a locomotive that budding engineers can explore both inside and out.
Families will be able to visit the rest of the Museum free of charge and take part in the many activities that will be also happening throughout August. Activities include performances from Point Blank Theatre Group, story telling and activity trails led by characters from Sheffield’s industrial past.
Sylvia Dunkley, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport & Tourism at Sheffield City Council said:
“Having seen first hand how much the children love the Melting Shop, it reflects what a good job the Museum does interpreting Sheffield’s industrial past for all ages. It’s wonderful that families can share this kind of fun activity together over the summer holidays and because it is free, it means everyone can enjoy what the museum has to offer”
John Hamshere, Chief Executive at Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust said:
“The final stage of flood recovery is now complete however we are now moving on to further developments and looking forward to welcoming the Hawley Collection into our new building in early 2010.
The impact of offering free entry at Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust is already proving itself with a 40% overall increase in attendance at Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet within our first two months of opening. We are confident that our new re-display and re-opening of The Melting Shop will ensure this rise in footfall continues at Kelham Island Museum throughout the school holidays”
Kelham Island Museum remains open for free throughout Sheffield School Holiday periods, opening daily from 10 am until 4 pm Monday to Thursday and 11 am until 4.45 pm on Sunday.
