The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford has revealed a sneak peek of its redesigned foyer as it prepares for a grand reopening in January 2025, perfectly timed to coincide with Bradford’s year as the UK City of Culture. Following a £6 million transformation, the museum will return with refreshed public spaces, new galleries, and an exciting line-up of events, exhibitions, and festivals throughout the year.
The redesigned foyer will offer a more welcoming and accessible experience for visitors, featuring soft seating, a new welcome desk, a redesigned shop, and an additional passenger lift to make it easier for everyone to move around the building. This reconfiguration opens up a large public area where visitors can relax, explore, and enjoy the vibrant programme that the museum has planned.
Jo Quinton-Tulloch, Director of the National Science and Media Museum, said:
“We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors back into the museum in January just as Bradford takes on the role of City of Culture. It’s going to be a momentous year for the district, and we’ve planned a fantastic lineup of exhibitions, festivals, and events… With an enhanced public programme, newly revamped spaces and improved accessibility including a new passenger lift, we’re ready to welcome many more visitors in 2025 and beyond.”
One of the key highlights of the reopening will be the return of the popular Wonderlab gallery, an interactive space where visitors can engage with hands-on exhibits exploring the wonders of science and technology. The IMAX cinema, boasting the largest screen in West Yorkshire, will also make its comeback, offering an immersive movie experience like no other.
In addition, the museum’s new “Sound and Vision” galleries will launch in summer 2025, showcasing the museum’s renowned collection of photography, film, sound, animation, and gaming. These galleries are a major part of the museum’s transformation, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and supported by the Science Museum Group.
Visitors can also look forward to an immersive, multimedia installation by the award-winning artist collective Marshmallow Laser Feast, launching in April 2025. This innovative exhibit, created in partnership with Bradford 2025, will explore themes of identity and humanity, drawing inspiration from the long-running Born in Bradford research programme, which tracks the lives of over 40,000 people in the district.
The museum’s 2025 calendar promises a host of exciting events, including the annual Yorkshire Games Festival, celebrating all things gaming, and the much-loved Widescreen Weekend film festival, which will showcase world-class cinema projection at Pictureville Cinema. October will see the return of the Bradford Science Festival, now supercharged and expanded for 2025.
Originally slated to reopen in summer 2024, the museum delayed its relaunch due to unforeseen issues during the excavation for the new passenger lift. However, with the revamped foyer and other major improvements now in sight, the museum is eager to welcome visitors back for what promises to be a landmark year for both the museum and the city of Bradford.
For more information on the museum’s reopening plans and the exciting events planned for 2025, visit The National Science and Media Museum.
