Blackpool’s £13m entertainment museum prepares to raise the curtain
Blackpool’s first ever permanent museum is getting ready to step into the spotlight as it opens to the public this weekend.
Located in a former nightclub on the town’s famous Golden Mile seafront strip, Showtown will present six galleries, designed by Casson Mann, exploring the town’s history of entertainment and showbiz.
Billed as the “museum of fun and entertainment”, the venue will take visitors through stories of circus, magic, dance, seaside life and the Blackpool illuminations, all told through displays featuring more than 800 objects.
The Seaside Gallery is the first stop in the museum, where visitors can watch a 17-metre seaside scene come to life and explore Blackpool’s early days as the world’s first mass seaside resort.
The Magic Gallery tells stories of conjurors, magicians and tricksters, while Roll Up, Roll Up will explore Blackpool’s long connection with the circus industry. The It’s Showtime! gallery will showcase end-of-pier variety shows and light entertainment, while the Leading Lights gallery allows visitors to view vintage illuminations and create their own.
The last permanent gallery, Everybody Dance Now, explores Blackpool's history of dance, particularly ballroom dancing, and features costumes worn by Strictly Come Dancing stars including former winner Stacey Dooley and professional dancer Joanne Clifton.
The final gallery will present special exhibitions, the first of which will explore the making of the museum itself.
Other exhibits in the museum include a Mr Punch puppet from 1850, suits worn by comedian Peter Kay and the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise, and comedian Bobby Ball's red braces.
Showtown features 28 objects on loan from London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, including Tommy Cooper's trademark fez and Sooty and Sweep puppets from the longrunning children's show.
Elizabeth Moss, chief executive of Showtown, said: “The lights are on, the curtain is up and we can’t wait to welcome people to Showtown. The opening of the museum is a significant moment for us and for Blackpool.
“Fun and amusement sit at the very heart of our innovative and world class museum which celebrates this incredible town’s entertainment history and the people who have put it on the map.
“We have reimagined how a museum should be, through our innovative displays of Blackpool’s own rich collection shown alongside key loans from international institutions and the performers themselves.”
Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council, said she was "delighted and excited in equal measure" about the opening.
“Our town holds a unique place in the nation’s heart, and I know the museum will be enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors alike," said Williams. "Making the museum a reality is down to the hard work of so many people, so a very big thank you to everyone involved."
Showtown forms part of the council's regeneration programme, which will see investment in infrastructure, accommodation and other improvements. Entry to the museum is free for local residents and Blackpool schools.
Given the town’s focus on entertainment, heritage has previously had a low profile in Blackpool; the council’s heritage team, Heritage Blackpool, was only established in 2007 to develop this offer, culminating in the creation of Showtown.
A new organisation, Blackpool Heritage & Museum Trust, was established last year to operate Showtown and Heritage Blackpool on behalf of Blackpool Council.
The £13m museum received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Blackpool Council, the Coastal Communities Fund, Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, the Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Wolfson Foundation, the Northern Powerhouse Fund, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and the Pilgrim Trust.