Museums at Night at Gloucester Waterways Museum

Museums at Night is expected to draw in history and heritage buffs of all ages once again in 2013.

Visitors to Gloucester Waterways Museum on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 May 2013 can expect to find drunken navvies, gossiping waterways women, lazy lock keepers and officious dock managers brought to life, as part of this year’s national Museums at Night initiative.

The annual after-hours celebration of arts, culture and heritage, organised by Culture24, will see hundreds of museums, galleries, libraries, archives and heritage sites across the UK throw open their doors for a series of special evening events, giving locals the chance to experience them in an entirely new light.

Costumed characters will lead torchlight tours around Gloucester Waterways Museum, where they will come across cameo drama performances about the people who used to live on the canals and rivers of Gloucestershire, whilst volunteer actors bring exhibits to life, replacing static mannequins and acting out scenes relating to life on the waterways.

Proving that museums are not boring and static, but fun and interactive for the whole family, last year’s event was a sell-out success, with manager Doreen Davies saying, ‘Bringing history to life in this way engages with museum visitors of all ages and helps them to appreciate what life was like for people living on the waterways in the 1880s.’

Situated in the heart of Gloucester’s Victorian Docks, the museum is renowned for its ability to portray the history of our wonderful canals and rivers, offering culture enthusiasts the chance to climb aboard historic boats, enjoy hands-on fun, watch archive films and browse galleries rich in heritage and storytelling.

Youth groups, families and history buffs are advised to snap up tickets to this anticipated evening celebration of local arts and heritage, which are once again expected to sell-out smartish.

© SoGlos

Thursday 02 May 2013