The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum in Cheltenham is celebrating the reopening of its refurbished and transformed museum wing this October 2026, by hosting a week of free activities and events.
Over 58,000 local people shaped The Wilson's transformation by responding to the Big Museum Project, answering questions including which of Cheltenham’s many stories are important to tell, and what makes Cheltenham unique.
Starting on Saturday 24 October 2026, its week of free reopening activities at the Clarence Street museum includes live music, family workshops and creative hands-on activities, interactive performances inspired by Cheltenham’s history, and curator tours.
Visitors can watch screenings of A Portrait of Cheltenham, a specially-commissioned film to celebrate the reopening of the museum, asking the residents of Cheltenham what the town means to them.
There are new spaces to explore, including four new collections galleries and a community display area, with trails and explorer kits available to families and children.
Pop-up immersive performances will bring the objects to life, with actors portraying characters from Cheltenham’s history and revealing some hidden stories.
Explore the movable cabinet of curiosities Museum on Wheels which is full of fascinating objects that can all be carefully touched and handled.
Visitors taking part in The My Objects: Clay Workshop can mould their own museum object in clay and write an official label for it.
Volunteers wearing a ‘2 Minute Tour’ badge will be on hand to take visitors for a two-minute tour of their favourite object.
At the Conservation Station, visitors can have a go at diagnosing the conservation requirements of some objects needing attention.
And there's also a chance to become part of the history of Cheltenham by contributing something to We Are The Wilson, a collaborative artwork that brings everyone together in one large portrait.
Named after Cheltenham-born polar explorer Edward Wilson, The Wilson is a cultural hub, and its museum wing aims to tell the story of Cheltenham through the eyes of its communities.
The Wilson was opened in 1899 following a gift of 43 paintings from the third Baron de Ferrieres, a former Mayor and MP for Cheltenham.
Today, its collection holds over 250,000 objects across art, nature, history, costume and science, spanning from the Stone Age to the present day.
Lisa Edgar, director of arts and heritage at The Wilson, said: ‘We are delighted to bring Cheltenham’s collection back to life in our refurbished museum wing. The Big Museum Project has been an invitation to the people of Cheltenham to write the next chapter in its history, using the collection to reveal the way the town has changed over centuries, how people have lived and worked, and our relationship to the rest of the world.’
Councillor Izaac Tailford, Cheltenham Borough Council cabinet member for culture, said: ‘This is a very exciting moment for Cheltenham. The Wilson has always been an important part of our town’s cultural life, and this transformation gives residents and visitors the opportunity to see Cheltenham’s story through fresh eyes.'
Admission to the museum galleries and all launch events is free.
