Leeds City Museum!

Sue and I moved on to visit the last of the City Council's fantastic museums here in Leeds...

Leeds City Museum is located in one of Leeds' much loved civic buildings - the Leeds Institute building on Millennium Square. The Leeds Institute is one of the City's most important historic buildings and was completed in 1862 by Cuthbert Brodrick, who also built Leeds Town Hall and the Corn Exchange. The Institute was built to provide education for the City's industrial workers and as a venue for lectures and large scale events. From the middle of the last century until 2005 it also housed the Civic Theatre where amateur theatrical groups staged public performances. These groups and others now use the modern, purpose-built Carriageworks Theatre, just across from the Institute, which opened November 2005. In the Autumn 2005 work started on an ambitious project to turn the Civic Theatre into an exciting new museum in the heart of Leeds. The project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Leeds City Council and Yorkshire Forward.

The work has transformed the Grade II-listed Civic Institute building into a brilliant state-of-the-art museum. Sue and I were shown around this amazing place by Esther Hughes, Learning and Access Officer, and Ceinwen Paynton, Site Keeper, and their knowledge and stories could have kept me there for days! The museum contains the Out of Africa Gallery, Life on Earth Gallery, Ancient Worlds Gallery, Leeds Collectors Gallery, The Leeds Story and the Leeds Arena with its' giant map of the Leeds Metropolitan District. And at the moment you can also visit Spiceworld The Exhibition

This very popular interactive exhibition celebrates Brit Pop's most successful girl group, through the extensive collection of local fan Liz West. You can explore the music industry at the height of Brit Pop - manufactured bands, the media, the glamour, the pressure of celebrity status and of course the music and merchandise that so often made the Spice Girls front page news.

This is arguably the jewel in the crown of the museums in Leeds with it's wonderful exhibits, hands on experiences and WOW factor round every corner were brought alive by Esther and Ceinwen. Simply brilliant and if you haven't been you are missing out on something extraordinary!

Chris