National Science and Media Museum says farewell to visitors over final weekend ahead of temporary closure

• National Science and Media Museum to temporarily close from 5 June until summer 2024 for major refurbishment.
• The museum’s Cubby Broccoli and IMAX screens will also be closed, while Pictureville Cinema and Bar remains open 7-days a week.

The National Science and Media Museum said farewell to visitors over the weekend before temporarily shutting its doors for a major year-long refurbishment.

Bradford Science Festival marked the last chance to visit the museum before its temporary closure until summer 2024. The festival wrapped up at the museum with a big family celebration where visitors were able to get involved with hands-on activities and interactive workshops led by community partners along with special giant puppet performances and live drumming.

More than 1100 visitors built their own spaceship, got moving in dance workshops with Corey Baker Dance, explored hidden treasures in the museum’s collection and enjoyed performances with giant puppets. Visitors also took part in interactive STEM shows to learn about the history of the internet; heard about the pioneering career of African American ophthalmologist Patricia Bath; and uncovered hidden worlds with microscopes.

The museum’s IMAX, the biggest screen in the region, has also temporarily closed until next summer and saw a busy final weekend. Cinemagoers enjoyed the latest chapter in the Spider-Man series, along with the hugely popular family-friendly IMAX 3D documentaries that explore Earth and space.

The museum will be temporarily closed from 5 June until summer 2024 as part of its £6m once-in-a-generation transformation. Thanks to support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and money raised by National Lottery players, the major Sound and Vision project will create two new galleries, an additional passenger lift and an enhanced foyer space.

Throughout the temporary closure, visitors will be able to keep in touch with the museum at community events and activities at local organisations throughout Bradford district. During the summer, the museum will be delivering learning activities at Bradford Museums & Galleries, and Bradford Libraries. The Bradford Science Festival programme will also continue throughout August with community days at WomenZone, SHINE West Bowling, MAPA Cultural Arts Centre and Laisterdyke Youth and Community Centre.

The museum’s Cubby Broccoli and IMAX screens will also be closed until next summer, while Pictureville Cinema and Bar will remain open 7 days a week with an enhanced programme of films and events. Throughout the summer, cinemagoers can watch a range of new releases, double bills and classic cinema including a Bruce Lee season, a rare screening of This is Cinerama, the 2023 release The Eight Mountains and a series of Science Fiction double features on Saturdays through July.

Jo Quinton-Tulloch, Director of the National Science and Media Museum commented: “Thank you to everyone who visited us over our final weekend before our major transformation begins. It was a fantastic weekend with thousands of visitors taking part in Bradford Science Festival activities and visiting our IMAX. While the museum is closed, visitors will still have plenty of opportunities to keep in touch with us as we’ll be delivering a fantastic learning programme in schools in and around Bradford, as well as continuing our popular festival programme with Widescreen Weekend returning this September.”

The Sound and Vision project is a £6m capital investment, and in addition to funding received from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project also has support from the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund 2022-24, City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, and the Science Museum Group, which the National Science and Media Museum is a part of.

For more information about upcoming cinema screenings at Pictureville and to book tickets, please visit: www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/cinema

To keep up to date with the progress on the Sound and Vision project, and the museum’s reopening, please visit: www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk