Ipswich Museum closes ahead of £8.7m refurb
The three year project will add new gallery space and a new cafe to the Grade II listed building
Ipswich Museum has closed its doors until 2025 as work on an £8.7m refurbishment project gets underway.
Most of the exhibits at the Grade II listed building are now going into storage as a major refit of the 140 year old building commences.
Work will see new galleries built, along with a new cafe and educational spaces.
The museum's famous mammoth will take centre stage in his own seperate gallery.
The project also includes a new outdoor seating terrace, converting the basement for toilets and lockers, repairs to boundary walls, new stairs and a plant room, wheelchair accessibility ramps and a relocated lift.
Ipswich Borough Council provided around £3.6m in funding for the project, with the cash being topped up by a £4.3 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The project has proven controversial with more than 5,000 people signing an online petition opposing the redevelopment.
Campaigners fear it could damage the heritage of the building with fears the Ogilvie Bird Gallery and Natural History Gallery could be lost forever.