Project to redevelop Lincoln Museum aims to display more of Lincolnshire’s treasures

Councillors endorsed a major museum redevelopment in a project aimed at increasing visitor numbers and showing off more of the county’s treasures.

Members of Lincolnshire County Council's public protection and communities scrutiny committee praised the 'hugely imaginative project' which aims to enhance the free-to-visit Lincoln Museum and, in turn, attract more visitors to other sites such as the Usher Gallery and Lincoln Castle.

The planned work, set to improve the display of artefacts and enhance public exhibition space, is scheduled to take place from July 2025 to January 2026, with the museum expected to reopen in early spring or late summer 2026.

The space, which showcases Lincolnshire’s history from the Stone Age through the Roman, Saxon, and Viking eras, closed on October 14 as the collections team began removing exhibits from the main gallery and preparing artefacts for storage while work is carried out.

During a meeting on Tuesday (February 25), business transformation officer for culture Charlotte Rooney explained that the 'design-focused' project will reveal exhibits previously unseen by the public.

"It's a really good opportunity for us to look at everything we have collected over the last 20 years, considering how we can enhance our core offer by bringing more of what visitors love to Lincoln and Lincolnshire," she said.

"This will provide us with opportunities to rotate our previously unseen collections, which we hope will encourage people to visit more often, as there will always be something new to see."

Ms Rooney also noted that the council was looking to install a series of hands-on and hyper-realistic digital interactive displays. "We want to bring Lincolnshire's rich history to life," she added.

Chairman Andrew Key (Conservative) suggested the redevelopment could be a good opportunity to rename the museum, as he felt the name 'Lincoln Museum' implied the collection focused only on the city rather than the entire county. He suggested an alternative such as 'Lincoln County Museum'.

"I really think, for people who know nothing about cultural services in Lincoln, they would wrongly assume it’s just about Lincoln. So I think this is the ideal opportunity to address that," he said.

However, officers noted that the museum had already been renamed from "The Collection" in April 2023 and that its marketing highlights its focus on the heritage of the entire county.

Coun Jackie Brockway (Conservative) praised the work done by officers, describing it as a 'hugely imaginative' project. "I'm so glad you're doing it," she said.

Similarly, Coun Elizabeth Sneath (Conservative) expressed hope that the changes would attract more visitors.

"I think it’s really important that this time there’s more on display and that we change it more often. I think that will draw people back as much as anything."

The representative for the Spalding Elloe division shared that she had visited the museum on multiple occasions and had always left disappointed, highlighting issues with lighting.

"It’s terribly dark and terribly sparse," she added.

Comments and feedback from the committee are being passed on to Leader Martin Hill and Coun Lindsey Cawrey, portfolio holder for fire and rescue and cultural services (both Conservative), for final approval, with a decision expected between March 3 and 7.