First glimpse of Rochdale Pioneers Museum following multi million pound revamp

An artist’s impression of how the new museum will look once fully opened

2 More Image(s) In Gallery

History lovers will be among the first to glimpse the newly restored Rochdale Pioneers’ museum when it opens its doors for the first time during the Heritage Open Day Weekend.

The transformed site has retained its original 1844 Co-operative shop on the ground floor and added a whole host of new features including interactive displays, a lecture room and a cinema screen.

The museum is still undergoing its £2.3m revamp, so Heritage Open Day visitors won’t see the whole building, but they’ll be among the first to step inside and see the new ground floor displays.

The Toad Lane site has been undergoing extensive restoration works for two years and is expected to open in the Autumn.

The new museum will tell the stories of the original pioneers and give visitors the chance to watch old Co-op films and advertisements from years gone by on the big screen.

Visitors will be able to become amateur historians by searching the online archives or playing the dividend game where they can shop in a virtual Co-op store and find out how much it would cost to fill their trolley through the ages from 1910 onwards.

A huge array of objects will also be on display in the new museum including original minute books, dividend tokens and advertising cards, while separate exhibitions will tell the story of the thousands of different societies throughout the world which followed Rochdale’s co-operative example.

During Heritage Open Days the museum will be open for sneak previews on Thursday 6, Friday 7 and Saturday 8 September from 10am to 5pm and on Sunday 9 September from 12 noon to 4pm.

As well as the first look at the new site, a selection of events will take place in and around the museum throughout the Heritage Open Day Weekend.

Councillor Jacquie Beswick, Cabinet member for Leisure and Culture at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “The re-opening of the Pioneers’ museum is a hotly anticipated event and to get a first look is a wonderful opportunity.

“The events happening during the Heritage Open Day Weekend are a fantastic addition to the many other events which are taking place following the announcement of Rochdale as the world capital of Co-operatives this year. A global movement started here in Rochdale and we’re incredibly proud of that.”

A huge range of activities and events are planned across the borough for the Heritage Open Day Weekend for a full list visit Rochdale Online Events