Summerlee Heritage Park : Closed for Redevelopment Opening in September 2008

The museum, graded as a 4-star attraction by VisitScotland, is currently closed while the main hall is being rebuilt and new landscaping and car parking works undertaken.

The main exhibition hall has been completely stripped out and a ground-up refurbishment is now underway. The original hall, created in the late 1980s out of the site of the former Hydrocon Crane works, provided a superb space for the museum's collection of industrial machinery, much of which could be seen in working condition. However, over the past 20 years, the displays and general visitor experience had become in need of a thorough upgrade.

From September 2008 Summerlee will be set to take its place as a landmark heritage facility for the 21^st Century. The new hall will provide a modern and environmentally sustainable setting for some of Scotland's most important displays of social and industrial history, including many 'star' items from the collection hitherto hidden from view in the stores.

The new setting will also provide the visitor with a much more logical flow through the displays, moving from the pre-historical period to the dawn and rise of the industrial era and into Lanarkshire's massive contribution to Scottish - and world - engineering. Interactive displays will explain the iron-making process and a kid's Discovery Zone will allow youngsters to explore the world of science through hands-on activities and simple experiments.

The redevelopment project will also see:

• The creation of a new entrance for the hall, including a café, shop and toilets
• The establishment of an education and life-long learning suite
• And the refurbishment of the conservation workshops.
• New meeting and general activity spaces for conferences and events.

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