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Wrexham’s new museum needs a name!

Construction work is now underway to transform the 167-year-old County Buildings in Wrexham city centre into a brand new national attraction, not just for Wrexham but for all of Wales.

he new museum will be the home of the Wrexham Museum and Football Museum Wales Galleries.

Two names have been shortlisted for the new museum based on audience research across Wrexham and Wales as a whole, and now it’s your turn to choose your favourite.

This isn’t just a yes or no—each name has a unique story and meaning behind it.

Option 1: Tŷ Hanes

The name “Tŷ Hanes” means “History House.” It’s a welcoming place to explore the history of Welsh football and Wrexham. The name makes it feel cosy, like a home full of stories to be told.

Option 2: Histordy

The name “Histordy” combines “histor” from the word history and “stordy” meaning storehouse in Welsh. In Welsh, words ending in “-dy” often mean special places, such as archifdy (archives), injândy (engine house), or goleudy (lighthouse). Histordy is easy to pronounce for both English and Welsh speakers.

Take a moment to consider the ideas and inspiration behind each name, then let us know what you think by filling in this short questionnaire.

Be part of a historic moment

Councillor Paul Roberts, Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for Partnerships, said: “With new, state of the art galleries and a fully refurbished and extended building, the museum will be a new national attraction for Wrexham, drawing thousands of visitors from all over Wales and beyond.

“Construction work has been progressing well on site over the last few weeks and there’s a real buzz growing around the project as the scale of the ambitious plans for this new museum are becoming visible.

“We are now asking the public to helps us choose an overall name for the museum that will encompass the Wrexham Museum and Football Museum Wales galleries, the shop and the cafe, the entire attraction.

“The new name will help give the new museum a distinctive identity, drawing together everything on offer under its roof, as well as launching a new chapter in the life of one of Wrexham’s most iconic buildings.

“We invite everyone to complete the questionnaire and be part of this historic moment.”

A name to reflect our nation’s pride

Welsh Government Minister for Culture, Jack Sargeant, said: “It is an exciting time for Welsh Government, to be funding this new museum. In choosing its name, not only are we labelling a building but we’re giving a home to the history, memories and future stories of Wrexham and Welsh football.

“Whether it’s ‘Tŷ Hanes’ or ‘Histordy’, each name reflects our nation’s pride to preserve its diverse history. Your voice will shape this museum’s legacy – please give your views and be part of a new chapter in Wales’ rich story.”

Discover more about the new museum

The Museum is being developed by Wrexham Council’s museum team in association with museum designers, Haley Sharpe Design, architects Purcell and contractor SWG Construction.

Funding support for the new museum is provided by Wrexham Council, Welsh Government, National Lottery Heritage Fund, UK Government and the Wolfson Foundation.

Find out more about the Museum of Two Halves project

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Football Museum Wales The 'Museum of Two Halves' project

More progress for Wrexham’s new Museum of Two Halves

The project to create a new ‘Museum of Two Halves’ in Wrexham city centre is now well underway!

Building work has now commenced on the iconic, 167 year old, Grade II listed County Buildings in Wrexham city centre – the home of Wrexham Museum since 1996.

When the building reopens to the public in 2026 it will be home to an enhanced and expanded Wrexham Museum, alongside Wales’ first ever football museum.

With new, state of the art galleries and a fully refurbished and extended building, the museum is set to be a world-class new national attraction for Wrexham, drawing thousands of visitors from all over Wales – and beyond!

As well as the construction work there’s been plenty happening behind the scenes! Plus there’s some exciting news to share on how you can access the museum’s services while the building is closed!

Here’s what you need to know…

A site to behold!

The appointed construction contractor, SWG Construction, took possession of the museum buildings and forecourt in July.

Initial work included the demolition of the modern alterations to the building as part of creating the new atrium and the new gallery spaces on the ground and first floors.

For anyone familiar with the museum building, the biggest changes to the building are the removal of the roof over the old main gallery to re-create the original inner courtyard space, while at the front of the building the glazed extension has been carefully dismantled to allow work to proceed on the front façade of the building.

The big crane on St Mark’s Road has assisted with these tasks, though its work is only just beginning!

As well as developing a fantastic new museum, this is also very mush a conservation project that will see one of Wrexham’s most famous buildings restored to its former glory.

Shaun Humphries Construction Director, of SWG Construction, added: “We are delighted to be involved in such an important project for Wrexham and indeed the whole of Wales.

“We are using all of our experience and expertise to take care of this historic building which will once again be a source of pride for the local community, as well as attracting even more visitors to Wrexham.”

The Museum is being developed by Wrexham Council’s museum team in association with museum designers, Haley Sharpe Design and architects, Purcell.

Funding support for the new museum is being delivered by Wrexham Council, Welsh Government, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Wolfson Foundation. The Museum of Two Halves project has also received £1.3 million from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

Major funding secured

You may have heard the fantastic news we received in August: the Museum of Two Halves project is to receive a £2.7m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund!

The grant will fund fitting out the museum with the displays that the visitors experience, as well as providing the means to deliver a series of activities, events and other museum programmes over the next four years across Wrexham County Borough and elsewhere in Wales.

The grant has also enabled the museum to go ahead with the purchase of a significant Welsh football collection previously held in a private collection. This includes an unrivalled collection of material relating to Cardiff City’s 1927 FA Cup final victory and an impressive variety of Wales men’s international match programmes, the earliest dated 1901.

Visit our Pop-up Museum

The museum now has a temporary base on Queen’s Square in Wrexham city centre!

You can visit the pop-up museum to view all the latest design plans for the Museum of Two Halves and to contact the museum team. We’ll be hosting children’s activities here during half term and school holidays, as well as other public outreach events.

The museum shop is also based here, where you can purchase a range of unique gifts, books, cards and more, all inspired by Wrexham’s local history.

Opening times: Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm.

Courtyard Café

Our much loved Courtyard Café have now settled in to their temporary home in the food court at Wrexham’s multi-award winning markets, arts & community hub, Tŷ Pawb.

You’ll be glad to hear their still serving the same delicious range of home-made light meals, coffees, sandwiches, soups, cakes and irresistible desserts.

Opening times: Monday-Friday, 10.30am-4.30pm; Saturday, 11.00am-3.30pm.

Archives & Local Studies

Wrexham Archives & Local Studies now have a new, permanent home at Wrexham Library. You can email them on archives@wrexham.gov.uk or 01978 297480.

‘Huge appetite’ for Wrexham’s new museum

Councillor Paul Roberts, Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for Partnerships, said: “There is a real buzz starting to build around this project now that construction work has begun and the scale of the ambitious plan for the new museum is becoming visible.

“The football museum’s stall at the recent National Eisteddfod in Pontypridd was massive hit, with thousands of people from all over the country visiting to find out more about the plans – an indication of the huge appetite there is for Wales to have its own football museum.

“The expanded Wrexham Museum will benefit from state-of-the-art galleries to tell the story of our city and the county borough at a time when global interest in Wrexham is skyrocketing.”

“The new museum is set to open in 2026. In the meantime I would encourage everyone visiting the city centre to go and take a look at the new pop-up museum on Queen’s Square where they can view some beautifully illustrated plans for the new museum and find out more about this exciting new development for Wrexham.”

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We regularly post lots of tasty content inspired by the rich history of Wrexham and Welsh football, including photos, stories and specially selected items from the museum’s collections.

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Football Museum Wales The 'Museum of Two Halves' project

Wrexham’s new ‘Museum of Two Halves’ to receive major National Lottery Heritage funding

A new national attraction being developed in Wrexham city centre is to receive a major National Lottery Heritage Fund funding grant.

The Museum of Two Halves, which includes a fully refurbished and enhanced Wrexham Museum in the current building, alongside a brand-new National Football Museum in Wales, receives over £2.7m.

The project aims to combine the town’s sporting heritage and football’s popularity to increase an understanding of the history of the sport in Wales and engage new audiences.

Wrexham Association Football Club is the oldest club in Wales and the third-oldest professional association football team in the world. The museum will house a permanent display of the Welsh Football Collection for the first time in 24 years, showcasing a collection that embodies over 4,000 years of history, 40 years of community and many lifetimes of memories within football’s spiritual home of Wrexham.

90% of the collection is of national and international significance, with one quarter of the items being considered particularly rare or unique in nature, including John Charles’ debut shirt for Wales v Ireland from March 1950, and a cap awarded to Billy Meredith, a pioneer of Welsh football, having played for both Manchester City and Manchester United alongside Wales, and retired aged 50. Today (30 July) marks 150 years since his birth.

Exciting new additions to the Welsh Football Collection

Funding made possible by National Lottery players, means the museum can go ahead with the purchase of a significant Welsh football collection previously held in a private collection. This includes an unrivalled collection of material relating to Cardiff City’s 1927 FA Cup final victory and an impressive variety of Wales men’s international match programmes, the earliest dated 1901.

Wrexham County Borough Council Lead Member for Partnerships and Community Safety, Cllr Paul Roberts said: “This is huge news for Wrexham. The new museum is set to become a major new national attraction for the city, drawing new visitors from all over Wales and beyond, and playing a key role at the heart of Wrexham’s burgeoning tourism and cultural offer.

“We would like to thank The National Lottery Heritage Fund for their invaluable support and for their commitment in backing this ambitious and exciting project. The money raised by National Lottery players is going to help us transform one of our city’s landmark buildings into a world class venue where the rich history of our county borough will be celebrated alongside the eventful story of Welsh football, preserved for future generations to discover and enjoy for years to come.”

Nearly 6,000 museums supported by lottery players

A total of £7.6m has been awarded to museum projects in the latest round of National Lottery Heritage Fund grants funding. Other projects receiving funding include The Diving Museum in Gosport, Hampshire, The Leach Pottery Museum in St Ives, Cornwall, The Museum of Aberdeenshire, The Egypt Exploration Society in Camden and the Lancashire Cricket Heritage Experience in Old Trafford. Manchester.

These museums will join over 5,900 museums already funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund across the UK over the last 30 years.

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “From Aberdeenshire to Cornwall, our latest investment in museums shows the incredible diversity and brilliance of our museums, with collections of local, national and international significance. These projects will inspire visitors of all ages, with many of these collections being revealed for the first time, and all will connect people with the individual stories of sport, diving, pottery, archaeology and much more, adding up to a national story covering all the many and varied heritage we have to offer.

“Our investment in the cultural heritage fabric of these museums will inspire people, connect communities, and drive growth, allowing everyone to discover the amazing local heritage in towns across the UK and support our vision for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on for future generations, and these museums shows that passion and variety. So, no matter what the weather brings this summer, there is always a fantastic museum or heritage place open to discover, explore and enjoy.”

Find out more about the latest round of National Lottery Heritage Fund grants funding.

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Football Museum Wales The 'Museum of Two Halves' project

Back of the net! Project to create a new Wrexham Museum and Football Museum for Wales is underway!

Extensive work has kicked off on a major city centre project with the goal of creating the Museum of Two Halves – a new museum for Wrexham, alongside a Football Museum for Wales.

SWG Construction, based in Welshpool, will be carrying out the major project in Regent Street on behalf of Wrexham County Borough Council with an opening date set for 2026.

The scope of the work includes the refurbishment, modernisation and extension of the existing Grade ll listed building and external works – which will also involve the revamp of Wrexham Museum’s galleries and comprehensive re-presentation of the Wrexham County Borough Council Collection.

Celebrating Wrexham and Welsh football in one building!

The new football museum will be a celebration of Welsh football, past and present, from its grassroots up to international level, in addition to turning the spotlight on Wrexham, the birthplace of Welsh football and an area that has made a significant contribution to the sport.

Funding support is being delivered by Wrexham Council, the Welsh Government, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Wolfson Foundation, while the Museum of Two Halves project has received £1.3 million from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

A major new national visitor attraction for Wrexham

Steve Gough, director of SWG Construction, said: “This is an amazing project to be involved in and we are delighted to be carrying out the work on behalf of Wrexham Borough Council. It involves the refurbishment and extension of the existing Grade ll listed building along with external works.

“The aim of the Museum of Two Halves project is to create a new Football Museum for Wales and a new museum for Wrexham, which will serve as a national visitor attraction, learning centre and community asset.

“We are already on-site and work is underway. The museum will be closed to the public for the duration of the project and we are working towards an opening date in 2026.

“The Wrexham Museum and the Museum of Two Halves will be impressive additions to the landscape of Wrexham which should prove to be a major attraction for visitors from far and wide.”

The Museum is being developed by Wrexham Council’s museum team in association with museum designers, Haley Sharpe Design and architects, Purcell.

Purcell’s Lead Architect for the Wrexham project, Jane Roylance, said: “It has been a rewarding experience to work with Wrexham Council, the stakeholders and the consultant team to transform the iconic Grade II listed building into a new home for the Museum of Two Halves.

“This museum interweaves the rich history of Wrexham with its pivotal role in the development of football in Wales. The work we’ve done will unveil the most significant features of the building, while ensuring public access and enhancing accessibility, wellbeing and learning opportunities. With the contractors now on site, we are witnessing the realisation of Wrexham Council’s vision for the museum, which will undoubtedly draw more visitors to the city.”

Off the drawing board and into reality

Councillor Paul Roberts, Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for Partnerships, said: “The Museum of Two Halves project has reached another milestone on its journey to create a football museum for Wales and a new museum for Wrexham with the appointment of SWG as construction base-build contractors. The company have moved onto the Regent Street site in Wrexham city centre and work has begun.

“Congratulations to the project team for the dedication and hard work that has enabled the museum development to reach this pivotal new stage. It is great to see the builders on site and hugely exciting to see this nationally important project move off the drawing board and into reality.”

Find out more about the Museum of Two Halves project

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Football Museum Wales The 'Museum of Two Halves' project

Help us create Wrexham’s new museum!

A national survey has been launched to help develop a ‘groundbreaking’ new brand for Wrexham’s new ‘Museum of Two Halves’.

Due to open in 2026, the project will see the current Wrexham Museum building on Regent street totally refurbished and redeveloped in to a brand new national attraction.

One half will be an enhanced and expanded Wrexham Museum, dedicated to the heritage and history of the city and county; exploring the stories that shaped its communities across the centuries.

The other half will be a new Football Museum for Wales, celebrating Welsh football, past and present, in all its diversity, from grassroots clubs to the national teams, as well as highlighting Wrexham’s historic achievements in the sport.

The project is being supported with funding from Welsh Government and Wrexham Council, with additional support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Wolfson Foundation. The Museum of Two Halves project has received £1.3m from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Help the new museum stand out from the crowd

The survey will take around 5 minutes to complete and is deigned to help the project team develop an original, exciting new brand that will raise the museum’s national and international profile.

Residents of Wrexham County Borough and football fans across Wales are invited to take part.

Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for Partnerships and Community Safety, Cllr Paul Roberts, said: “The new museum promises to be something very special, a state of the art national attraction celebrating the rich heritage of our County Borough alongside the epic and ever growing story of Welsh football, a sport that has occupied a meaningful place at the heart of communities in every corner of our country for generations.

“We are thrilled that this new museum is going to have it’s home in Wrexham, affectionately known as the ‘spiritual home of Welsh football’ , the city where the Welsh Football Association was formed back in 1876.

“We are now asking for the public to help us build a brand to give the new museum a distinctive identity that reflects what we value in Wrexham and in Welsh football. The brand will define the look and feel of the new museum, not just logos, colours and imagery, but the whole personality of the museum, it’s values and the way it communicates with it’s audiences.”

“I would encourage everyone to spend just 5mins filling in this survey and help us ensure this new museum stands out from the crowd.”

Take part in the survey

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Football Museum Wales

Football museum shares Welsh clubs’ stories in new short film series

All six short films in our Welsh Football Club Origins series are now available to watch online.

The films include the stories of clubs with over a hundred years of history, as well as clubs who have only just started their Welsh football journey.

Each story is told with the help of candid interviews with key individuals from the clubs and members of the communities that support them.

The clubs documented are:

  • Caernarfon Town FC (supporters club, North Wales Coast FA)
  • Ruthin Town FC (youth football, North East Wales FA)
  • Aberystwyth Town Ladies FC (amateur women’s team, Central Wales FA)
  • Merthyr Town (club playing in English league system, Gwent County FA)
  • Pontyclun FC (amateur men’s team, South Wales FA)
  • African Community Centre AFC (inclusion club, West Wales FA).

The films have been funded by Welsh Government and produced by the team at the new Football Museum for Wales (currently being developed inside Wrexham Museum as part of the Museum of Two Halves project), working with Cardiff based media company, EatSleep Media

Many of the films were premiered individually at the clubs last summer, as well as being shown at the National and Urdd Esiteddfod.

‘Football is still a community game in Wales’

Accompanying the filming crew on their travels around Wales were the Football Museum Wales Engagement Officers, Shôn Lewis and Delwyn Derrick.

Delwyn shared his experience of creating the films: “This project has been an amazing experience. We went out to tell the stories of the origins of clubs from across all regions and all levels of football in Wales. We didn’t have a massive production crew, we didn’t have a special effects budget, we didn’t even have an umbrella between us one particular day of filming, but what we did have was a story.

“We spent time at clubs with over a hundred years of history and clubs who have only just started their Welsh football journey, but the story that I found fascinating, inspiring and surprising in equal measure, was that no matter the age of the club, the level of the club or the geography of the club, it seems that every football club in Wales has that small group of hardworking, dedicated and passionate volunteers.

“I wasn’t uninspired when we started these films, but I have come away from them even more inspired than ever before. Football is still a community game in Wales and I think that’s great, because if it’s a community game, then that means that it’s still our game, played for the love of the football. The last couple of months have been an absolute whirlwind of late nights, early mornings, cold wind, colder rain and literal hours of travel, but every second of it done with a smile.”

Watch all the films on our Youtube channel

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Football Museum Wales The 'Museum of Two Halves' project

Home advantage for ‘Museum of Two Halves’ project manager

Nick Underwood, Senior Project Manager at Fraser Randall has recently returned to Wrexham, his childhood home, and is thrilled to be part of a project so close to his heart.

Fraser Randall have been appointed as Technical Project Managers for Wrexham’s ‘Museum of Two Halves’ – a fully refurbished and enhanced Wrexham Museum alongside a brand new Football Museum for Wales, currently being developed inside the Wrexham Museum building on Regent Street.

Fraser Randall will be responsible for the procurement of the Base build and Fit-Out contractors, as well as managing the Construction phase until the project’s is completed

Recently returning from London to Wrexham with his wife to be closer to family, Nick’s relocation will see him spearhead this project until the museum opens in 2026.

Nick’s client work over recent years includes, the award-winning Imperial War Museum (Second World War Gallery and Holocaust Gallery), Midleton Distillery, Royal College of Surgeons and National Portrait Gallery.

Nick was born and raised in Wrexham on Barkers Lane where he attended the local primary school. At 11 years old his family moved to Rhosrobin where he attended Darland High School before leaving to study at the University of Bristol.

A true football fan – Nick attended his first Wrexham FC game at the age of 4, and followed the team throughout his school years, often returning home to watch the games with local friends. Nick also played for a local side in Wrexham until he was 21 and his claim to fame is that during his teens he won a final at The Racecourse!

Nick says, “As a football fan from the local area, it’s very exciting to be working on the museum project, and giving something back to the community in which I grew up in. Not just for the football, but also the history and culture of the local area. The grade II listed Wrexham Museum building on Regent Street has been a prominent feature in the city centre since it was built in 1857 and it deserves to have a major refurbishment for the local community can enjoy and learning more about the history of Wrexham and Welsh Football.”

More progress for museum project

Wrexham Museum is now closed to the public so that work can begin to prepare the building for redevelopment.

The project is set to be completed in 2026.

Cllr Mark Pritchard, Leader of the Council, said: “I’d like to pass on thanks to everyone involved with the Museum of Two Halves for the brilliant progress they’ve made in helping the project reach this milestone stage. It’s fantastic to see one of our landmark city centre buildings being refurbished into a first class, national attraction. I’m sure everyone in Wrexham will be excited to see how this project develops ahead of the grand opening in 2026.”

The Museum is being developed by Wrexham Council’s museum team in association with museum designers, Haley Sharpe Design and architects, Purcell. The project is being supported with funding from Wrexham Council and Welsh Government, with additional support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Museum of Two Halves project has received £1.3m from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.”

Find out more about the Museum of Two Halves project

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Football Museum Wales The 'Museum of Two Halves' project

Wrexham’s ‘Museum of Two Halves’ appoints activity planners

Activity planners have been appointed to help develop an extensive plan of action for Wrexham’s new ‘Museum of Two Halves’.

Wrexham Museum has now closed to the public so the building can be prepared for redevelopment. The new ‘Museum of Two Halves’ is set to open in 2026 and will include a fully refurbished and enhanced Wrexham Museum alongside a brand new Football Museum for Wales.

Cllr Mark Pritchard, Leader of the Council, said: “The new museum project is one of the most exciting and ambitious developments taking place in Wrexham at the moment – a brand new, first class national attraction right here in the city centre. The development of the activity plan is a key part of this project and will present exciting opportunities to interest and inspire audiences all over Wales, and beyond. I’d like to pass on our thanks to the team for the fantastic progress they’ve made in reaching this stage. I’m sure the excitement will continue to build now as we approach the opening in 2026.”

‘Community participation at it’s core’

Thanks to funding by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, activity planners, Emma Parsons and Janice Tullock (from Emma Parsons Consulting and Janice Tullock Associates) are now working with the museum team to establish an exciting plan of activities to be delivered during the development of the project.

The activity plan will cover all sorts of key areas, including marketing, events, exhibitions, learning, volunteering, staff training and much more. These activities will set out how we work with our audiences, including local families, Welsh football fans, local/national/international tourists, under represented communities, and people who don’t currently visit the museum. It will help to show clearly the direction we need to take, enable us to reflect on our successes and the areas we need to improve – all with community participation at its core.

Emma and Janice said: “We are thrilled to be working with the Wrexham museum team on this project. We bring our experience of working on many major developments funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as well as our passion and enthusiasm for the subjects involved – the story of the people of Wrexham and the story of football in Wales and the connections between the two.”

The Museum is being developed by Wrexham Council’s museum team in association with museum designers, Haley Sharpe Design and architects, Purcell. The project is being supported with funding from Wrexham Council and Welsh Government, with additional support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Museum of Two Halves project has received £1.3m from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.”

Find out more about the Museum of Two Halves

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Football Museum Wales The 'Museum of Two Halves' project

Football fans of Wales – we need your views on our new musuem plans…

The ‘Museum of Two Halves’ is our shorthand name to describe the project that will see the development of the Football Museum for Wales and a new Wrexham Museum in the current museum building on Regent Street in Wrexham, Wales.

Wrexham Museum is already home to the Welsh Football Collection. Established in 2000 it is the largest collection of Welsh football memorabilia held in public ownership in Wales. Selected items from the collection are often used for temporary exhibitions, as well as being a resource for researchers, but we do not currently have space to put the entire collection on display.

The new football museum will celebrate Welsh football, past and present, in all its diversity, from grassroots clubs to the national teams, as well as highlighting Wrexham’s historic achievements in the sport and celebrating the rich heritage of the County Borough. New galleries will be created to display the Wrexham Museum collections, and the museum will host a programme of activities and events to inspire all who visit to learn, be active and achieve their potential.

This survey is an important opportunity to share your ideas and comment on our plans.

The survey should take under 10 minutes to complete.

If you wish to be put into a prize draw for £50 of shopping vouchers you’ll have the opportunity to give your details at the end. This prize draw is for UK respondents only.

The deadline for completion is 11pm on September 17th 2023. The winner will be selected at random and notified by 11pm on September 24th 2023. See full terms and conditions outlined at entry.

This is an independent survey being conducted on behalf of Wrexham County Borough Council.

Complete the survey here

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/twohalves
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Football Museum Wales The 'Museum of Two Halves' project

Wrexham Museum to close temporarily as part of redevelopment project

Wrexham Museum, Café and Archives will be closing temporarily for a short period as part of the ‘Museum of Two Halves’ redevelopment project.

The project will see the creation of a new Football Museum for Wales alongside a fully refurbished Wrexham Museum in the current museum building on Regent Street in Wrexham – a major new national attraction for Wrexham City Centre.

The temporary closure in August will allow some initial work to be carried out. Full redevelopment work is due to start at the end of the year.

The Football Museum and refurbished Wrexham Museum are expected to open in 2026.

Full closure dates

  • The museum galleries will be closed from Friday 4th August and will reopen from Saturday 12th.
  • The Courtyard Café and shop will be closed from 2.30pm on Friday 4th August and will reopen from Saturday 12th August.
  • Visitors will not have access to the galleries on the 4th August – just the café and shop until 2.30pm.
  • The Archives search room will be closed from Friday 4th August and will reopen from Monday 14th August.

Great progress being made

Cllr Paul Roberts said: “We are now seeing some great progress being made in the development of this major new attraction for the city centre. As well as the building work, we’ve also now appointed activity planners for the project, our team have started running football heritage tours in Wrexham, and our football museum engagement officers have been working extensively with clubs and communities across Wales, building links and collecting stories.

“The team will have a stall at this year’s national Eisteddfod in Boduan next week – another fantastic opportunity to engage with national audiences and spread the word about what we’re doing here in Wrexham.

“We look forward to announcing more exciting developments for the project as it continues to progress over the next few months.”

Find out more about the Museum of Two Halves project.