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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.”

Want to know more? Follow us online

You can follow Wrexham Museum and Football Museum Wales on social media.

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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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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Wrexham Museum redevelopment project awarded new funding grant

The project to redevelop Wrexham Museum into a ‘Museum of Two Halves’ has been awarded a grant by a major UK charity.

The ‘The Museum of Two Halves’ project will see the current Wrexham Museum building redeveloped into a brand new museum for Wrexham, alongside a Football Museum for Wales.

A grant totalling £150,000 has been awarded to support the project by the Wolfson Foundation , an independent charity with a focus on research and education. Its aim is to support civil society by investing in excellent projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts.

Since it was established in 1955, some £1 billion (£2 billion in real terms) has been awarded to more than 12,000 projects throughout the UK, all on the basis of expert review.

Paul Ramsbottom, chief executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said: “We are very pleased to support the redevelopment of Wrexham Museum. We are strongly committed to support for cultural heritage across Wales, and this will not only be the first museum devoted to Welsh football, but will provide visitors with an opportunity to learn more about the heritage of Wrexham and northeast Wales.”

More progress for museum project

Wrexham Museum is now closed to the public so that work can begin to prepare the building for transforming into the new Museum of Two Halves.

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 football heritage of the County Borough.

New galleries will be created to display the Wrexham Museum collections, which means an enhanced experience for visitors and a first-class, modern venue for discovering the fascinating and eventful story of our region of North East Wales.

The new museum is due to open in 2026.

The project is being supported with funding from Wrexham Council and Welsh Government, 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.”

Lead Member for Partnerships and Community Safety, Cllr Paul Roberts said: “The new funding award by the Wolfson Foundation represents more excellent progress for this hugely exciting project.

“The new Wrexham Museum and Football Museum for Wales will be a major new national attraction, right here in the city centre, drawing new visitors to Wrexham from all over Wales and beyond. Our thanks to the Wolfson Foundation for awarding the grant, and to the project team for the tremendous work they’ve put in to bring the project to this stage.”

Find out more about the Museum of Two Halves project

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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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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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Wrexham Museum’s redevelopment project reaches major stage

Update – March 2024

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Have your say in shaping the new Football Museum for Wales and the new Wrexham Museum! Participate by filling in our survey below. Your opinions and ideas are valuable to us, and we’re excited to hear what you have to say.

The new museum is set to open in 2026


Update – February 2023

Wrexham Museum is now closed for redevelopment.

Wrexham Museum and Football Museum Wales have opened up a ‘pop-up museum’ in the market hall at Wrexham’s multi-award winning arts, markets and community venue, Tŷ Pawb.

The museum’s Courtyard Cafe has also relocated to Tŷ Pawb. You can now find them in the food court, just around the corner from the pop-up museum.

The Archives service will be relocating to a brand new permanent home at Wrexham Library – further details TBC.


The project to redevelop Wrexham Museum into a major new national attraction has reached a significant milestone.

Wrexham Museum and Courtyard Cafe will close to the public after Saturday 4th November 2023.

Archives will close a day earlier. Friday 3rd November will be the final day they are open to the public.

This so work can begin to prepare the building for redeveloping into the ‘Museum of Two Halves’ – a new football museum for Wales, alongside a fully refurbished Wrexham Museum.

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 football heritage of the County Borough.

New galleries will be created to display the Wrexham Museum collections, which means an enhanced experience for visitors and a first-class, modern venue for discovering the fascinating and eventful story of our region of North East Wales.

The redevelopment work is due to be completed in 2026.

Although the museum building on Regent Street will be closed while the refurbishments are carried out, we are taking steps to ensure you’ll still be able to access many of our museum services at alternative temporary locations in the city centre.

We’ll be announcing further details on this over the coming weeks. See the Find out more section further down in this article to stay updated.

In the meantime, here’s what we can share with you so far about our plans…

Wrexham Museum/Football Museum Wales

Our museum team will be moving to a temporary base in the city centre whilst redevelopment work is being carried out.

As well as housing our staff, we also hope to be able to open this space to the public in future. Visitors will be able to come and discover more about the project and take part in workshops, family activities and more.

Archives

Wrexham Archives will be relocating to a brand new permanent home at Wrexham Library.

The opening of the new search room will be announced shortly along with opening times and how to access the records.

We envisage a short break as we move material across from County Buildings but once open all of the information available for local studies and family history will be available unchanged.

Our Archives team are very much looking forward to the move and working with our Library partners!

Courtyard Cafe

We’re very pleased to announce that our much-loved courtyard cafe will also have a new temporary home while the museum is closed – at Tŷ Pawb’s Food Court!

The cafe’s offer at Tŷ Pawb will include a huge range of delicious home-made light meals, quality coffees, freshly-made sandwiches, popular soups and irresistible cakes.

We be announcing the opening date very soon.

We be announcing the opening date very soon. Join our mailing list to get updates on this straight to your inbox – details below.

Find out more

You can keep up to date with all the latest project news by subscribing to the Wrexham Museum and/or Football Museum Wales mailing lists.

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You can also follow both halves of the museum on social media:

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Cllr Paul Roberts, Lead Member for Community Safety & Partnerships, added: “Following two years of planning, consultation and design work, we have now reached a significant stage in the creation of this exciting and ambitious new ‘Museum of Two Halves.’ Closing the museum building will allow us to focus our efforts on preparing the building for redevelopment work to commence in 2024.

“I’d like to thank the project team and funding partners for the incredible work they’ve carried out to help us reach this important milestone. I’d also like to thank the team for ensuring that people will still be have access to museum services – including the popular Courtyard Café – at temporary locations in the city centre whilst the redevelopment work to the building on Regent Street is being carried out.”

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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Green Light for Major Museum Project

The buzz surrounding Wrexham and football has reached around the world. 

From Australia to Argentina, Canada to Cardiff and Fishguard to Finland, people know about the Hollywood takeover at Wrexham FC in the city that is the birthplace of Welsh Football.

At the heart of that city is Wrexham Museum, home to the Welsh Football Collection since 2000. While Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds were scouting for a football club to buy and familiarizing themselves with the laws of the game, the team at Wrexham Museum were working on the plans and designs for a national football museum for Wales and a new museum for Wrexham – a museum of two halves.

Work has continued apace following the recruitment of a Football Museum Officer in spring 2021 and then the appointment of Haley Sharpe Design and Purcell as the designers and architects for the project during the summer of that year.

Local and national success for Welsh football

The buzz grew louder when the Wales men’s team qualified for the World Cup in Qatar and the women’s team made the play-offs for the first time in their World Cup.

Locally the excitement reached fever pitch when earlier this year Wrexham won the National League securing a return the Football League at the end of last season.

The men’s and women’s team parade passed by the museum twice on its journey through a sea of emotional and overjoyed fans; all documented by camera crews from international TV stations and the makers of ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, a fly on the wall docu-series and tourism promotion team’s dream about the club and the city.

Ian Cooper/Ian Cooper Photography.

A major new national attraction for Wales’ newest city

The Museum of Two Halves project envisages the transformation of the current museum building through bold architectural interventions that preserve and even enhance the historic character of this 19th century landmark building.

The contractor who secures the construction work for this new visitor attraction will enjoy the challenge of delivering an ambitious scheme, sure in the expectation of massive public interest, a high profile for their completed works and a visible testament to their abilities in Wales’s newest city.

The plans to create a new Football Museum for Wales and a new museum for Wrexham at the current Wrexham Museum on Regent Street, just a few minutes’ walk from the world-famous Racecourse ground, are taking another step forward this month.

Ambitious construction firms wanted!

On September 22nd, the project management team are providing/provided an official ‘heads-up’ for construction firms with the necessary skills and experience to work on large projects, particularly those with experience of working on historic and heritage buildings, since the museum is in a grade 2 listed building.

The notice explains what will be involved construction wise in creating the new nationally styled museum in Wrexham city centre and provides details of when to visit the sell2wales website for more news for construction companies about this nationally important project.

Councillor Paul Roberts, Lead Member for Community Safety & Partnerships, added: “Our plans to create the new Football Museum and the new Wrexham Museum involve the transformation of the current museum building, while still respecting its historic architecture and character. Such work requires the involvement of a highly skilled and experienced construction company. This prior information notice is designed to ensure the construction world know that this project is coming soon and to be ready to compete for what will be a very newsworthy contract.”

Wrexham County Borough Council would like to acknowledge the support of the Welsh Government, the UK Government (UK Shared Prosperity Fund) and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Interested suppliers are requested to return to Sell2Wales in early October when the PQQ notice is programmed to be uploaded.

Find out more about the Museum of Two Halves project