117 year old Museum of St Albans shuts down ahead of move

The Museum of St Albans has shut its door for the last time on Sunday 20th September after plans to move into a new home have begun.

The museum held an event on Sunday to celebrate 117 years in Hatfield Road, and its exciting 2017 move into the Town Hall, on St Peter’s Street. 

The move to the new location will cost £7.75 million.

Mayor of St Albans City and District, Salih Gaygusuz, was joined by Cllr Annie Brewster, Portfolio Holder for Sport, Leisure and Heritage for St Albans City and District Council, and hundreds of well-wishers to celebrate.

Museum staff and volunteers gave away 117 goodie bags to lucky visitors, one for each year of the Museum’s existence.

Mayor Salih Gaygusuz said: "I thank the staff and volunteers for all they have done to make the Museum a centre of excellence in our District for over a century. I am grateful to the artists for their imaginative contributions, and to everyone who has worked to pack up the collections. 

"I understand that the items are now safely stored off-site, ready to be used again in future exhibitions, projects and research."

Closed Museum of St Albans. Photo by Geograph

Artist-in-residence, Lyndall Phelps was there for the closing celebration of her installation, ‘Abundance’. She selected museum artefacts and archived works, and displayed them alongside her own art, including golden golf balls, suspended rose petals, bird figurines and embellished ladies stockings.

During her summer residency, she transformed the top floor gallery into an evolving 'sculptural installation' largely celebrating many famous historic St Albans industries and displaying them with a contemporary twist.

Ms. Phelps spoke to the Herts Advertiser and said: "The residency has offered me privileged access to the rich collections held by the museum. It has been a joy discovering the many treasures in the museum’s archival boxes and storage areas, all giving a fascinating insight into the history of St Albans."

A bird figurine part of Lyndall Phelps' art installation 

The Museum of St Albans (MoStA), which has welcomed thousands of visitors, has stood since 1898.

Months of consultations showed the museum was in “urgent need of refurbishment” and some members of the public "do not know how to find MoStA, or even know of its existence". Further comments included "a desire to create a museum and art gallery in a more central city location".

A sum of £3.25 million has been pledged by the council to fund the new museum and gallery, and an application to secure a total of £2.8 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund has been put forward.

The St Albans Museums and Galleries Trust, the University of Hertfordshire, and St Albans Museums have formed a dynamic partnership to help fundraise the remaining £1.7 million.

The site of the Museum of St Albans will be redeveloped for housing. The proceeds from this development will also provide funding to enable development of the new museum and art gallery at the Town Hall.

3D plans for the new museum and art gallery

Cllr Annie Brewster, Portfolio Holder for Sport, Leisure and Heritage for St Albans City and District Council, said: "Closing the Museum of St Albans to the public is a hugely significant stage of the planned redevelopment of the museums’ service.

"In late 2017 we aim to open a new state-of-the-art museum and gallery right in the City centre. Work is under way to bring this about and to raise funds to transform St Albans’ grade II listed Town Hall into a fabulous new museum and contemporary art gallery.

"In the meantime, I encourage everyone to support our fundraising activities and to take the opportunity to enjoy the events and exhibitions at Verulamium Museum and other outreach work we are planning leading up to 2017."

Works will begin in 2016 subject to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

For more information on the specifics of the move, visit the St Albans Museums and Galleries Trust website.

Written by Isaac Ouro