'Cold' museum reopens after £400k heating refit

The UK's only dedicated peace museum will now be able to open all year round following a £400,000 investment in its heating and air conditioning systems.

The Peace Museum, in Saltaire, will reopen later for the first time since work began in August.

Funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, curator Áine McKenny said staying open all year would allow up to 15,000 more people to visit annually.

First opened in 1998 in Piece Hall Yard, in Bradford, the museum moved to Saltaire in 2024.

McKenny said: "For the most part through the year we did very well here.

"But if you've ever visited during the winter then you'll know we got very, very cold without a heating system in here.

"Then also in the summer we went from a freezer to a furnace very quickly because we didn't have any cooling systems either."

She said 21 new radiators and a cooling system would provide "a more stable environment" for the musuem's collection of more than 16,000 artefacts.

McKenny added: "In our first nine months open here we welcomed over 40,000 visitors to the space.

"We can stay open all year round now. We are estimating welcoming 60,000 visitors a year."

Funding for the work was part of the legacy of Bradford UK City of Culture 2025.

Rachel Julian, chair of the museum's board of trustees, said: "This transformational investment represents a strong vote of confidence in our mission and the vital role we play in preserving and sharing the histories of peace and social justice movements.

"As the only accredited museum in the UK dedicated to peace movements, we hold a collection of national importance.

"These works safeguard that heritage and strengthen our ability to share it widely."

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