In 2001, Museums Sheffield's focus turned towards the museum at Weston Park. Formerly the City Museum and Mappin Art Gallery, the museum has been at the cultural heart of Sheffield for over one hundred and thirty years, during which time it enchanted, educated and entertained visitors. The museum opened in 1875 to house the citys archaeology, natural history, decorative art and social history collections. While it remained popular into the 1990s the displays were obsolete and it was 30 years behind in meeting the demands of the modern audience.
The building was also in desperate need of structural repair as the outstanding collections that it was built to display were being put at risk by its deterioration. The capital campaign that followed successfully secured a package of over £19 million made up from public and private partners including the Sheffield City Council, the H&L Cantor Trust, DCMS/Wolfson Trust, Heritage Lottery Fund and donations from individuals and charitable trusts and foundations.
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