Wigan Museum

Wigan Museum The local museum packed with exciting exhibits for Wigan, Leigh and neighbouring towns and villages.

The Museum is a Grade II listed building designed by Alfred Waterhouse that opened in 1878 as the town’s first public library. A Heritage Lottery Fund award of £1.9M refurbished the Museum which re-opened in April 2010. The permanent displays include Romans, Ancient Egypt, Early Trades and Protest across the borough. Our current family-friendly, interactive temporary exhibition is 'Gerrumonside! T

he Passion of Rugby League Past, Present & Future' which showcases original memorabilia and features the Central Park turnstile. In the Taylor Gallery on the first floor is the local studies area, holding original documents and maps and reference books, open to all visitors. Find out more at http://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Leisure/Heritage-services.aspx

In the 1967 edition of Wigan Borough's Official Handbook, we found this lovely advert for children's footwear! This adve...
04/09/2026

In the 1967 edition of Wigan Borough's Official Handbook, we found this lovely advert for children's footwear!

This advert is for Lord & Sharman Ltd., who were known shoe manufacturers at Ross Works on Campbell Street.

What do you notice about the image? Featuring text written in many fonts and hand-drawn illustrations, this advertisement is very different to the promotional materials we see today.

DUPLICATE STOCK BOOK SALE! 📚 We're having a sale of some of our duplicate reference books in Wigan Local Studies. There...
03/09/2026

DUPLICATE STOCK BOOK SALE! 📚

We're having a sale of some of our duplicate reference books in Wigan Local Studies. There are plenty of local history books on offer, so do drop-in and see what catches your eye!

📍 You can find us on the first floor of Wigan Museum, on Library Street.
⏰ We're open Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm and Saturday 10am-2pm.
💷 We accept both cash and card payments.

All proceeds will go towards buying new reference books for Wigan Local Studies.

Have you ever wanted to trace your family tree but don’t know where to start? 🧐Are you curious about the history of your...
02/09/2026

Have you ever wanted to trace your family tree but don’t know where to start? 🧐

Are you curious about the history of your house? Would you like to know more about what your ancestors did for work?

Book your place on an introductory session where our staff and volunteers will give you tips and guidance on how to start researching your family history. Our research library has full access to Ancestry and Find My Past, along with a wealth of resources just waiting to unearth your story!

☎ Booking is necessary. Please call us at 01942 828128 to book.
📆 Thursday, 17th September 2026
⏰ 10:15-11:00, 11:15-12:00, 12:15-13:00, 14:15-15:00

Please note that spaces for each session are limited.

🔗 See the link below for a full programme of Heritage Open Day events in the borough:

https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Docs/PDF/Resident/Museums-and-archives/Heritage-Wigan-2026-Accessible.pdf?

Our temporary exhibition is officially over and we can't believe how empty the space looks!You might have seen our groun...
28/08/2026

Our temporary exhibition is officially over and we can't believe how empty the space looks!

You might have seen our ground floor looking quite vacant if you've visited Wigan Local Studies this month. Over the past few weeks, our staff have been busy taking down the objects on display and safely transporting them to our storage facility📦

We're excited to share more behind the scenes content with you over the next months as we prepare for our museum to undergo a complete transformation to make way for a brand-new exhibition!

Keep your eyes on this space for future updates! 👀

On this day in 1946... an exhibition was held to commemorate the granting of the First Royal Charter of Incorporation by...
26/08/2026

On this day in 1946... an exhibition was held to commemorate the granting of the First Royal Charter of Incorporation by Henry III, 26th August, 1246! Wigan's first charter granted it borough status and gave the town permission to hold markets and control trade 📜

Fast forward seven hundred and eighty years later, we are here in Wigan Local Studies (Wigan Free Public Library) continuing to preserve our borough's long history through our reference materials. 📚📖

Heritage Open Days are back! 🤩There's a wealth of wonderful events across the borough, from bell ringing and historic ho...
25/08/2026

Heritage Open Days are back! 🤩

There's a wealth of wonderful events across the borough, from bell ringing and historic house tours, to heritage walks, and so much more!

Make sure not to miss our events here at Wigan Museum 😉

🔗 Click the link below for the full programme:

https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Docs/PDF/Resident/Museums-and-archives/Heritage-Wigan-2026-Accessible.pdf

It’s the last full week of the school summer holidays! 🌞Today we’re highlighting these lovely posters from our Holidays ...
25/08/2026

It’s the last full week of the school summer holidays! 🌞

Today we’re highlighting these lovely posters from our Holidays at Home collection 😊

Holidays at Home was a scheme created by the government during WW2, encouraging people to holiday close to home instead of travelling. Local attractions and events were programmed throughout the summer to give everyone something to look forward to. From sports, concerts, and even canal cruises, there was a lot to get involved in!

You can view these posters in Wigan Local Studies alongside a small collection of programmes, which would have been seen around our borough during that time.

Wigan Local Studies is located on the first floor of Wigan Museum and is still open as usual: Tuesday-Friday, 10am-4pm and Saturday, 10am-2pm.

20/08/2026

📣 Attention all visitors and volunteers!

Please note that Wigan Local Studies will open at 11am on Tuesday, August 25th, instead of 10am.

Thank you all for your understanding.

Address

Library Street
Wigan
WN11NU

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 2pm

Telephone

01942828128

Website

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