Frome Museum has reopened after a winter of renovations, featuring more exhibition space, a larger interactive children’s area, a pop-up shop, and plans for its 60th anniversary celebrations in May.
Nearly 200 people, including 22 children, visited the museum on Sunday 1st March during the Frome Independent Market.
The museum, on North Parade, closed in December so volunteers could create additional exhibition space and expand the children’s area. A working party has also been preparing exhibitions for the 60th anniversary, with details to be announced.
One volunteer, Michelle Hylands, said the children’s area now offers a variety of activities. “We have colouring, books, play with artefacts, and a Brenda doll from the 1930s for dressing-up,” she said. “We’ve also created a discovery drawer with chalks, slates, and educational materials about the olden days. New fossils have been added that children can handle and identify.”
Michelle said accessibility was a key focus for the museum this year. “You can touch anything unless it has a ‘do not touch’ sign. Most of our displays that aren’t under glass can now be handled. Even the Garston Vets collection has instruments attached by wire so children and adults can explore as much or as little as they like.”
The current exhibition, Lady’s Boudoir, showcases underwear from the past. Future exhibitions will focus on surrounding villages, including Nunney, feature a lockdown photography collection, and in October will include ‘Frome on the Home Front.’
The museum, run by 50 volunteers and funded by donations, has also launched a pop-up shop selling tote bags, mugs, notebooks and pencils, some featuring local artists’ work.
“We are a local museum for the people of Frome,” said Michelle. “We try to keep exhibitions and activities that reflect their interests and experiences.”
Frome Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 3pm and on the first Sunday of the month at the Frome Independent Market.
Pictured: Museum Volunteers L to R: Michelle, Caroline, Jack, Sheila, Brian and seated Kim and Hilary who curated the “Lady’s Boudoir” exhibition
