Construction starts on Blackpool’s £13m museum of fun and entertainment
Showtown Museum, located in the heart of Blackpool, has announced that a lease has been signed by Blackpool Council and Coolsilk Property & Investment, and construction has now started on the £13m attraction.
Coolsilk’s co-owner, Peter Swann, said: “We are delighted that the museum will be developed alongside our Sands Venue Resort Hotel – Blackpool’s first five-star hotel when it opens next year.
“Our resort will create 91 luxury rooms and penthouses, restaurants, spa, conference space, existing themed Wild West Diner and soon to open cocktail bar.
“We can now look forward to hosting this exciting new museum and look forward to working with the council to attract even more visitors into the resort.”
The Blackpool attraction has been working with Lancashire-based construction firm, Conlon, which is laying the groundwork for the museum.
Work started this week and the construction team has hit the ground running, with a planned opening date of April 2023.
The museum will allow visitors to get up close with the entertainers who put Blackpool on the map – the comedians, dancers, acrobats, performers and larger-than-life characters who turned a seaside resort into the home of show business.
Darren Lee, commercial director at Conlon Construction, said: “Blackpool is known all over the world for its history of entertainment and Showtown is shaping up to be the latest world famous attraction located in the seaside town.
“It’s a pleasure to work with Showtown and we’re all excited to see the finished result.”
Blackpool Council leader, Cllr Lynn Williams, said: “As Blackpool’s first museum of fun and entertainment we wanted to work with a company that truly understands our product and is on board with all the excitement that is to come.
“We are delighted to be working with Conlon Construction, who come with a wealth of experience in the North West, having worked on exciting projects in the culture category, including Harris Museum in Preston and Avro Heritage Museum in Stockport.
“Conlon Construction recently restored the beautiful Spanish Hall at the Winter Gardens, so we know there’s a shared vision for the look and feel of Showtown, and we are in safe hands with their extensive knowledge of heritage sites.”
