Heritage Grants
Opened in 1893, the Grade I listed building is home to a collection ranging from ceramics and fashion to art and even a 13,000-year-old elk. The Harris founders inscribed a mission statement on the museum’s neoclassical façade – ‘the mental riches you may here acquire abide with you always’.
The Harris Your Place project – supported by our funding of £6.45million – has followed this founding vision, prioritising the principles of community, creativity and learning. Since closing its doors to begin the work in 2021, the museum’s team has sought to protect and celebrate The Harris while making it more welcoming, more accessible and more relevant to local people and new audiences.
The project has enhanced accessibility throughout The Harris, with a new lift and staircase installed through the heart of the building. Visitor facilities have been refurbished and expanded, including a ground floor café, shop, reception area and flexible events space. High level repair and conservation work to the roofs, stonework and basement has been completed, protecting the structure for the future.
Alongside these improvements to the building, our funding has supported The Harris to refresh how it shares its collection with the public. Inventive open access displays will illuminate different types of heritage, with digital technology used to bring these stories to life. Working with partner organisations locally, the project will also spark a four-year programme of events and opportunities for young people, community groups, graduates, volunteers and families.
Councillor Anna Hindle, Cabinet Member for Culture and Arts at Preston City Council, says: “We’re proud that The Harris is the cultural heartbeat of Preston, a place where creativity, learning and community come together. This transformation is about making sure we continue to live up to that name now and for generations to come.”
The Harris re-opened to the public on Sunday 28 September – plan your visit via the museum’s website. We’re supporting museums, libraries and archives right across the UK – find out more about our recent funding.
