PRESS RELEASE
Black Country Living Museum voted one of ‘Top
20 Family Friendly Museums’ in the UK
The Black Country Living Museum as been long listed for the prestigious national Telegraph
Family Friendly Museum Awards 2015. Run by charity ‘Kids in Museums’, the award is one of
the largest in the Museum sector, and is designed for museums that ‘go the extra mile to
welcome families and visitors of all ages’.
The Museum beat off stiff competition from over 800 nominations. The longlist will now be put
before a panel of experts, including celebrity children’s author Damian Dibben and historian
and broadcaster Helen Castor who will choose just six museums. These six museums are
road-tested anonymously by families who will vote for the final winner.
Laura Wakelin, Director of Communications and Marketing comments: “we are very excited to
be long listed for this very prestigious award. The Museum has been a favourite amongst
families since its opening and that is something we want to continue to do – immerse families,
young and old, into 300 years of Black Country history.”
Twenty Museums from up and down the country have been nominated, including:

Beamish, County Durham

Black Country Living Museum, Dudley

Compton Verney, Warwickshire

Cutty Sark, London

Diving Museum, Gosport, Hampshire

Elgin Museum, Moray, Scotland

Gallery Oldham, Greater Manchester

The Geffrye, London

Hampton Court Palace, Surrey

Haslemere Educational Museum, Surrey

Milton Keynes Museum

National Coal Mining Museum, Wakefield, West Yorkshire

River & Rowing Museum, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire

Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, Devon

Science Museum, London

Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life

Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle, Cumbria

William Morris Gallery, London

The Winding House, Caerphilly

Woodhorn Museum, Northumberland
Do you want to be one of the mystery family museum judges and help choose who wins? Just
email award@kidsinmuseums.org.uk before July 1, telling us a little bit about your family and
why you want to be judges.
ENDS
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Abby Bird (PR & Marketing Coordinator)
T: 0121 521 5692
M: 07901 575995
E: abby.bird@bclm.com
Note to editors:
About the Museum
Established in 1978, Black Country Living Museum is one of the UK’s leading open-air
museums. Designated by Arts Council England for the quality and national significance of its
collections, it is a remarkable place to explore, enjoy and spend time. Set in 26 acres with
over 150 historic buildings and features, and attracting c270,000 visitors each year and
almost 8m people since it first opened, it offers a glimpse into 300 years of history like no
other. The Museum (a registered educational charity) records and exemplifies the contribution
and impact of the Black Country region since the 18th century to the development of the
modern industrialized world. Black Country folk changed the world, and the Museum tells the
story of a very special time and place in history and some of the most hard-working, ingenious
and influential people you could imagine. It offers a visitor experience that few others can
match.