MACCLESFIELD'S Silk Museum, Park Lane Galleries, reopens on Easter Saturday after a three-month refit funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

New displays prepared over the winter aim to make the gallery more fun for young children including a selection of toys and story books and interactive displays bringing the science of dyeing and colour mixing, optical light effects and the life story of the Silk Moth vividly to life. There is even a brand new magnifying microscope which visitors can use to enlarge their own clothing or belongings on screen.

The display work follows a long process of testing out different approaches to Science teaching using the Silk Museums Collections.

Work packs backed by the Lottery Fund and Astra Zeneca have been prepared for ‘Bombyx (the Latin name for the Mulberry Silk Moth) boffins’ and an investigation project ‘Fred and Millie’s Paradise Mill challenge’.

Schools will be starting to use the work packs and the new galleries from April but for young visitors and there parents are welcome right a way from Easter Saturday.

A special programme of events has been prepared for the Easter Holidays including the museum craft club meeting on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th April - SPRING FEVER - painted vases and collage and drop in events for every day between 25th and 28th March:

  • Tuesday 25th March 11am-1pm: Year of the Garden open day: Floral designs from the museum collection of patterns and samples made at the Macclesfield School of Art, Macclesfield Silk Museum, Park Lane Gallery.
  • Wednesday 26th March 1am-2pm: Learn about science drop in: Silk and Science interactives and experiments at the Silk Museum, Park Lane. Adults with children. Macclesfield Museum, Park Lane Gallery.
  • Thursday 27 March: Story time for young bugs 11am – 12.30 Stories with a creepy crawly, silky theme suitable for 3-5 year olds (parents to accompany) followed by stories suitable for up to 7 year old (parents to accompany). Toys and picture books provided in the new Spectrum displays. Feel free to drop by for all or part of the session. Silk Museum, Park Lane Gallery.
  • Friday 28 March Find out what we do. Drop in 10am-2pm Behind the scenes tours and introduction from the Museum Director. Macclesfield Silk Museum, Park Lane Gallery.