Drumroll please…..
We’re really excited to announce the name of your new
#Blackpool
museum of fun and entertainment, Showtown! We hope you agree that there’s no town quite like
#Showtown
…
This week is full of star-studded surprises as we gear up to officially open our doors on Friday and who better to give us the inside Showtown scoop than Blackpool puppet royalty, Sooty and Sweep! What did you think
@Sootyandco
?
#sootyshow
#showtown
#blackpool
#exploreblackpool
It's a double hit!! WE GOT Heritage Lottery Funding TOO! The award means £400k up front with the prospect of a further £4 Million to actually make
#blackpoolsfirstmuseum
a reality. What an amazing week this has been.
@HLFNorthWest
Wishing
@steveroylecomic
all the best in the
@BGT
Semi-Finals tonight. You are such a big star to us in Blackpool and Lancashire keeping us all laughing plus a great actor too. We are rooting for you. Bring it home.
#BGT2020
Who’s enjoying the best of
@bbcstrictly
tonight? We’re sad they won’t be coming to Blackpool this year but we can’t wait for their special Blackpool tribute week at Elstree. Here’s one of favourite ever Blackpool dances, Ooh Aah
@StaceyDooley
@keviclifton
Exactly 250 years ago a ring was drawn on the ground and filled with wonders - acrobats, jugglers, riders, tumblers. The world’s v first circus was born. Here is our beautiful
@TheBplTower
lit up marking the launch of
#circus250
- year of circus activity happening across the UK.
#OTD
in 1948, Harry Corbett, purchased the original “Sooty” puppet from a magic shop on North Pier, to keep his children entertained whilst on holiday in Blackpool.
Since then 'Sooty' has been entertaining families for over 70 years! 🤣
Happy Birthday Sooty!🎉
@Sootyandco
Have your say...
Pick the image you think sums up the very best of Blackpool. The winning image will take pride of place inside the museum.
Comment below with Image A, B, C or D
You have until 11 March to vote.
We’re so excited to share the official trailer for our brand new show, The Nolans Go Cruising, which starts on Tuesday 7th July at 10pm on
@QuestRedTv
!
We can’t wait for you all to see it! 🛳🕺🎤
#TheNolansGoCruising
Curtain up - Showtown is now officially OPEN! 🤩 What a fabulous ribbon cutting with the stars as
@AlfieBoe
, Norman Barrett, Paul Zenon and
@GrahamLiver
from
@BBCLancashire
did the all important honours! Thank you to our waiting crowd, so great to see you all!
#showtown
🤩 Wow what a fantastic event! 🥂
Here’s your exclusive backstage pass to all the action as we celebrated the creation of Showtown - right here in Blackpool, with many of the wonderful people that made it all possible!
#showtown
#blackpool
#familyfun
⭐️👀FIRST PEEK! 👀⭐️
Here are the very first photos from inside Showtown.
The building work is now complete. Next the installation of the exhibitions, objects and interactives will begin.
So exciting - we couldn't resist sharing these with you.
Huge thanks to
@_CONLON_
We're thrilled to announce that a new museum for
#Blackpool
has been awarded a £4million
#NationalLotteryHeritageFund
grant – part of a £10million package of grants giving heritage-led regeneration and tourism a massive funding boost across the North!
@HeritageFundNOR
👀“How would you describe Showtown in THREE words?” We dropped this question in with our fabulous special guests Lady Anne Dodd,
@AlfieBoe
,
@LlewelynBowen
, Pauz Zenon and Norman Barrett as they enjoyed celebrating at our opening event last week!
#showtown
#blackpool
Today funding goes to
@BlackpoolMuseum
, Bradford Live, Stockton Town Centre Northern Gateway, The Whitaker Experience, Dippy on Tour
@NHM_London
, Durham Woodland Revival, Seeing the North with Sankey & Windows to the World: St Mary's Church. More info:
Thank you to our Patron
@TheAntonDuBeke
! ✨Showtown and ‘Strictly’ is just the perfect partnership isn’t it? How fabulous to hear from Anton about his wonderful Blackpool highlights and what he is most looking forward to seeing when he visits us here at Showtown! 🕺💃
#showtown
And it’s… “ON WITH THE SHOW!” 👏
Today we can announce the exciting news that construction has started on Blackpool’s first Museum of fun and entertainment.
🎥 A few minutes with one of our fabulous Founding Fellows
@AlfieBoe
!
We asked Alfie just what it meant to him to cut the Showtown ribbon...
Book your tickets on our website now and experience a celebration of Blackpool like never before! 🎪
#showtown
#blackpool
#familyfun
Welcoming our newest member of the team. Kari is the new Learning and Engagement Officer and will be working with schools, colleges and communities to get involved in
#blackpoolsfirstmuseum
We are very sad to hear of the passing of Tony Jo, a legend in the Blackpool entertainment industry. Performer, actor, comedian, producer, manager and agent for so many stars and sell out shows. Tony was instrumental in helping us set up our Variety Day in 2016.
We're really happy to announce the name of our elephant, Belle! 🐘🐘
A fitting name for a Blackpool elephant as 'Blackpool Belle' is the title of the iconic song sung by The Houghton Weavers.
Photo: Dave Nelson
We are excited to share the news that Showtown has been awarded a grant of £10k by
@ThePilgrimTrust
towards the conservation of Blackpool’s nationally – significant circus collections. 🎪
Like to know more about the Blackpool Museum and the new venue? Watch this little film we made and feel free to share far and wide!
#CultureBlackpool
#theBside
#Blackpool
🎪 We can’t wait to welcome Norman Barrett MBE to
#Showtown
tonight! In this exclusive sold-out event, Norman will be sharing his wonderful memories and stories from life as a world-famous Ringmaster. Don’t forget to keep an eye on our ‘What’s on’ page for the latest events.
There's an exciting JOB OPPORTUNITY with us!! We are looking for an Assistant Curator to help develop the content and displays for the museum! Please share with your contacts! Deadline 12noon, 19 June
#blackpoolsfirstmuseum
#cultureblackpool
🤡 The stage is set to hold a little celebration with many of those who have been with us on the creative journey to bring Showtown to life! Did somebody say cake? What a fantastic treat from Cake Tin Bakery to get us in the party spirit! 😍
#showtown
#blackpool
#exploreblackpool
🤩 You’ve never seen a museum like it! Press, push, wind, spin, grab, dance, play - the stage is yours… we’re inviting you to experience just how it feels to be in the limelight!
#showtown
#blackpool
#familyfun
“Showtown Blackpool - the best new museum ever” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Trip Advisor, 2024. They say time flies when you’re having fun and we’ve certainly gone to town in our FIRST MONTH of all-singing, all-dancing entertainment📸A big thank you to everybody that has been part of it so far!🤩
Just took receipt of this fantastic donation to
@heritagebpl
@BpoolCouncil
- a pendant for Blackpool’s 1923 Carnival. Amazingly it was found on Blackpool beach in November by a metal detector Michael Brady. Dropped 95 years ago?! Wow!
Our
#MuseumPassion
is to create the first museum that puts Blackpool centre stage Showtown.
#Blackpool
is the UK’s favourite seaside resort. It deserves a museum to champion its significance and showcase
@heritagebpl
's collections.
📸 1927 Holiday Guide
Today, one of the most beautiful and iconic theatres in the world celebrates turning 125!🎂
#Blackpool
@Grand_Theatre
is a spectacular example of stunning architecture, great education and the full breadth of stage entertainment.🎭
📸:
@ConboySean
It's always fun when the fabulous Laurence
@LlewelynBowen
(Chair of the Blackpool Museum Trust) comes to visit us and this time we took him down to see the progress on site. "This is the incredibly exciting moment when the whole thing starts to take shape!"
#exciting
#Blackpool
Great atmosphere on
@BplNorthPier
today for Sooty’s birthday party and show. Never seen so many Sooty’s before! Amazing to think it all began here 70 years ago! Everyone had a fantastic time thank you
@Sootyandco
Selecting some of our incredible bill posters for the ‘variety’ wall display in the new museum. It’s a really hard job as we have so many! This one however is unique and simply stunning. Here is a sneak peek - a rare 3 part poster for ‘On with the show’
@BplNorthPier
#variety
Today is
#WorldPhotographyDay2021
so we asked local photographer
@cjgriffphoto
to select an image of particular interest from the Albert Eden Collection.
Claire has chosen Albert Eden's photograph of The Stand c1930.
We will be putting lots of things in place to make sure a visit to our new Museum is fun and comfortable for people with Autism, for example; staff training, quiet time visits, museum buddies and a quieter seating space to escape to.
#WorldAutismAwarenessDay
What a line up of Blackpool themed events we have planned for you all! Check out our What's On guide for January to June 2020. Something in there for all the family!
@heritagebpl
#Blackpool
#Showtown
#Fun
****JOB ALERT*** We are seeking an experienced PROJECT MANAGER to coordinate our capital works to ensure that they are completed effectively, to the required standard, within budget and on programme. Easy peasy!
#blackpoolsfirstmuseum
#Blackpool
CALL OUT FOR YOUR BLACKPOOL MECCA MEMORIES! Did you dance in the famous Blackpool Mecca in the 1970s? We are looking for people with photos, flyers, posters, clothing and other items to come forward.
@RichardSearling
@IanLevine
@CdjCurtis
🎪🤩 Roll up, roll up – tickets are NOW ON SALE for Showtown! Book early to be the first to visit Blackpool’s newest attraction from March 2024 and experience our our all-singing, all-dancing museum:
#Blackpool
#Showtown
#Familyfun
#ExploreBlackpool
Thanks
@MuseumsAssoc
for this article! There is a lot of work that goes into reviving a coastal community and we hope that the Museum will play a big part in the sea change Blackpool has been working on for a long time!
#loveblackpool
#blackpool
#cultureblackpool
"We see the museum as a catalyst for change." The Blackpool Museum Project is one of several beneficiaries of the Coastal Communities Fund, part of a government initiative to invest £36m in a coastal revival
We love looking at
#postcards
in the collection.
Many of them paint pictures of what the author was enjoying in
#Blackpool
at that time but some offer more questions than they do answers.
We wonder what Annie didn't manage to do in Blackpool in 1929?
#museum30
👀 Two weeks to go until Showtown opens its stage doors… there’s not a museum like it anywhere and we can’t wait to invite you backstage! 🎟️ Discover how Blackpool became the greatest Showtown in the world for yourself:
#showtown
#blackpool
#familyfun
#onthisday
escape artist Harry
#Houdini
caused a sensation by escaping from a Blackpool police cell after only 7 minutes. Houdini was performing all week at the
#Blackpool
Hippodrome Theatre 🎭 as part of his UK tour. Here is the incredible advert from
@The_Gazette
#escapology
It’s
#InternationalMuseumDay
and the team at Showtown continue to work hard and look forward to all the exciting things the museum will bring to the resort. 😃
Blackpool’s first museum of fun and entertainment will be an all-singing, all-dancing museum for the whole family!
Do you have a little bit of Blackpool in your home?
We’ve been inspired by
#MuseumfromHome
to start sharing our own which we are calling
#BlackpoolfromHome
.
We’d like to get people smiling by sharing photographs of something in your home that reminds you of a great BPL memory..
📷 Meet Belle the elephant! For those who never forget, you might remember a story about the arrival of our amazing baby elephant model a few years ago - it’s fantastic to see Belle in her new home with less than 3 months to go until opening 😀
#Showtown
#Blackpool
#FamilyFun
Had a preview of the new film
@EatenbyLionsUK
tonight
@WGBpl
which opens on cinemas countrywide on Friday. Wonderful film, shot in our fantastic resort with a great cast. A touching tale of two brothers. Go see it!
#EatenbyLions
#loveBlackpool
🤩 You’ve never seen a museum like it! Press, push, wind, spin, grab, dance, play - the stage is yours… we’re inviting you to experience just how it feels to be in the limelight!
#showtown
#blackpool
An amazing opportunity to explore this unique entertainment complex and its many stunning venues including the beautiful Spanish Hall pictured, the magnificent Empress Ballroom and the incredible Blackpool Opera House. Don’t miss it!
The world-famous Winter Gardens will again throw open its doors for an exclusive access all areas event, allowing the public a rare chance to explore every nook and cranny of the grade 2* listed building, and don't worry, there is no need to book, this is a FREE event! 📆27.02.20
2020 looks to be a very exciting year for the Museum!!! As we get closer to opening in 2021 there will be lots to do and so much for you to get involved in. In meantime, we wish to thank everyone for their support and wish you all a very merry Christmas!
Today is
#WaltDisneyDay
and we thought we'd share a little known fact about Disney and Blackpool! Walt Disney and Blackpool Illuminations worked together for over 20 years with Disney sending their designs to the
#Illuminations
for inclusion in the displays.
It's showtime at
#Showtown
🤩 In a word - WOW. What an incredible opening Friday, Saturday and Sunday we've had here at Blackpool’s museum of fun and entertainment. So what are you waiting for?
🎟️ Book your tickets here:
@LlewelynBowen
#blackpool
All set up ready for the Changing Horizons event
@WGBpl
organised by Civil Service Local - talking about Blackpool heritage, collections and heritage jobs/skills to 14-16 years from Blackpool schools and seeing if they can catalogue an old postcard in 10 minutes!
"Blackpool is a ridiculously special place"
We couldn't agree more with Laurence
@LlewelynBowen
on this one! Did you know - next year you can design your very own Blackpool illumination right here at
#Showtown
? Can't wait for March 2024! 🤩
#BlackpoolIlluminations
#Blackpool
Even more news to be excited about this week...
@GrundyBlackpool
is bringing Roy Lichentstein's work to
#blackpool
#wow
He was a pioneer of the pop art movement with his bold, graphic style. Can't wait!!