Exciting news!

We’ve been awarded £4.5m by
The National Lottery Heritage Fund which means the £10m #HarrisYourPlace project is going ahead.

Discover below how it will create a better Harris for everyone.

#HarrisYourPlace – Your one in 100-year opportunity to create a better Harris for everyone

Each year, Preston’s Harris Museum,
Art Gallery & Library welcomes and inspires more than one thousand people a day from every walk of life.

But years of daily use mean your beloved Grade I listed building urgently needs attention.

#HarrisYourPlace is a £10million project to restore and reimagine the Harris as a 21st century community, cultural and learning space.

You can help by showing your support for #HarrisYourPlace, and being part of this exciting project.

Three ways that you can help

1. Tell us how history should remember your Preston

#HarrisYourPlace is about your voices and your stories.  In 2021 our new gallery
All Together Different will be open (either online or in the building).  Please visit,
tell us what you think and add your voice to the stories we should be telling about Preston as it is now. 

2. Tell your friends and family about the project

Spread the news!  The more people that know about #HarrisYourPlace, the better. Share our #HarrisYourPlace posts on your social media platforms with one of these pictures. 

3. Make a donation to our charity, the Friends of the Harris, or become a member

Membership costs from just £25 per year and every donation, large or small, will help Preston and Lancashire people benefit from #HarrisYourPlace.  Many local people have already given to the Friends or joined to show their support.

FIND OUT MORE

The Harris – a place for everyone

For 127 years, the Harris has been both a cherished space for communities to come together and a home for world-class culture, exhibitions and collections.

It’s a landmark, drawing visitors to Preston from far and wide.

And, as we all face tough and uncertain times, it’s a free, open and welcoming space for everyone to enjoy, whatever your background or circumstances.

But the Harris is tired

It isn’t as accessible as it should be for everyone who needs it. Conservation is needed to reveal hidden original architectural details and to tackle the leaking roof and damp basement which pose a threat to the Harris’ collections.

#HarrisYourPlace is about more than simply preserving this much-loved building – as our way of life changes ever more quickly, we need to ensure the Harris remains a vibrant heart of the community, where people want to spend their time.

You’ve told us what the Harris means to you …

… Preston’s hidden collections on show, new spaces to enjoy, family-friendly areas and more accessible facilities.

#HarrisYourPlace will bring the Harris into the 21st century whilst preserving its unique history. Making the Harris …

More welcoming

Improving accessibility for everyone with re-opened original entrances, new stairs and lift, buggy store, toilets and Changing Places facility.

More inspiring

Creating the UK’s first blended museum, art gallery and library and making space to put more of Preston’s hidden collections on show. Celebrating Preston’s creative and making heritage.

More prosperous

Attracting more visitors (an extra 100,000, we expect) with an even better café, shop and events spaces. These additional tourists will also mean more business for other shops and services in Preston, helping to grow our city’s economy.

More inclusive

With new spaces for creativity, playing, learning, socialising and volunteering, including new, dedicated areas for young people. 

We’ll also work together with local communities to make sure the Harris tells the story of Preston’s diverse history and culture, so the Harris is a place local people can see themselves and have their voice heard.

And, it will continue to be a safe haven for people who need it.