The Harris Announces New Reopening Date
in Spring 2025
First Look:
New Plans for the Rotunda
Exciting Harris Your Place Updates
Project background
For 130 years, the Harris has been both a cherished space for communities to come together and a home for world-class culture, exhibitions and collections. Each year, Preston’s Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library welcomes and inspires more than one thousand people a day from every walk of life. It’s a landmark, drawing visitors to Preston from far and wide.
Harris Your Place is a £16million project set to restore and reimagine the Harris for 21st-century audiences as a community, cultural and learning space. Made possible thanks to our supporters.
Harris Your Place: New Spaces
Harris Your Place – Second Floor Balcony, Decolonising the Collection
Harris Your Place First Look: No. 9
Harris Your Place First Look: The Library
Harris Your Place First Look: Rotunda
Harris Your Place First Look: Wedding Room
Harris Your Place First Look: The Studio
Harris Your Place First Look: First Floor Balcony
Harris Your Place First Look: Meeting Room
Harris Your Place First Look: Family Library
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.
A Blended Museum, Art Gallery and Library:
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.
Harris Your Place: Project Updates
Q&A With Mike at Click Netherfield
Harris Your Place Update: Sustainability and Reopening
Harris Your Place: Newly Appointed Contractors
Harris Your Place: The Harris Keys are Handed to Conlon Construction
Harris Your Place 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.
Harris Your Place has been made possible with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund; Towns Fund; Preston City Council; Lancashire County Council; the Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal; DCMS; Arts Council England, and public donations via the Friends of the Harris.
Other key supporters include the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), Garfield Weston Foundation, The Wolfson Foundation, the Harris Free Public Library and Museum Endowment Trust (est. 1893), and The Harris Charity (est.1985).
We will re-open our magnificent Grade I Listed building in 2025 and are already working with Community Partners to deliver a programme of events and activities throughout closure and from day one of re-opening. Your support can help deliver this exciting programme alongside Harris Your Place.
Harris Your Place: Progress Pictures
Harris Your Place: Project Partners
Conlon Construction
Restore Harrow Green
Buttress Architects
Ralph Appelbaum Associates
Click Netherfield
Focus Consultants
Ridge and Partners LLP
Direct Access
Museum and Art Gallery Collections Decant
'Pauline in the Yellow Dress' Decant
Textiles and Costume Decant
Paintings and Fine Art Decant
Books and Objects Decant
Alexander Frieze Decant
Collections Decant
Harris Your Place: Funding Updates
Lancashire County Council funding boost of £375,000 for the Harris Your Place Project
The Harris to receive £803,249 in funding in another positive step forward for the Harris Your Place project
£450,000 Boost for Harris Your Place
#HarrisYourPlace awarded £4.5m by The National Lottery Heritage Fund
“The links of the chain are of equal strength”
Revisiting Preston’s Rich Textiles History
In collaboration with The Courtauld, a brand new hand-painted mural from local artist Gavin Renshaw decorates the front of the Harris Building during the Harris Your Place transformation.
Get Involved
1. Follow us on social and share our #HarrisYourPlace posts on your social media platforms with one of these pictures. – or a photo of your own – if you have visited the Harris before we closed for the project.
2. Sign up to receive the Harris e-newsletter and get the latest project news.
3. Join our upcoming events around the city – you’ll find details on our website and on social media.
4. Volunteer with us by signing up to the Harris Volunteer Makers.
5. Make a donation via the Friends of the Harris, or become a member (from just £25 per year)
Support Us
Harris Your Place
You can help local people
benefit from Harris Your Place,
by making a donation today
