PARTS of the Watt Institution in Greenock are to reopen next week, nearly a year after the venue closed for installation of a lift, but there is still no confirmed date for the whole museum area being back in action.
Staff will welcome the public back into the building from Wednesday 30 September but the McLean Museum will still not be open to visitors. The project was originally due for completion in February.
Inverclyde Council say that work is continuing on the lift installation but that new exhibitions in the Watt Hall and the art gallery will be available to view, and the James Watt Library will reopen.
The museum floorspace will be reconfigured so it can begin receiving visitors into parts of its exhibition space from Saturday 10 October. No date has been given for completion of the project. Last month Inverclyde’s provost spoke of his disappointment at the delay.
Councillor Jim Clocherty, Inverclyde Council’s convener of education and communities, said: “I am delighted the Watt Institution is reopening. Although the lift is not yet fully operational, it is right that we take the time to do this properly.
“We need to be sympathetic to the listed building and ensure there is no further disruption. While the building has been closed, staff have been working hard to bring more of the museum’s vast collection to life, interpreting it for the 21st Century.
“It is also positive news that it is reopening in time for the 150th anniversary of the McLean Museum, which first opened on 3 November 1876.
“I am looking forward to getting back inside and seeing what’s familiar, and what is new, and I’m sure many others are too.”
The Watt Institution’s opening hours are Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
