70 years of creating memories that last a lifetime
This year we’re celebrating 70 years since we open as a public museum. We have an exciting launch party on the date of our anniversary and will be continuing the party throughout the summer. We’re also appealing to the public for memories and artefacts and the suggestion of a contemporary item to add to our collection to commemorate our special milestone birthday.
Launch party
Saturday 3 June will mark 70 years since Preston Park Museum & Grounds was officially opened for the first time as a public museum. For our exciting launch party we’ll be bringing all the family entertainment to the museum with free cupcakes for our first 70 visitors. There’ll be party entertainers, facepainting, balloon modelling and cake decorating. Visitors can also take photos with our fun birthday props at a selfie station and bring a tea party to our orchard or street party tables in the Victorian Street. We’re also asking visitors to share their memories of Preston Park Museum with us, send us a birthday message and help us to create a giant 70th birthday badge for the window of the museum.
Find out more about our launch party or see our press release.
Summer party
We’ll be partying all summer long and continuing our 70th birthday celebrations with arts and crafts, party games, stories and entertainers for non-stop family fun. Save the date and join us between 22 July and 3 Sept. Everyone is welcome!
Find out more about our summer party.
Appeal for artefacts (1953-1970s)
As part of our 70th birthday celebrations, we’re appealing to the public for donations of artefacts such as old photographs, guidebooks and leaflets, relating to the early years of Preston Park Museum & Grounds. We’re particularly looking for items from 1953 to the early 1970s. Unfortunately we won’t be able to take everything that is offered to us but we would love to hear from you if you think you have anything interesting that we don’t already have.
Please complete our donation form and we’ll be in touch.
Appeal for a contemporary item
To commemorate our 70th year, we’re looking for suggestions from the public for a contemporary collecting object to add to our extensive collection. What item can we collect in 2023 that represents Stockton-on-Tees today?
Please email us with your suggestion at museum@stockton.gov.uk or message / comment on our social media channels.
Our history
Within a hundred-acre public park next to the River Tees, the museum was a former Georgian gentleman’s residence and once home to local industrial magnate Robert Ropner. Read our history blog to find out more about the timeline of Preston Park Museum and key dates in our history.
