Update: The museum’s former home, Peak Buildings on Terrace Road, was sold at auction in January 2025. The museum opened in a temporary building next to Buxton Library in October 2026, while a permanent home is sought.
On 23 May 2024, Derbyshire County Council announced that Buxton Museum and Art Gallery would permanently leave Peak Buildings. The museum had closed in June 2023 after dry rot was found in structural timbers and floor joists.
Then council leader Barry Lewis said the cost and time needed to make the building safe had led to the decision.
Councillor Lewis said: “While extremely sad for everyone connected to the museum in its present home, it is with great reluctance that we have to confirm it is no longer viable for the museum to operate from the Peak Buildings and a new location must be secured.”
The council said artefacts, displays and artwork would be moved and the building put up for sale.
The museum had been in the Terrace Road building since 1928.
Councillor Lewis, who then oversaw culture and tourism as part of his Cabinet role, said: “At the time we very much hoped that closing the museum would be a temporary measure, but on-going assessment work looking at the extent of the dry rot in the building, involving taking down ceilings, walls and lifting floors, is making it clear the building cannot be easily made safe for the public and staff without a programme of very costly remedial work that would take a considerable length of time. It is difficult to put a figure on this work while the assessments continue.
“Although solid progress has been made regarding our well-documented challenging budget position, we still face difficult times and must spend every penny we have wisely and with the greatest efficiency. Unfortunately we simply cannot justify spending what we know will be a large sum to return the Peak Buildings back into a useable and modern museum space.
“We also need to consider the length of time remedial work could take, which would not only leave a key, prominent building in the town empty for a considerable length of time, but also leave Buxton without a museum while we carried out the work.
“It would be far better for the building and town if the building was sold to a buyer who could invest in it and bring it back up to a high standard. This would be out of our reach as a local authority and, this way we would be able to retain the sale price and re-invest in the museum when we find a new and appropriate location.”
Lewis said the council remained committed to a museum service and a long-term future for the collections in Buxton.
In May 2024, the council was developing an interim service while a longer-term solution was sought.
The planned interim service included pop-up displays, events and an online presence, with Buxton Library among the locations being considered.
Councillor Lewis said: “We are fully aware of the importance of the museum and art gallery in Buxton and the very high regard with which it is held by residents, visitors, businesses and groups, as well as regionally and nationally. We share the passion people have for it and continue to explore every avenue we can to secure a long-term solution.
“It’s not straightforward and was never going to happen overnight, but we’re hard at work and have been engaging with partners, including very positive discussions with High Peak Borough Council, on a range of options. I am urging local groups to fully engage and work with us on this challenge and look forward to discussions with representatives in the coming weeks so that positive solutions can be found.
“The value of Buxton Museum and Art Gallery is immeasurable to local people, visitors to Buxton, wider communities and our great county, and our main goal remains to secure the long-term future of the museum in the town.”
The council said staff had been packing and moving collections from the affected areas, including the Wonders of the Peak exhibition and Boyd Dawkins Study Room.
At the time, the council was advertising for a museum manager and an assistant collections officer.
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