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.
In August 2023, staff were packing and moving exhibits at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery to make space for structural investigations.
The museum’s former Terrace Road building had closed after dry rot was found in structural timbers and floor joists. This article reported at the time that staff were removing 1,500 artefacts from display for the investigations.
The closure began on 1 June 2023.
The planned investigations involved removing parts of ceilings and floors, so the affected rooms needed to be cleared first.
The affected areas included the Wonders of the Peak exhibition and Boyd Dawkins Study Room. Items were to be moved to safe areas within the museum or off site if needed.
Staff were carrying out packing where safe to do so, with specialist support planned for larger or more fragile items.
The Wonders of the Peak galleries were redeveloped in 2017. A previous Explore Buxton report recorded more than 30,000 visits and £5,300 in visitor donations in 2022.
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Leadership, Culture, Tourism and Climate Change Councillor Barry Lewis said he remained determined that the museum and its collections would be supported and was working with officers across the council to ensure the future of the service in the longer term would be secured. He has also met with affected staff to assure them of the council’s commitment to the service.
Councillor Lewis said: “While it has been completely necessary to temporarily close the Buxton Museum and Art Gallery to allow investigations to take place, and we know how disappointing and frustrating this is, I can assure people that there is absolute commitment to supporting the museum and securing the long-term future of its collections.
“A lot of work is going on behind the scenes currently, but only when the internal investigation work is completed will we be clearer as to the building’s condition and what it might entail to rectify the issues.
“We fully acknowledge the importance of the service’s presence in Buxton and will do all we can to protect this valuable asset. We are exploring all the options available to us, but unfortunately there is no quick fix. We will provide updates on progress when we can.”
At the time there was no firm timescale for the investigation or any remedial work.
The results were intended to inform decisions about structural work and costs.
The council was exploring alternative venues for a temporary museum service.
Museum events continued at other Buxton venues during the closure.
For current exhibitions and events, see the museum’s website.
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