Museum refurb promotes Crompton’s Spinning Mule

Bolton Museum, Aquarium and Archive is to undergo a £530,000 refurbishment in order to highlight the importance of the town's most famous invention.

Samuel Crompton's Spinning Mule revolutionised the British cotton industry in the 1800s and the impact of this invention will feature in a new, permanent gallery in the museum. The new gallery will be created in the space that is currently devoted to local history, wildlife and the world's continents, known as the museum gallery.

As a result, the gallery will close to the public on 4 January 2010 for 10 months while the project is carried out. The project is part of the North West's Raising The Game programme that is raising the quality, ambition and profile of six leading museums and galleries to attract more tourists to the region.

Nick Brooks-Sykes, director of tourism at the NWDA, which is funding the project, said: "Industrial heritage is one of the North West's unique assets, and Bolton Museum will be working with other regional museums to make the most of this Industrial Powerhouse story.

"Bolton Museum is a great attraction and this is an opportunity to enhance its fantastic tourism offer."

The rest of the museum, including the Egyptology gallery, art gallery and Up Close gallery will be open as normal. However, the temporary exhibition gallery – currently being used for the Open Art exhibition – will be closed from January to July for storage purposes.