A range of exhibitions focusing on stories of the railways will launch at Preston Park Museum’s new exhibition space.
Following a multi-million pound extension and investment into wider park improvements, Preston Park will present a series of exhibitions called ‘Tracks of Change’ as part of S&DR200, the international festival celebrating the bicentenary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
The exhibitions will be free to attend with museum admission.
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The first exhibitions will open on Saturday, 13 September.
A collection of nationally significant paintings highlighting the role that the birth of the railway played in creating tourism through day trips and travel opportunities will be displayed as part of the Gateway to the World exhibition.
Victorian artist William Powell Frith’s paintings The Railway Station, Life at the Seaside (Ramsgate Sands) and Derby Day will be displayed together for the first time.
Also opening Saturday, 13 September, internationally acclaimed artist Rebecca Louise Law’s installation Corridors features thousands of preserved flowers suspended from the ceiling, many of which have been grown in the museum’s own Walled Garden.
The display takes inspiration from the fact that the original Stockton and Darlington Railway line ran through Preston Park.
It has been made in collaboration with Preston Park volunteers and local community groups and in partnership with Network Rail’s Biodiversity Team.
All Aboard is an interactive exhibition created to give children the chance to get hands-on with wheels to turn, coal to shovel and pistons to pump in the giant replica train and themed play zones.
Families will be able to take part in a journey of discovery through play to understand the important story of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
Pre booking for this exhibition opens on Monday, 1 September. Visit www.prestonparkmuseum.co.uk to book tickets.
Memory of a Journey is the result of collaboration with community groups, school pupils, care home residents and visitors to S&DR200 festival venues across Tees Valley and County Durham who were invited to decorate peg dolls representing their favourite train journey. Thousands of the designs will be showcased at Preston Park Museum.
Finally, an installation by internationally renowned, contemporary visual artist Yann Nguema inspired by the seed distribution and pollination when trains travel through the countryside is scheduled for January 2026.
Niccy Hallifax, S&DR200 Festival Director, said: “It’s fantastic to see both internationally renowned and national artists featured in this ambitious exhibition series at Preston Park Museum. Combining major creative talent with contributions from local artists and community groups brings real depth and meaning to Tracks of Change.
“From powerful new commissions to historically important paintings that reveal how the railways shaped the world we live in; this is a celebration of innovation past and present.
“We hope the series will inspire the next generation of creatives, inventors, and engineers – while showcasing the Museum’s new state of the art exhibition space.”
Alongside the new exhibition space, visitors can enjoy a new museum café with terrace, improved gift shop and explore the new Open Store, where rarely seen objects will be on display. The space also offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the museum cares for its collection.
Wider park improvements, including the refurbishment of the Aviary, have also started with plans announced for a S&DR200 mural inside the much-loved structure which will be created by visual artist, painter and former musician, Kate Jackson.
