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22 Aug 07Poole Museum Pulls In The Crowds
Poole Museum is proving a real crowd-puller - welcoming 27,500 visitors through its doors in the first month since reopening.
Following a £1.3 million refurbishment, more than 6,000 people alone visited Poole Museum's grand reopening day on July 14.
The museum had been previously closed for a 21 month refurbishment project made possible by local fundraising and a £750,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund 
.
Michael Spender, Poole Museum Manager said: "We are thrilled with the number of people who have come to explore Poole's history in our first month of opening. We have had a mixture of local people and visitors to the town. We hope people have gone away with a little more knowledge about Poole and its fascinating history."
He added: "The feedback from visitors in the first month has been extremely positive, especially for the new terrace and visitor lounge, which offer great views over Poole Harbour and the Old Town."
A visitor from Poole, said: "The Terrace is brilliant - I have never seen Poole High Street at that level before."
The museum is now the permanent home of Poole's 2,300-year-old log boat, which is displayed in a specially made glass case for visitors to see it in all its glory.
A visitor from Coventry, said: "I love the new log boat display. Everything is now laid out beautifully and it was worth the wait for the refurbishment."
Community-based exhibitions, 'Thread', a textile project based on the history and districts of Poole, and 'A Sense of Place - Hamworthy Voices', which tells the tale of life in Hamworthy, have proved popular, particularly with local people.
Currently on display, the Poole Pottery and Carter Tiles collection has been causing quite a stir. Thought to be most significant museum display of Poole Pottery ever on show, visitors have been impressed with the variety of pieces, some which have not been previously displayed.
Cllr Peter Adams, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, said: "The first month has been a great success but we are not complacent. We are planning to keep changing and improving exhibitions so people can return to the museum and see something new every time. Our museum staff need to be congratulated for achieving this success, and having delivered this complex project to budget"
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