NEW WALK MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY

New Walk Museum & Art Gallery is Leicester's oldest museum and is a great place to spend time exploring some amazing exhibits. Did you know the museum has been the inspiration for many people, including Leicester's Richard and David Attenborough? The brothers were regular visitors to the museum where they pursued their love of art and natural history. You too can pursue your interest, be it nature, art, local history, ancient Egypt, pre-historic times - and all under one roof.

Wild Space is an exciting interactive exhibition where you can travel through the Antarctic and Arctic, take a trip to the African savannah, investigate the rainforest, and even come face-to-face with live creepy crawlies!

Step back in time and discover the ancient Egyptians; a fascinating display, that includes coffins containing mummies, mummified cats, and magnificent treasures. Interactive guides will inspire you to learn how this ancient civilisation lived and died.

There's the famous 165 million year old Rutland dinosaur and all things pre-historic, but this section is undergoing a major refurbishment and is currently closed. When is reopens next year it will be stunning. There will be exhibits never seen before; a new type of plesiosaur – a sea-going reptile from the Jurassic Period, and a world-class collection of fossils that include fossils from Charnwood Forest – 560 million years old! A woolly mammoth tusk found at Wanlip is a youngster by comparison - only tens of thousands of years old!

If you are interested in art then you won't be disappointed. New Walk Museum is home to a remarkable collection of artworks by world famous artists and features one of the most notable German Expressionist collections outside Germany.

All this exploring and learning will leave you exhausted, so when you need a sit down with a coffee and piece of delicious home-made cake or a savoury snack you don't need to go very far. Costa Coffee Shop is situated on the ground floor.

New Walk Museum is worth a visit any time of the year and entry is free. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday from 11am–5pm. Check out the museum website for details of forthcoming events and exhibitions http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council-services/lc/leicester-city-museums/ or pick up a “Leicester Museums & Galleries What's on” leaflet from the Leicester Tourist Information Office in Town Hall Square.

Sue Massey