The Beacon

Who we are

The Beacon in Whitehaven is a purpose built museum that tells the history of the Copeland borough from fossils right through to the present day! Each of the four floors has many interactive exhibits and the story is told in an exciting and surprising way. Discover how the area has secured it’s own place in history with two objects that feature in the ‘BBC History of the World in Objects.’ On display is a wide ranging collection of fine and decorative art, important social history objects, archaeology, numismatics, geology, photographs and textiles in themed galleries. The Museum provides services for learners of all ages but has a comprehensive programme of cross-curricular activity sessions for Early Years children through to KS3 pupils. The workshops and resources mostly cover popular history topics within a local context. Topics covered include; WWII, Romans, Victorians, Victorian Wash Day, Toys: Forces and Motion, Harbour Trails, Pirates, The Seaside and Investigating History. The sessions are multisensory and take an enquiry-based approach to learning. Self-led school visits to the museum are free Wednesday to Friday and self-led numeracy and literacy trails are available for download from the website. There is a loan box service that contains collections of both original and replica items for classroom use that can compliment an activity session but also contain enough information and objects to be used independently of a visit. The learning team is willing to support formal education beyond secondary level, not only in terms of providing historical materials but they have also supported courses on tourism and creative media.