Night-time opening for Gretna Green blacksmiths

Gretna Green’s famous blacksmiths shop museum will take part in two of the UK’s biggest museum events later this month.

It will participate in the nationwide Museums at Night programme and Scotland’s annual Festival of Museums programme of cultural events.
Museums at Night is the UK’s after-hours festival of arts, culture and heritage. Now in its 10th year, the festival will take place over 16–19 May.

Plus, this year promises to be Scotland’s most fun-filled Festival of Museums to date running from 18–20 May. The Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop Museum is hosting a very special event to celebrate: The Path to True Love – The Gretna Green Story.

The museum is a key part of the Gretna Green Ltd family and will be opening its doors on Friday 18 May from 6.30-9pm to allow visitors to uncover the history, romance and intrigue of the UK’s most famous wedding venue.

For £5, visitors will enjoy a guided tour of the museum and learn about some of the famous people who snubbed convention by marrying within its walls. Visitors will also get the chance to examine letters, telegrams and even some marriage certificates of those from all walks of life who, over the years, defied relatives and friends to follow their hearts to Gretna Green.

There are letters from lonely singletons looking for a partner and telegraphs from frantic parents desperate to stop a wayward daughter.

The museum is also home to the world’s oldest marriage anvil and visitors will be delighted by a re-enactment of a traditional anvil wedding ceremony. All of this will be followed by a traditional Blacksmiths supper served in the attraction’s courtyard conservatory.

The Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop Museum

Nick Stockman, campaigns manager for Museums at Night, said: ‘2018 marks the tenth edition of the Museums at Night festival. To mark a decade of Lates we’ve recently published the first ever research reports into after-hours museum events.

‘We believe the next 10 years will see Lates become even more popular with the museum-visiting public, and that Museums at Night will continue to be at the leading age of innovation and growth.’

Sarah Burry-Hayes, marketing manager at Museums Galleries Scotland, added: “The Festival of Museums programme is bursting with fun events to spark the imagination and celebrate culture in Scotland. Visitors to fantastic venues such as The Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop Museum will experience museums in interactive, unexpected and hands-on ways.”

The Path to True Love – The Gretna Green Story, is just one of many exciting events taking place as part of these two annual museum programmes that promise to celebrate culture and heritage in a unique and inspiring way.

Museums at Night takes place from Wednesday 16 to Saturday 19 May 2018 and the fun is repeated every Halloween.

Twice a year, not-for-profit cultural publisher Culture24 invites all UK museums, galleries, libraries and heritage sites to throw open their doors after hours to showcase their treasures in unexpected ways.

Museums at Night is an opportunity for museums and galleries to come together around a single, simple campaign that is attractive to venues, audiences and the media. It’s a social experience, where visitors can get involved, delve deeper into fascinating subjects and perhaps enjoy a cocktail or two with friends.

The festival has grown rapidly since Culture24 took it over in 2009, with over 500 participating venues, 700 events and 100,000 visitors each year. Click HERE for more details.