Shared celebrations as Parr Hall and Warrington Museum both mark milestone anniversaries this month

Two of Warrington’s most iconic buildings are both celebrating milestone anniversaries this month.

Parr Hall is set to mark its 130th birthday after formally opening on 24 September, 1895, while for Warrington Museum and Art Gallery it will be 170 years since the foundation stone was laid for the current building on 20 September.

The only surviving professional concert and lecture hall in the town, the Grade II-listed Parr Hall was designed by Warrington architect William Owen and was presented to Warrington by J. Charlton Parr, who was a member of a wealthy banking family.

To celebrate, a high profile opening concert was held by Warrington Musical Society on September 26, 1895, with a number of special guests including contralto singer Clara Butt.

Clara was only 23 when she performed in Warrington but she went on to have a distinguished career and was famous in the early 20th century – performing 110 times at the Royal Albert Hall over the years.

By 1907, the concert hall was attracting international singers such as Ada Jemima Crossley, an Australian contralto, who performed five times for Queen Victoria during her career.

More than a century on, Parr Hall still attracts renowned performers and household names from the UK and all over the world.

Artists in recent years have included Arctic Monkeys, Stereophonics, The Script, Peter Kay, Russell Crowe’s Indoor Garden Party and John Bishop.

Three particular performances of note were when Rolling Stones graced the stage on 25 November, 1963, when Stone Roses held their first legendary reunion show in Warrington on 21 May, 2012, and when huge acts joined forces at Parr Hall to pay tribute to Viola Beach on 2 April, 2016.

Courteeners and Blossoms were among those at the special one-off gig after the band members and their manager died in tragic circumstances in Sweden.

Meanwhile, the foundation stone of Warrington Museum was laid by William Beamont, the first Mayor of Warrington, on 20 September, 1855 – launching the construction of the current building, which opened two years later.

William Beamont had argued that the new Warrington Corporation should take over the existing Warrington Natural History Society Museum in 1848 and turn it into a museum of science and art.

His vision for Warrington Museum – one of the oldest museums in the country – was for its halls to be filled with ‘wonders of nature’ and ‘objects of curiosity’ that everyone could enjoy and learn from.

The ceremony included a huge procession accompanied by the Borough Band, the Mayor, the Museum Committee and representatives of local churches and schools as people filled the streets and waved flags from their windows.

An excited crowd of more than 2,000 well-wishers were there to watch, the event was photographed by Warrington’s future mayor Samuel Mather Webster while the Warrington Guardian reported on the historic occasion saying the people of the town should ‘feel that the Museum is theirs’.

Much of the quintessential character of the building has been preserved and its original glass cabinets are crammed with more than 170,000 exhibits and curiosities from all over the world.

The permanent galleries feature a wealth of material from the natural world and also local pieces from Warrington’s history, while the art gallery showcases the work of local, national and internationally renowned artists such as Banksy, Polly Morgan and Sam Taylor-Wood.

More recently, ‘Old Billy’ – the longest living horse on record –  was reunited with his hometown of Warrington when his taxidermied head was put on proud display at the Museum last year.

Old Billy's head has been held by The Higgins Bedford museum for many years but has temporarily been moved to Warrington following a successful community campaign which highlighted its significance to the local area.

Other exhibitions over the past couple of years have also been among the Museum's most popular.

The Andie Airfix Exhibition – a retrospective celebrating the work of a graphic artist who collaborated with the likes of Paul McCartney, Metallica and Def Leppard – saw record numbers in 2024.

In the same year, Warrington Museum went ‘viral’ when BBC broadcaster Mark Radcliffe described The Worst Record Covers in the World show as ‘unmissable’.

The Museum is also home to one of the biggest open exhibitions in the north west, which attracted nearly 900 submissions in 2024, and it is currently re-examining and addressing the colonial histories behind parts of its collection for a project called A Cabinet of (Whose?) Curiosities.

Claire Lloyd Fitzgerald, Chair of Culture Warrington, said: “This September, we celebrate two of Warrington’s most iconic cultural landmarks reaching remarkable milestones. 

“Parr Hall turns 130 having welcomed legendary performers from Clara Butt and the Rolling Stones to Arctic Monkeys and Peter Kay. 

“Meanwhile, Warrington Museum and Art Gallery marks 170 years since its foundation stone was laid – realising William Beamont’s vision of a museum filled with wonders for all. 

“These buildings are not just bricks and mortar. They are living spaces of creativity, learning and community. 

“Their stories reflect Warrington’s proud heritage and its vibrant cultural future, and we’re honoured to continue building on that legacy.”