Eureka! is based on the North American model of children’s museums with a focus on play-based learning and providing inspirational informal learning experiences for young people.
Dame Vivien Duffield, Director of the Clore Duffield Foundation, was inspired to create the UK’s first children’s museum by visits to the USA. Dame Vivien remains Eureka!’s Life President.
The Museum for Children was formally constituted as a registered charity in 1985 and opened to the public in July 1992 at a cost of £7m, making it Britain’s first ‘national children’s museum’.
Why Halifax?
HRH The Prince of Wales was instrumental in Halifax being chosen as the location for Eureka!. He became aware of the site through his involvement with Business in the Community and recommended it, hoping that Eureka! would act as a catalyst for economic regeneration of the town.
Eureka!’s Charitable Status
Eureka! is an educational charity with the registered charity number 292758. It was granted charitable status to promote the education of children and to develop their imaginative play and social skills, thereby assisting in their personal development and preparation for school.
How Eureka! is Funded
Eureka! was established with grants, principally from The Clore Duffield Foundation. Additional support came from a number of sources both within the charitable and corporate sectors. Eureka! remains independent and currently receives no statutory funding from either the national government or its local authority. Funding for new developments is raised from a variety of partners in the charitable, corporate and statutory sectors.
About the Eureka! Site
Eureka! occupies part of a 13 acre site in the centre of Halifax between the eastern edge of the town centre and the impressive Beacon Hill to the east.
The site was formerly used as a railway marshalling yard and was derelict for much of the decade before 1990 when the leasehold was granted to The Museum for Children by Calderdale Council on a 125 year lease.
As well as the modern 4000sqm purpose-built museum facility, the site contains two large listed buildings. These are the Grade I Listed 1855 Station Building, converted into office space and the Eureka! Nursery, and the Grade II listed Great Northern Shed (c.4,000m²). There is a third unlisted building formerly used as the Working Horse Museum (c.900m²).
The site is adjacent to Halifax Station and has excellent walking links to the town centre amenities, including the Piece Hall, a unique 18th century building housing shops and cafes.
The 1855 Station Building, which is Halifax’s original station building, was regenerated with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Clore Duffield Foundation. This ‘masterly restoration’ won the National Railway Heritage Trust Award in 2002 and marked the start of Eureka!’s six year development plan.
