Sneak peek inside the 'exciting' attraction coming to Wirral

Building work has already begun at the new museum coming to Wirral.

Eureka! Science + Discovery is set to open its doors to the public in the autumn of 2022 and the ECHO has been given an exclusive sneak peek at some of the work going on inside.

Of course, the team behind the museum doesn't want to give too much away, but you can already make out what looks like an intricate circular observation platform overlooking the ground floor.

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The building at the Seacombe Ferry Terminal in Wallasey used to be Spaceport but it closed its doors for good at the end of 2019 following a report that said visitor numbers to Spaceport had dropped by thousands.

When it closed it sent out a statement which said: "It’s the end of an era as Spaceport closes its doors for the last time on December 31, 2019 making way for the new and exciting chapter with Eureka! Mersey.

"Spaceport, which is based at Mersey Ferries Seacombe terminal, has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors since it opened in 2005.

"Alongside its permanent galleries on the theme of space exploration, and interactive exhibits including a planetarium and rocket simulator, Spaceport also hosted popular exhibitions on Star Wars, Doctor Who and Wallace and Gromit.

"But now the iconic terminal building which housed Spaceport has a bright new future awaiting it as the home of Eureka! Mersey – an exciting new science and discovery centre for young people and families."

Shortly after closing, it was announced Eureka! would take over the site for the new project estimated to cost £11.75m.

Leigh-Anne Stradeski, chief executive of Eureka! previously told the ECHO "It is going to be a fantastic experience and it won't be a traditional science and discovery museum.

"We are building on a lot of what we have been doing at Eureka! in Halifax - so it is all going to be very hands on and interactive.

"There will be three main areas looking at key issues of concern, such as sustainability.

"And we want to encourage children to explore their creativity."

Last month, Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram visited the early stages of the project after Eureka! took over construction work from Merseytravel.

He said: "It was great to be invited to take a look at how Eureka! Science + Discovery is progressing so far.

"We’ve invested £6.4m to help deliver what I think is another outstanding attraction. What was tired and underused will be replaced by a fresh, interesting and interactive new offering.

"This is just a part of our wider plans revitalise Birkenhead and, in particular, the Left Bank area."

The Metro Mayor’s tour was hosted by Leigh-Anne Stradeski, who has led the Liverpool City Region project since its inception in 2014.

Leigh-Anne said: "It was a pleasure to show the Mayor the progress that is being made and to further explain how we see our vision coming together in a way that will support the growth of the Liverpool City Region and the transformation of Wirral.

"A focus on environmental issues and sustainability is a theme which runs throughout the Eureka! Science + Discovery experience and is a top priority for the Mayor and the city region.

"With COP26, this was a great time to highlight how our approach to engaging children and young people in these key issues will support this wider vision of innovation and leadership in securing a sustainable future.

"The Mayor’s support, along with the support of all of our funding partners and stakeholders, has reinforced our decision that the Liverpool City Region was the right location for our second visitor attraction, and we are looking forward to sharing more details in the coming months."

Mayor Rotheram added: "As someone who is passionate about skills and technical subjects, I’m delighted to see that Eureka! Science + Discovery will be putting a special emphasis on STEAM subjects.

"Who knows how many engineers and scientists of the future might be inspired by their visits to Eureka! Science + Discovery?"

The project has been made possible through a series of investments from a number of partners, including a £6.4m grant from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Strategic Investment Fund.

Works on-site began in June 2021 with Bolton-based construction specialists, Seddon, contracted for the initial base build phase of the project.

So far, this has included the construction and enabling works, which involves the restoration of some of the features of the building to create a science theatre for school workshops.

Seddon has also worked in close partnership with K2, Liverpool-based architects. Vikki Thomas, relationships manager at Seddon, said: "We’re delighted to be involved in such a fantastic project – Seddon’s first in the Liverpool City Region.

"We’ll be on site until Spring 2022 ensuring that the building is prepped and ready from a structural perspective.

"Since works beginning earlier this year, we’ve already seen a glimpse of the incredible transformation the building will undergo to become one of the North West’s leading visitor attractions.

"We were pleased to be part of the Mayor’s visit to the site and to show him the progress we’ve made so far in bringing the building up to a standard in which the Eureka! team can bring their vision to life."

The new attraction, which has been co-created in partnership with more than 120 young people from the Liverpool City Region, is hoping to help bridge the STEM skills gap, encouraging young people to engage more with key subjects through a range of unique exhibits and interactive experiences.

Eureka! Science + Discovery has been developed in partnership with a number of key stakeholders across the Liverpool City Region, including founding partner Ørsted, alongside Unilever, STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Arup, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Liverpool John Moores University.

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