Harris Your Place Project

Harris Your Place is one of the most ambitious cultural projects in the North of England with the aim of securing the future of the Harris and relevance for the next 100 years.

As part of the Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme, the refurbishment of the Grade I listed Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Library, sitting at the heart of the Harris Quarter, is one of the most ambitious cultural projects in the North of England with the aim of enhancing and protecting the building for generations to come.

Key improvements

The new Harris will provide:

New and upgraded spaces, facilities and services in an innovative cutting edge environment. The museum, library and art gallery collections and services will be blended to allow people to explore Preston's rich history from a number of different start points
A fresh layout to present its collections more effectively. For example, allowing collections to be engaged with not only in traditional galleries, but in other public spaces such as cafes and activity areas

Outcomes

Once complete, the project aims to increase visits (made up of residents and visitors) by 100,000 per year, to a total of 460,000. It is estimated that the Harris will increase its share of visitors from its 30-60 minute catchment from around 10% to 25%.

The projected increase in visitors to Preston from across the wider North West region will also increase opportunities for additional expenditure and linked trips.