The Beacon

The Beacon is a landmark building next to the harbour in Whitehaven with an award winning permanent exhibition space with several easy access floors to discover, plus a restaurant, and a gift shop. The Beacon was purpose built with access in mind, so their exhibitions are user friendly for all ages and abilities, and all 5 floors are accessible to wheelchair users.

The first floor contains the reception, and the Harbour Gallery, a temporary exhibition space that displays up to 6 different and amazing history or art exhibitions each year. The gift shop can also be found on this floor. Visit the second floor for the ‘Sellafield Story', where you can discover the story of how West Cumbria supported the war effort, and how afterwards, new technology was pioneered there to give the UK a nuclear deterrent. This exciting interactive exhibition shows how the early weapons programme grew into an nuclear industry that has supported the local economy for the past 60 years.

On the third floor, you can explore the fascinating history of the area through some more great interactive exhibitions. Unearth Roman artefacts, find out how a clock works, jump aboard the interactive ship, find your way around the Trading Triangle, and experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the Warehouse! Floor 4 offers fantastic views of the area, with powerful telescopes to use, plus displays of objects found around the town. You can also see the POP gallery up on the Mezzanine levels, where you can take a trip into the not too distant past and explore the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. Ride a chopper bike, play with toys, and present the Weather Forecast!

The Beacon also has an interesting programme of events and activities throughout the year.