Blackpool's Showtown museum up for two awards

A family attraction in Blackpool has been shortlisted for two prestigious awards – one of them an international accolade.

Showtown, the town's only museum, has already won Permanent Exhibition of the Year at the Museums and Heritage Awards.

The £13m centre is now up for the Children in Museums Award 2025 - the only UK museum shortlisted - as well as the Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award 2025 - judged by families.

Over the summer, undercover family judges will visit and decide the overall winner.

The museum - which celebrates the Lancashire seaside town's entertainment history - opened in March 2024, the Local Democracy Reporting Service wrote.

Chairman Spencer Phillips said: "To be recognised not just nationally but internationally is beyond anything we imagined.

"Showtown was created as a joyful, welcoming space for families and communities to come together, learn and celebrate their stories.

"This recognition is a powerful reminder that culture should be accessible to everyone – no matter where you're from."

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