The project was part of a major restoration of the historic Grade II listed Town Hall and redevelopment of the public realm around it, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, European Regional Development Fund and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council.
The Making History gallery focuses on the ways that history is made and recorded and provides visitors with some of the tools to aid their own history discovery journey. Activity zones enable visitors to work with historical evidence to explore the built environment, objects, oral tradition, film, maps and archaeology as means of finding out about the past. Hands on and tactile exhibits enrich the experience for everyone and visitors are encouraged to develop their interests and explore their history further in the Archive Discovery Centre.