Work starts on new Wrexham Museum and Football Museum for Wales

Work has begun on a major project to create the Museum of Two Halves: a new museum for Wrexham, alongside a football museum for Wales.

SWG Construction, based in Welshpool, will deliver the major project on Regent Street on behalf of Wrexham County Borough Council, with an opening date scheduled for 2026.

The works include the refurbishment, modernisation and extension of the existing listed building and external works. This includes the refurbishment of the galleries of Wrexham Museum and a comprehensive re-presentation of the Wrexham County Borough Council collection.

The new football museum will pay tribute to Welsh football, past and present, from grassroots to international level. It will also focus on Wrexham, the birthplace of Welsh football and an area that has made a significant contribution to the sport.

Financial support is provided by Wrexham City Council, the Welsh Government, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Wolfson Foundation, while the Museum of Two Halves project has received £1.3 million from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

Steve Gough, Managing Director of SWG Construction, said:

“This is a fantastic project to be involved in and we are delighted to be carrying out the work on behalf of Wrexham Borough Council. It includes the refurbishment and extension of the existing Grade II listed building, together with external works.

“The aim of the Museum of Two Halves project is to create a new football museum for Wales and a new museum for Wrexham, which will serve as a national visitor attraction, learning centre and community asset.

“We are already on site and work is underway. The museum will be closed to the public for the duration of the project and we are working towards an opening date in 2026.

“Wrexham Museum and the Museum of Two Halves will be impressive additions to the Wrexham landscape and will prove to be a major attraction for visitors from far and wide.”

Councillor Paul Roberts, Wrexham Council’s lead for partnerships, said:

“The Museum of Two Halves project has reached a new milestone in its journey to create a football museum for Wales and a new museum for Wrexham with the appointment of SWG as the contractor for the construction of the base. The company has relocated to its Regent Street site in Wrexham town centre and work has begun.

“Congratulations to the project team for their dedication and hard work which has enabled the museum’s development to reach this exciting new phase. It is wonderful to see the builders on site as we see this nationally significant project move from the drawing board to reality.”