THE Salisbury Museum welcomed its first visitors after 20 weeks of lockdown.

The director Adrian Green was there to greet Katie Hill and Vince Martinez from London who were at the front of the queue at The King’s House in the Cathedral Close on Saturday morning (August 1).

Katie and Vince had decided they wanted a ‘cultural weekend’ and chose Salisbury as their destination.

“Looking around the museum was great as we got the historical background to all the other places we are visiting in the city,” said Katie. “It was fascinating and we really enjoyed it.”

Adrian Green said: “It’s fantastic to be re-opening – as a museum, we exist to welcome people through our doors to experience and enjoy the museum’s collection of extraordinary and fascinating objects, which themselves tell the story of Salisbury and its surrounding areas for over half a million years.”

During lockdown, the museum has also created a special exhibition focussing on Salisbury’s past, with many items that people will not have seen before – from paintings to shop signs and photographs and even a taxidermy display.

Throughout August the museum’s opening hours will be Thursday to Sunday 11am to 4pm and, for a limited period, museum admission fees have been abolished, with visitors being asked to give a donation instead.