Cook museum reopens but benefactor still a mystery
Middlesbrough CouncilA museum dedicated to 18th Century British explorer Captain James Cook has reopened for the season, but the benefactor helping fund it remains a mystery.
The Captain Cook Birthplace Museum in Middlesbrough started welcoming visitors on Saturday and will remain open six days per week until the winter.
Late last year, Middlesbrough Council approved plans to keep the museum running until 2027 as long as an unnamed supporter could provide the venue with £150,000 a year.
The local authority said it was not naming the benefactor while discussions were continuing, but added an announcement would be "made in due course".
Proposals to shut the museum for good in early 2024 were met with a public backlash as more than 3,500 people signed a petition calling on the council to drop its plan.
The museum in Stewart Park, close to the granite urn which marks the site of Cook's birthplace cottage, has about 5,500 visitors annually.
Captain Cook's legacy has been viewed less favourably in recent years due to his treatment of the people he encountered during his voyages to the Pacific.