SWINDON Museum and Art Gallery is to than double its opening hours.

The gallery’s new opening times begin on Tuesday, April 4, and see the museum open for 35 hours a week - more than double the current 16 hours. It will be open from Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10am-5pm, with a late-night Thursday opening once a month.

The museum is hosting a celebration weekend on Saturday, April 1, and Sunday, April 2. Working with Creative Museums, it will be open from 10am until 5pm on both days offering creative and fun activities for all the family.

A museum spokesman said: “The additional opening hours will prepare the venue to not only support the delivery of a new museum and art gallery, but, more importantly, enable the people of Swindon and further afield to access the wonderful collections. Since holding an exhibition in the heart of Mayfair at the Osborne Samuel Gallery earlier this year, interest in the art and museum collections has thrived amongst local visitors as well as those coming from further away.

In order to meet this increasing demand, and working with the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery Trust who are leading on the project for a new museum and art gallery, these additional hours will help raise the profile of one of the best collections of British Modern Art and make the collection much more accessible.

“The additional opening hours will be funded through the museum and art gallery’s existing budgets, while the Friends of SM&AG will be providing volunteers to help with additional staffing,” he said.

Admission to Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, Bath Road, Old Town, Swindon SN1 4BA, is free.