Travel Through Time – Immersive Digital Experience
National Coal Mining Museum for England (NCMME), based in Wakefield, will be launching an exciting new experience in January 2025.
Using the latest technology, it will allow people to travel through time, meet characters from across the ages, and discover the history of mining.
Made possible through the generosity of a Rural England Prosperity Fund grant from West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the museum is transforming a major historic surface tunnel into a spectacular new immersive experience.
The Lister Kaye Tunnel was first constructed in the 1850s, at the direction of Lady Matilda Lister Kaye, to allow coal to be transported to the nearby canal and railway without paying tolls on the road above.
From early 2025, visitors of all ages will be led through the tunnel by expert mine guides, bringing the incredible experience to life through their first-hand accounts of working in England’s coalfields. Along the way they will meet fascinating characters as they are taken through almost 200 years of coal mining history thanks to state-of-the-art technology. People will meet friendly digital characters, and their experience will culminate with an unforgettable special effects finale. The museum will be revealing more details in the New Year.
This exciting new accessible experience will open to visitors for the first time in January 2025. It will provide an exciting alternative to the museum’s famous Underground Tour which will close temporarily January 2025 until March 2025 while a new electric winder is installed. This incredible new experience that will amaze and astound visitors has been created with immersive experience experts XPLOR, based locally to the museum in South Kirkby at the Production Park campus. As the world’s first research and innovation centre dedicated to entertainment technology and production, the partnership between XPLOR and NCMME marks an exciting inaugural milestone for the Museum as they develop a major ten-year masterplan for the site.
Lynn Dunning, CEO of National Coal Mining Museum for England, said:
“We are thrilled to be creating an exciting new experience for our visitors, adding to an already amazing day out here at the museum. Using cutting edge technology, we are bringing to life our historic Lister Kaye Tunnel and sharing the precious stories of coal mining in a whole new way. Using film, lights, sound, special effects and historic objects it will really give the sense of time travel as visitors are transported back in time to experience the fascinating technology and processes associated with mining. We are delighted to be working with XPLOR, a major West Yorkshire company to make this vision and reality– marking a huge step forward for the future.”
Phil Adlam – CTO Production Park and Head of XPLOR said:
“As we are based in an ex- coal mining area its especially satisfying that the XPLOR team are working with the National Coal Mining Museum on this immersive technology project. We are now home to Europe’s largest event production and research centre, so we are focused on creating new investment, good jobs and opportunities in an area that used to rely on coal mining for employment whilst not forgetting our local heritage.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:
“I’m thrilled that businesses in our rural communities are continuing to benefit from this investment.
“The transformation of this iconic West Yorkshire attraction will bring in more visitors, create more jobs, and drive more growth in our local economy.
“Investing in projects like this will help us build a stronger, brighter West Yorkshire that works for all.”
The transformation of the historic Lister Kaye Tunnel, delivered by the National Coal Mining Museum and XPLOR, has received £100,000 from the UK Government through the Rural England Prosperity Fund, part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). In West Yorkshire the West Yorkshire Combined Authority leads the implementation of the Funds as part of the Mayor’s ambition to make West Yorkshire the best place to work, learn and live.
The £2.5 million Rural England Prosperity Fund, now closed to applications, supports small businesses, social enterprises and charities (with a trading arm) based in eligible rural areas of West Yorkshire to make investments that will facilitate growth, create and/or safeguard employment or positively impact the tourism/visitor economy.