Plymouth Culture | National honour for The Box as years of hard work recognised
There are moments that make an entire city proud, and this is undoubtedly one of them.
A huge congratulations to everyone at The Box after Plymouth’s flagship museum, gallery and archive was named Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026 one of the most prestigious honours any museum can receive.
The award, announced at a ceremony aboard the Cutty Sark in London, recognises museums that are making an outstanding impact through their collections, exhibitions, community engagement and innovation.
For many in Plymouth, the recognition will come as no surprise.
Since opening its doors in September 2020 following a £48 million transformation, The Box has become far more than a museum. It has welcomed more than 1.3 million visitors, worked with almost every school in the city, hosted nationally acclaimed exhibitions and helped shine a spotlight on Plymouth’s remarkable history and heritage.
Behind every exhibition and every display is an enormous amount of unseen work.
At Plymouth Post we’ve been fortunate enough to photograph some of those moments over the years from the incredible Royal Naval figureheads carefully being moved into the building, to the arrival of the famous woolly mammoth, and staff painstakingly preparing galleries before visitors ever walked through the doors.
Those photographs tell the story of the dedication, expertise and passion that goes into creating a museum of this standard.
The judges praised The Box for its ambitious and welcoming approach, its commitment to making culture accessible to everyone and the way it has become deeply connected with the people of Plymouth.
It’s an achievement that belongs not only to the museum’s leadership, staff and volunteers, but to everyone who has supported The Box since it first opened.
Plymouth has always had an extraordinary story to tell. Thanks to The Box, that story is now being recognised on the national stage.
Congratulations once again to the entire team on a thoroughly deserved honour.
Photographs © Wayne Perry / Plymouth Post
