Craigavon Museum Services is based at the Heritage Building , Pinebank. This building contains a modern storage facility housing the Museum's collection. The collection records the social history of the people from what is now the Craigavon area and is based on specimens collected by the former Portadown Museum , to more recent acquisitions which chart the growth and development of Craigavon as a ' New City '.

The Barn Museum

A permanent exhibition is displayed at the Barn Museum , a beautifully restored stone outbuilding at Fairview House, Tannaghmore Gardens , Lurgan. This exhibition illustrates the bygone days of farming in County Armagh through the themes of haymaking, dairy farming, poultry farming, beekeeping, rose growing, the work of the blacksmith and domestic chores.

The Barn Museum is open April to September, Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm to 5pm and October to March on Sundays, again from 2pm to 5pm.

Groups are by arrangement only by contacting the Education Officer on 028 3834 1635.

Moneypenny's Lock

The stables and bothy at Moneypenny's Lock on the Newry Canal have been sympathetically restored. They now contain a number of small exhibitions, which illustrate the frugal life of the lightermen including life on the canal, from the barges which used it, to the flora and fauna that live in the surrounding area. The exhibition areas are open April to September, Saturday and Sundays from 2pm to 5pm. Groups once again are by arrangement. Telephone 028 3834 1635.

Other Services

Craigavon Museum Services also stage temporary exhibitions in local libraries and schools as part of its outreach programme. There are two annual exhibitions for the Master McGrath festival in Lurgan and the Country Comes to Town event in Portadown.

These have been recently supplemented by a wide ranging education and events programme. The 'Box of Curiosities' brings the Museum right into the classroom. The concept itself is based on an 18 th century idea where young gentlemen on their travels would bring with them a wooden box on wheels containing family heirlooms and interesting objects for the entertainment of the their host families. Our box has been specifically designed and contains objects from the Museum's collection which have proved to be highly popular with schools and community groups alike.

The Philip B Wilson Library within the Museum Services building, houses an extensive library of almost 2,500 volumes, many rare and of great importance. Subjects include local history, church history, agriculture, transportation, and the development of Craigavon to name just a few. The library also includes a 700 volume collection of the Ulster Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. This Collection, dating from the mid 1600's to the mid 1900's, is of great value to anyone wishing to research the history of the Quakers both locally and further afield.