Mars at the Museum
Published: 21/03/2025
‘Mars’, Luke Jerram’s mesmerising art installation, moved into a new orbit at Norton Priory Museum and Gardens in Runcorn for a six week visit from Tuesday 28 January to Sunday 9 March – its first ever appearance in Merseyside and Cheshire.
Following the success of ‘Museum of the Moon’ in October 2021 and ‘Gaia’ Earth in January 2024, ‘Mars’ is the latest of the UK artist’s spectacular planetary installations to be displayed in Norton Priory’s impressive visitor centre atrium.
Measuring six metres in diameter, ‘Mars’ is a touring artwork featuring detailed NASA imagery of the Martian surface. Visitors were able to view the installation from a variety of different angles, including an intimate viewing experience looking down on the Red Planet from the centre’s mezzanine balcony.
Against the stunning planetary backdrop, more than 30 different ‘out-of-this-world’ events offered a wide range of fantastic experiences for both adults and children. The famous TV Clanger puppets rocketed in for special adventures in their own Space Garden and youngsters could enjoy dozens of exciting intergalactic craft sessions, Space Rover Lego building, storytelling, games, activities and music at weekends and over February half term.
Liverpool String Quartet, Liverpool Brass Quintet and Cheshire’s Constabulary Band delighted concert audiences with magical musical journeys into outer space and Liverpool Astronomical Society hosted a special public Astronomy Day on Saturday 15 February.
Space-inspired comedy shows, storytelling, myths and legends, and talks on the Solar System and the Space Rover’s search for life on Mars took audience minds ‘to infinity and beyond’, while more spiritual experiences on offer included meditation, yoga and healing gong baths.
Rob Sanderson-Thomas, Norton Priory chief executive said: “We are ready to blast off for a fantastic six-week festival of wonderful space-themed events in the shadow of the stunning Red Planet. It promises to give us a spectacular start to the new 2025 season – there really is something for everyone to enjoy.”
