Captain Cook Birthplace Museum reopens after revamp

The museum is housed close to the site of Cook's birthplace cottage

A museum celebrating the life and work of Captain Cook has reopened on Teesside following a major makeover.

The £500,000 project at the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum at Stewart Park in Middlesbrough was funded by an Arts Council grant.

Galleries have been revamped and a new exhibition set up.

This features artwork and natural history specimens from Cook's voyages, some on loan from attractions including the Natural History Museum.

Artists who sailed with Captain Cook recorded the plants and wildlife they encountered

Entitled "Gotta Catch 'Em All", it features the 18th Century natural scientists and artists who sailed with Cook, and their collection of natural history specimens, which had never been seen before in Europe.

There is also a new "Cabinet of Curiosities" which houses books, objects and ephemera all linked to the explorer.

Senior curator Phil Philo said he was sure renovations were going to be a hit with visitors

A resources room holds items ranging from original 18th century engravings to books published this year.

Many of the specimens Cook's crew returned with had never before been seen in Europe

Senior curator Phil Philo said: "It's all perfectly timed as the museum prepares for next year's celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the start of Captain Cook's First Voyage aboard Endeavour to the Pacific Ocean, and his exploration of the Society Islands, New Zealand and the East coast of Australia."