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The Laurel & Hardy Museum
Laurel & Hardy (The Flying Deuces / Wikipedia.org)
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The Laurel & Hardy Museum is a charming and quirky attraction in the centre of Ulverston. Stan Laurel, one half of the famous comedy film duo, Laurel & Hardy, was born in Ulverston in 1890 in a house not far from where the museum now lies.
The town also boasts of a bronze statue of the comedy duo that was unveiled in 2009. Packed with memorabilia and facts about the comedians, the museum is a delightful and entertaining way of passing a couple of hours.
Planning Your Visit
History
The museum was founded by Bill Cubin, a former mayor of Ulverston. From an early age, Cubin was fascinated by the duo, collecting photographs and other memorabilia whenever he could. Cubin carried out a lot of research into Stan Laurel and he discovered that Laurel was born in his grandparents’ house in Ulverston and not in North Shields as was previously believed.
Cubin found evidence in the form of a birth certificate that he added to his ever growing collection. As word spread about his collection Cubin received more and more requests for viewings, and so in 1983 he opened the Laurel & Hardy Museum. Over the years, more and more items were added and, in 2009, the museum moved to within the town’s former cinema, the Roxy.
Things to See
The Laurel & Hardy Statue in Ulverston Outside of Coronation Hall (Hilton Teper / Wikipedia.org)
The old cinema screen of the Roxy remains in situ and the museum screens Laurel & Hardy films throughout the day. There is no extra charge for the screenings.
The museum is brimming with photographs and artefacts relating to the duo, including personal items of furniture and letters written by the two. Visitors can even see the bed that Stan was (allegedly) born on, as well as a collection of costumes from some of the duo’s performances. There are information boards around the museum giving a detailed history of the pair’s work.
Useful Information
The museum has a small gift shop selling a range of Laurel & Hardy memorabilia. There is no café, but hot and cold drinks, popcorn, and muffins are available to purchase to eat in the cinema during film screenings.