A POPULAR North West attraction where visitors encounter rainforests, pirates and are taken on a fascinating rum-fuelled journey around the world is set to reopen.
The Rum Story - The Dark Spirit of Whitehaven, will welcome guests through its doors from June 24 onwards, following a period of enforced closure due to Covid-19.
The immersive attraction charts the history of rum in Whitehaven through the story of the famous Jefferson family, taking an unfiltered look at the trade and everything associated with it.
With a new manager in place, and the finishing touches being put to a number of new features, demand is expected to be high when the doors open once more.
Louise McKenna, manager of The Rum Story, said: “We missed the opportunity to celebrate our 20th year due to the coronavirus pandemic and have been closed for much of the last 15 months.
“We’ve taken the opportunity during that time to review all elements of the exhibition and ensure they are still as relevant and engaging as they were when the doors opened for the first time at the turn of the millennium.
“We’ve got some very exciting developments that we hope to be able to announce in the coming weeks ahead of the official reopening.
“We’re very much looking forward to welcoming visitors through the doors and with so many people planning staycations, we expect we will be busy.”
Visitors enter The Rum Story through glass doors to find themselves in a covered courtyard which houses a towering clock that springs to life in spectacular fashion every 30 minutes.
A dramatic Caribbean rainforest then awaits Rum Story adventurers as they start a journey that graphically depicts the story of rum, bringing to life the slave trade, American prohibition, rum in the Royal Navy, rum in history, the process of rum making and more.
Copeland MP, Trudy Harrison will officially reopen the attraction as a special event on June 24, government guidelines permitting.
She said: “So many art venues and attractions have been through the most challenging of periods over the last 15 months, so I am delighted that we are now seeing more and more venues reopen, as the government’s roadmap out of lockdown continues.
“The Rum Story is an excellent asset to Whitehaven. It gives a fascinating and unfettered insight into the UK rum trade, charting the meteoric rise of the port and Jefferson empire, but highlighting the human sacrifice and horrors of slavery which were tragic by-products.
”It is an excellent exhibition, and I would urge residents of Cumbria to make the journey to this unique and very interesting attraction.”
