A POPULAR museum is reopening this week with brand new tales of shipwrecks and ruins to excite visitors.

Windermere Jetty Museum reopens on May 28, with a new season of family-friendly activities and a brand-new interactive experience.

WRECKED! reveals a fascinating insight into the perils of Windermere’s long-lost ships, exploring the human impact on the lake and surrounding landscape and embraces a spirit of adventure with a family trail covering all corners of the museum.

The experience delves into the story of The Mournful Marriage, a tragic ferry accident that took place on Windermere, and visitors will be able to explore an immersive installation reflecting layers of icy waters of the lake.

From early accidents of the first steamboats, to boats pulled from the depths of Windermere, WRECKED! will share new stories of the region’s boat collection and the evolution of boatbuilding over time.

Visitors will also get to see Steam Launch Dolly, the world’s earliest mechanically powered boat which succumbed to the icy pull of Ullswater in 1895 and take a trip on the newly conserved Motor Vessel Penelope II built in 1930.

The WRECKED! experience has been created in collaboration with immersive theatre company The Knotted Project and designers field.studio.

Rhian Harris, chief executive said: “We are thrilled to reopen Windermere Jetty Museum with a brand-new family experience.

“As restrictions ease, we are confident visitors will want to appreciate the wonderful local landscape and to also support cultural attractions who have been so badly affected by the pandemic.

“WRECKED! will elevate our internationally important collection in new ways and will provide a unique Covid-safe experience to all who visit.

“We can’t wait to welcome visitors over the coming months and create a path to working with local communities to protect our wonderful region.”

Sophie Terrett, collections curator said: “The WRECKED! experience will explore for the very first time the unusual stories of the wrecks of Windermere, and we can’t wait for visitors to enjoy delving into these hidden histories.

“Many of the boats in the museum collection spent part of their lives underwater.

“For some, it was only a few weeks before they were brought back to the surface, but others were lost beneath the waves for decades. WRECKED! will tell the amazing true tales of these internationally important boats.”

Tickets to Windermere Jetty Museum are now available to pre-book online. The museum is open daily from May 28, 10am-5pm.