Launceston's Old Umbrella Shop will be the first National Trust site in Tasmania to reopen on Monday.
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The shop was closed for about three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic but will reopen back to its normal hours from June 22.
During its closure it underwent refurbishments, which included adding a museum to the shop to showcase old artefacts and umbrellas for visitors to take a look at.
National Trust Tasmania's managing director Matthew Smithies said the shop trialled a museum at the end of 2019 for three months, but this one would be permanent.
"It will be a new exhibition," he said.
"When we had the trial, visitors loved it. They were absolutely fascinated by not only the design of umbrellas but the fact there are sun umbrellas and wet weather umbrellas.
"There's kind of a social commentary that goes with the umbrellas."
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Mr Smithies said there would be stories attached to the umbrellas and displays to help with the social commentary of what they are made of and would have been used for.
During the closure a roof inside the space, which will be used for the museum at the back of the shop, collapsed.
"What we've done is we're not going to replace the plaster and we're just leaving the lards up there so that people can actually see how those plaster ceilings get made," Mr Smithies said.
"It will be part of the interpretation of the space."
The store provides a glimpse into retail in the early 1900s and is also getting closer to its goal of only stocking Tasmanian made products.
The reopening will be welcomed news to the 92 volunteers who work at the store, Mr Smithies said.
He said the trust management had missed the volunteers and was in awe of their work during the pandemic closure, including knitting a range of teapot cosies.
"They've been itching to get back," he said.
"During hibernation they were like, 'what can we do?' and I went 'oh knit us some teapot cosies'.
"So they've been at home hand knitting product... so we can sell them at the shop."
Other National Trust sites across the state will be opening in stages to cope with the easing restrictions.
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Isobel Cootes
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
