The museum was previously a pumping station used to pump sewage to the treatment works at Beaumont Leys, and was opened in 1891. The grand Victorian building, designed by Stockdale Harrison (city architect in 1890) and beautifully decorated beam engines were a cause of great civic pride. It continued pumping Leicester's sewage until 1964, and then underwent renovation. It opened as a museum in 1972. It is one of a number of historic pumping stations which have been preserved in the United Kingdom. File:Abbey Pumping station.JPG|Building viewed from Northeast File:Abbey Pumping Entrance.JPG|Abbey Pumping Station entrance File:Abbey Wheel 5309.JPG|Flywheel of one of the pumps