ANDREW HITCHON call in to the most-visited museum outside London - the National Museum of Photography, Film, and Television in Bradford

It's appropriate that an institution devoted to the creation of images should want to upgrade its own every once in a while.

In fact, the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (NMPFT) has taken things further than that, with nothing less than a £16 million revamp over 18 months.

The most popular museum outside London, with 750,000 visitors a year, it now features new and enhanced galleries, with strong interactive and "hands-on" elements.

Having always been a fan of the NMPFT, I was curious to see how the facelift had gone. I rang before I went and was told that although it had not officially re-opened, people could turn up and look around.

So I did - but a number of key elements were not completed by the time of my visit some weeks ago, so there is likely to be even more to see when you go.

On the lower floor, visitors can trace the history of photography, learning that police "mug shots" of prisoners became compulsory as long ago as 1871, an ironic twist given the presence of Hugh Grant's famous picture courtesy of LAPD in the news section of the museum.

Moving on, there is Wired Worlds, a new section devoted to computer-generated imagery, Virtual Reality and the like, with many interactive displays.

Look out for one called Another Time, Another Place, comprising eight screens of "enhanced" views of visitors. The effect is bizarre and hilarious.

Nearby there is another new section devoted to animation, from Ray Harryhausen to Wallace and Gromit. On the next floor, there are sections devoted to news, television, and the Magic Factory, showing how light can create fantasy effects.

In contrast to the interactive displays, there is the special exhibitions gallery, currently showing an alternative history of photography using pictures from the museum's collection.

Then there is a new section on advertising, while TV Heaven, where you can choose and view a piece of "classic" television from yesteryear, remains in place.

The new-style IMAX cinema is an even more startling experience than before, with 3-D technology to add to the existing giant screen and all-round sound.

Don't ignore those strange looking dark glasses the staff hand out - without them you are likely to see more than you bargained for.

I tried viewing without them (briefly), and got double vision for my pains. With the glasses on the effect is remarkable - I just wish the average IMAX film's script quality matched it.

I saw T Rex - Back to the Cretaceous, a reference to dinosaurs rather than 1970s rockers.

I managed to drag my eyes from the screen long enough to see younger viewers reaching out to try to "touch" the images on screen - it really feels that close - though not while the monstrous main character was present.

Those with children may wish to leave the IMAX experience to later in the tour, because it will quell any restiveness and it's quite a hard act to follow. But queues for the cinema may dictate when it's best to go.

Fact File

Open: Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays, 10am to 6pm.

Admission: free to the museum, entry to the IMAX Cinema £5.80 for adults, £4 for concessions, under-15s and students, and there is also a cinema saver ticket for one adult and two children for £11.

To get there: The museum is within easy reach of Bradford Interchange railway and bus station. By car:Take the A64 to the Leeds outer ring road, then follow that to the A647 to Bradford city centre, museum is signposted.

More information: 01274-202030.

PICTURE: The National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, Bradford