AFTER years of waiting, the public can finally see Donald Campbell's Bluebird K7 as an exhibit in the Ruskin Museum in Coniston. 

On Tuesday, March 19 the museum opened public access to Bluebird for the first time. By noon more than three hundred people had entered the specially-built wing of the museum to see the boat, the museum said.

The record-breaking boat is surrounded by artefacts and visual aids which tells the story of Bluebird and its skipper. 

She arrived at the museum on Saturday, March 9 on the back of a lorry coming from North Shields, marking the first time in 23 years Bluebird has been in Coniston.

When Bluebird last left, she was a wreck having been at the bottom of the water for decades until she was recovered by engineer Bill Smith and his restoration team in March 2001. 

The Mail: The restored Bluebird K7 before it was loaded onto a lorry in North Shields The restored Bluebird K7 before it was loaded onto a lorry in North Shields (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA)

Donald Campbell died on January 4 1967 when his hydroplane flipped into the air and disintegrated having set a target of reaching 300mph on Coniston Water. From 2001 until this month, Bill Smith's Bluebird Project had been working on the craft, and had even taken her out for runs in Scotland. 

READ MORE: Donald Campbell’s record-breaking Bluebird will run again on Coniston Water

The boat was welcomed into Coniston by Donald's daughter Gina. 

David Barzilay, the communications director for the museum, said: "The response to the boat going on display this morning has been phenomenal with people from all over the UK turning up to be the first to see her.

"Having the boat in the wing which was specially built for her has changed the whole dynamic of the museum, it is now the jewel in the crown.

The Mail: Bluebird K7 is now at Ruskin museumBluebird K7 is now at Ruskin museum (Image: Newsquest)

"Now that the boat is back interest is growing and there is no doubt that visitors to the museum and Coniston will increase which will be a great boost for the local economy.”

He added: “Over the next year work will proceed on getting the boat back onto the water at Coniston but there is a great deal to be done before this can happen."