Things to Do in Durham
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You are here > Home > Things to Do > Attractions > Museums & Galleries
You'll find a range of museums and galleries across the county. From Durham University's Oriental Museum to Beamish - England's largest open air museum and the surprising sight of The Bowes Museum in the Durham Dales - housing internationally significant fine arts.
See more below.
Number of results: 38
, currently showing 1 to 20.
Public Art
Seaham
Tommy is a statue of a Great War soldier by artist Ray Lonsdale. Displayed close to Seaham war memorial, on Terrace Green by the seafront in Seaham, County Durham. It depicts a First World War soldier, wearing boots, puttees, greatcoat and tin hat,…
Heritage / Visitor Centre
Seaham
The East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre displays the historic lifeboat The George Elmy and gives and insight into the rich heritage of the area.
Heritage / Visitor Centre
Newbiggin
Situated amidst stunning woodland, near to Low and High Force waterfalls and surrounded by rolling fields that boast some of the best hay meadows in England, Bowlees Visitor Centre has all you need to make your visit to the North Pennines National…
Public Art
Peterlee
An iconic example of 1960s public art and designed by Edwin John Victor Pasmore (d. 1998) during his time as consultant Director of urban design for Peterlee Development Corporation. It was opened in 1969, the same year as the first manned mission…
Gallery
Seaham
The EDAN Gallery is the only dedicated art gallery in East Durham.
Gallery
Bishop Auckland
With three permanent rooms and one temporary exhibition space on the ground floor, the gallery explores working life in the coal mines through original artefacts and artworks by prominent mining artists such as Tom McGuinness and Norman Cornish.
Heritage / Visitor Centre
Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre is small building of architectural beauty situated in Wheatley Hill cemetery. It houses a permanent exhibition of colliery village life.
Museum
Barnard Castle
There’s always something great to see and do at The Bowes Museum. With more than 50,000 items in this Museum of artists, designers and makers, there are treasures at every turn.
Museum
Durham City
Local history museum housed in historic church near cathedral. Tells the story of Durham from 10thC to present day using displays, models and artefacts. Brass rubbing and shop.
Gallery
Bishop Auckland
The Spanish Gallery is unique in Britain, telling the story of the Spanish Golden Age in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Museum
Horden
Heritage Centre with themed rooms. Mining Museum going back 100 years with 350 archives, photographs of Horden, lots of history, 1940s rooms.
Gallery
Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland Town Hall is a multi-purpose cultural venue situated in Bishop Auckland market place. It offers regular art exhibitions, live music, theatre and films as well as a café and library with free internet access and local history…
Historic Site
Durham City
The Town Hall has been central to life in Durham city for more than 650 years. Learn about the powerful Prince Bishops, the evolution of local government and the historic and ongoing roles of the Mayor and Mayor’s Bodyguard. Since the 14th Century…
Heritage / Visitor Centre
Spennymoor
Spennymoor Town Hall has it’s dedicated memorial to the works and lives lost during the mining period across County Durham. Events cover mining in the Northern part of England i.e. County Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmorland and the…
Heritage / Visitor Centre
South Road, Durham
A brand-new cultural venue and register office for Durham and the wider county, The Story will be housed in the recently restored Grade II listed Mount Oswald manor house, which has been extended to incorporate a purpose-built, contemporary building.
Gallery
Spennymoor
The Gallery houses a permanent collection of art, including paintings by Norman Cornish, as well as being host to at least six exhibitions a year.
Public Art
Consett
This sculpture consists of two measuring instruments; a theodolite and an engineer's level, reproduced twenty times life size, standing approximately six metres tall. Made from stainless steel and supported on animal feet, this work is visible for…
Heritage / Visitor Centre
Durham City
Providing a perfect introduction to the Durham World Heritage Site for all ages, the visitor centre is the gateway to discovering what it is that makes Durham so significant, and what there is to see and do around the peninsula.
Museum
Durham City
Over almost two centuries since Durham University was founded, our library and archive collections have been growing and evolving with new books, manuscripts and archives being added every year.
Nature Reserve
Seaham
The Durham Coast is well known for its spectacular wildflowers. Some of the fields at Blast Beach are among the best places to enjoy them, with plants like bloody cranesbill, dyer’s greenweed and devil’s-bit scabious creating a riot of colour in the…
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