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You are here > Home > Things to Do > Attractions > Museums & Galleries

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.

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Number of results: 39

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  1. Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre

    Add Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre to your Itinerary

    Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Heritage / Visitor Centre

    Durham City

    Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre is small building of architectural beauty situated in Wheatley Hill cemetery. It houses a permanent exhibition of colliery village life.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2021to31 Dec 2022Various Opening Times
    More info for Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre
  2. Steam Engine at Locomotion

    Add Locomotion to your Itinerary

    Tripadvisor

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 1136 reviews1136 reviews

    Locomotion

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Shildon

    At Locomotion you can see highlights of the national collection of railway vehicles in the world’s first railway town.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2022to31 Dec 2022

    Awards

    • Regional and Miscellaneous North East England Tourism Awards - Tourism Event of the Year - Bronze 2014North East England Tourism Awards - Tourism Event of the Year - Bronze
    • Visit England Quality Assured Visitor Attraction 2017Quality Assured Visitor Attraction
    • Regional and Miscellaneous Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2018Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence
    • Regional and Miscellaneous WTTC Safe Travels 2021WTTC Safe Travels
    More info for Locomotion
  3. 1950s welfare hall beamish museum

    Add 1950's Welfare Hall at Beamish to your Itinerary

    1950's Welfare Hall at Beamish

    Type

    Type:

    Sub-Attraction

    Beamish

    Experience the excitement and community spirit of the 1950's with our new welfare hall. 

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2022to31 Jan 2023

    Awards

    • Visit England VAQAS 2019VAQAS
    More info for 1950's Welfare Hall at Beamish
  4. External image of Crook Hall and Gardens

    Add Crook Hall Gardens to your Itinerary

    Tripadvisor

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 971 reviews971 reviews

    Crook Hall Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    National Trust

    Durham City

    The medieval hall merges into a Jacobean manor house, which in turn merges into a Georgian town house, reflecting its development over the centuries. The Hall provides a spectacular backdrop to the stunning 10-acre gardens, paddock and fields,…

    Dates

    From:
    13 Jan 2022to30 Oct 2022Open 10:00 - 17:00
    From:
    5 Nov 2022to31 Dec 2022Various Opening Times

    Awards

    • Regional and Miscellaneous TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2016TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence
    More info for Crook Hall Gardens
  5. Entrance to Oriental Museum

    Add Durham University Oriental Museum to your Itinerary

    Tripadvisor

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 355 reviews355 reviews

    Durham University Oriental Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Durham City

    Explore Ancient Egypt and Western Asia, the Himalayas, China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia all in one museum.  The Oriental Museum is devoted to the art and archaeology of the great cultures of North Africa and Asia.

    Dates

    From:
    19 May 2022to23 Dec 2022Various Opening Times

    Awards

    • Visit England VAQAS 2019VAQAS
    • Green Awards Green Tourism Business Scheme - Gold 2015Green Tourism Business Scheme - Gold
    • Visit England Quality Assured Visitor Attraction 2017Quality Assured Visitor Attraction
    • Regional and Miscellaneous North East England Small Visitor Attraction of the Year Highly Commended 2015North East England Small Visitor Attraction of the Year Highly Commended
    • Regional and Miscellaneous Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2018Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence
    • Regional and Miscellaneous Northern Saints Trails Passport 2021Northern Saints Trails Passport
    More info for Durham University Oriental Museum
  6. Bowlees

    Add Bowlees Visitor Centre to your Itinerary

    Tripadvisor

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 305 reviews305 reviews

    Bowlees Visitor Centre

    Type

    Type:

    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 Area of…

    Dates

    From:
    20 Feb 2021to31 Dec 2022Open 10:00 - 16:00

    Awards

    • Regional and Miscellaneous North East England Tourism Awards - Small Visitor Attraction of the Year Award - Gold 2016North East England Tourism Awards - Small Visitor Attraction of the Year Award - Gold
    • Regional and Miscellaneous TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2019TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence
    More info for Bowlees Visitor Centre
  7. Palace Green Library: DLI Collection Gallery

    Add DLI Collection at Palace Green Library to your Itinerary

    Tripadvisor

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 122 reviews122 reviews

    DLI Collection at Palace Green Library

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Durham City

    Explore the history of the Durham Light Infantry enjoying items from the collection with audio, displays and access to the medal collection on demand in the Barker Research Library.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2021to31 Dec 2022Open 10:00 - 17:00

    Awards

    • Visit England VAQAS 2019VAQAS
    • Regional and Miscellaneous Northern Saints Trails Passport 2021Northern Saints Trails Passport
    More info for DLI Collection at Palace Green Library
  8. seaham food festival

    Add Eleven-O-One to your Itinerary

    Eleven-O-One

    Type

    Type:

    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,…

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2022to31 Dec 2022
    More info for Eleven-O-One
  9. Weardale Museum and High House Chapel

    Add Weardale Museum to your Itinerary

    Tripadvisor

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 34 reviews34 reviews

    Weardale Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Ireshopeburn

    Small but fascinating volunteer run folk museum with an amazing collection including the beautiful Weardale Tapestry, displays on mining,a mineral collection and the finds from St Botolph's Chapel, Frosterley.Also a display commemorating the lives…

    Dates

    From:
    1 June 2022to30 Sept 2022Open 13:00 - 16:30
    From:
    1 Oct 2022to30 Oct 2022Various Opening Times
    From:
    1 Apr 2023to31 May 2023Various Opening Times
    More info for Weardale Museum
  10. External view of The Spanish Gallery

    Add The Spanish Gallery - The Auckland Project to your Itinerary

    The Spanish Gallery - The Auckland Project

    Type

    Type:

    Gallery

    Bishop Auckland

    The Spanish Gallery tells a story of Golden Age Spanish art during the 16th and 17th centuries, exploring how its artists expressed the tension between man’s yearning for eternity and the self-evident transience of life.

    Dates

    From:
    23 Mar 2022to30 Oct 2022Various Opening Times
    From:
    3 Nov 2022to17 Dec 2022Various Opening Times
    From:
    27 Jan 2023to19 Mar 2023Various Opening Times
    More info for The Spanish Gallery - The Auckland Project
  11. Spennymoor Town Hall Bob Abley Art Gallery

    Add Spennymoor Town Hall Bob Abley Art Gallery to your Itinerary

    Spennymoor Town Hall Bob Abley Art Gallery

    Type

    Type:

    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.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2022to31 Dec 2022Various Opening Times
    More info for Spennymoor Town Hall Bob Abley Art Gallery
  12. Palace Green Library Exterior Durham

    Add Palace Green Library to your Itinerary

    Tripadvisor

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 122 reviews122 reviews

    Palace Green Library

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Durham

    Palace Green Library, in the heart of Durham city, holds Durham University's special collections. Our galleries are open to all and display treasures spanning millennia and the globe.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2020to31 Dec 2022Open 09:00 - 17:00

    Awards

    • Regional and Miscellaneous Northern Saints Trails Passport 2021Northern Saints Trails Passport
    More info for Palace Green Library
  13. East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre

    Add East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre to your Itinerary

    Tripadvisor

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 112 reviews112 reviews

    East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre

    Type

    Type:

    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.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2022to31 Dec 2022Various Opening Times
    More info for East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre
  14. Terris Novalis Sculpture

    Add Terris Novalis Sculpture to your Itinerary

    Terris Novalis Sculpture

    Type

    Type:

    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…

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2022to31 Dec 2022
    More info for Terris Novalis Sculpture
  15. Apollo Pavilion Peterlee

    Add Apollo Pavilion to your Itinerary

    Apollo Pavilion

    Type

    Type:

    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…

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2021to31 Dec 2022
    More info for Apollo Pavilion
  16. Bishop Trevor Gallery auckland tower

    Add Bishop Trevor Gallery - The Auckland Project to your Itinerary

    Bishop Trevor Gallery - The Auckland Project

    Type

    Type:

    Gallery

    Bishop Auckland

    The gallery houses a special programme of exhibitions, bringing fine art to Bishop Auckland, in particular European paintings dating from 1600 to 1900. This will include masterpieces on loan from private collections.

    Dates

    From:
    23 Mar 2022to30 Oct 2022Various Opening Times
    From:
    3 Nov 2022to17 Dec 2022Various Opening Times
    More info for Bishop Trevor Gallery - The Auckland Project
  17. Horden Colliery Heritage Centre

    Add Horden Colliery Heritage Centre to your Itinerary

    Horden Colliery Heritage Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Horden

    Heritage Centre with themed rooms. Mining Museum going back 100 years with 350 archives, photographs of Horden, lots of history, 1940s rooms.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Mar 2022to31 Oct 2022Various Opening Times
    More info for Horden Colliery Heritage Centre
  18. The Bowes Museum 
Rainbow, Grounds, Blue Skies

    Add The Bowes Museum to your Itinerary

    Tripadvisor

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 1777 reviews1777 reviews

    The Bowes Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Barnard Castle

    An iconic building and public Museum set in the vibrant market town of Barnard Castle in the midst of Teesdale, housing outstanding collections of European fine and decorative art.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2022to31 Dec 2022Open 10:00 - 17:00

    Awards

    • Visit England VAQAS 2019VAQAS
    • Regional and Miscellaneous TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2016TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence
    • Regional and Miscellaneous WTTC Safe Travels 2021WTTC Safe Travels
    More info for The Bowes Museum
  19. a street in the 1900's town in Beamish Museum

    Add Beamish - The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Tripadvisor

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 8150 reviews8150 reviews

    Beamish - The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Museum

    Beamish

    Discover an amazing journey through time at Beamish Museum as you travel back in time and become immersed in real, living history.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2021to31 Dec 2022

    Awards

    • Visit England VAQAS 2019VAQAS
    • Regional and Miscellaneous North East England Tourism Awards - Large Visitor Attraction of the Year Award - Highly Commended 2020North East England Tourism Awards - Large Visitor Attraction of the Year Award - Highly Commended
    • Visit England VisitEngland Award for Excellence Bronze 2016VisitEngland Award for Excellence Bronze
    • Regional and Miscellaneous TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award 2020 2020TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award 2020
    • Regional and Miscellaneous WTTC Safe Travels 2021WTTC Safe Travels

    Indicative Availability

    Book Beamish - The Living Museum of the North Online (opens in a new window)

    More info for Beamish - The Living Museum of the North
  20. Exterior seating of cafe

    Add Bishop Auckland Town Hall to your Itinerary

    Bishop Auckland Town Hall

    Type

    Type:

    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…

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2021to31 Dec 2022Various Opening Times

    Awards

    • Regional and Miscellaneous Northern Saints Trails Passport 2021Northern Saints Trails Passport
    More info for Bishop Auckland Town Hall
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