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Things to Do
There's no shortage of things to do during your stay in Durham - a county full of surprises.
No visit to the county would be complete without a visit to the world-famous Durham Cathedral, which together with the adjacent Castle forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Durham City. And if you love history you can delve further into the county's fascinating past at exciting attractions in the Durham Dales, Durham Coast and the Vale of Durham including Beamish - The living Museum of the North, England's largest open air museum. Plus, don't miss the spectacular live open air night show Kynren, an epic tale of England, which takes place in Bishop Auckland throughout the summer.
Take some tranquil time out in the county's many green spaces, country parks and gardens, or get active as you explore the Durham Dales of Teesdale and Weardale, and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - packed with walking and cycling routes and dotted with hidden gems and historical treasure troves.
From a day at the races to international cricket, golfing holidays and indulgent spa breaks, you'll be spoilt for choice in Durham.
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Binchester Roman Fort
Remains of Commandant's house and neighbouring bath-house containing one of the best preserved…
Museum of Archaeology - Closed until further notice due to Covid-19
**Closed until further notice** Living on the Hills - 10,000 years of Durham. This permanent…
High Force Waterfall
High Force is one of the most impressive waterfalls in England. The River Tees has been plunging…
Diggerland
Diggerland is the UK’s most unique construction-themed adventure park where guests can drive, ride…
Raby Castle
Medieval Raby Castle, home of Lord Barnard's family since 1626, includes a 200 acre deer park,…
DLI Collection at Palace Green Library - closed to walk-in visitors until early 2021
Explore the history of the Durham Light Infantry enjoying items from the collection with…
Durham Cathedral Tower - temporarily closed
Durham Cathedral Towers Enjoy spectacular views of the historic city of Durham and the surrounding…
Killhope (Museum to remain closed)
Refurbished in 2016, Killhope is a multi award winning Victorian lead mining museum offering a…
Grassholme Observatory
Waterside Parks purpose built observatory, based at Grassholme Reservoir near Barnard Castle,…
Hardwick Park
This VisitEngland accredited attraction is an 18th Century parkland featuring beautiful views, rich…
Open Treasure at Durham Cathedral - temporarily closed
Open Treasure is an award-winning museum for all ages which guides visitors through some of Durham…
Beamish - The Living Museum of the North
Experience a real sense of your past at Beamish, a living, working museum, set in 300 acres of…
Hamsterley Forest
Information point and tearoom, forest drive with children's play area. Four mile forest drive runs…
1950's Welfare Hall at Beamish
**Following the government announcement that the North East is in COVID-19 Tier 4 from 31st…
Adventure Valley
Discover a world of family adventures at Adventure Valley, the North East’s biggest family…
Wharton Park
This VisitEngland accredited attraction Wharton Park commands spectacular views across Durham City.…
Chester-le-Street Riverside Park
Created in the 1930s, Riverside Park has always been popular with visitors. It was redeveloped in…
Durham University Oriental Museum - Closed until further notice due to COVID-19
Explore Ancient Egypt and Western Asia, the Himalayas, China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia all…

- 1Binchester Roman Fort
- 2Museum of Archaeology - Closed until further notice due to Covid-19
- 3High Force Waterfall
- 4Diggerland
- 5Raby Castle
- 6DLI Collection at Palace Green Library - closed to walk-in visitors until early 2021
- 7Durham Cathedral Tower - temporarily closed
- 8Killhope (Museum to remain closed)
- 9Grassholme Observatory
- 10Hardwick Park
- 11Open Treasure at Durham Cathedral - temporarily closed
- 12Beamish - The Living Museum of the North
- 13Hamsterley Forest
- 141950's Welfare Hall at Beamish
- 15Adventure Valley
- 16Wharton Park
- 17Chester-le-Street Riverside Park
- 18Durham University Oriental Museum - Closed until further notice due to COVID-19
