Things to Do in Durham
Planning Your Trip
Welcome to the Itinerary Planner. Use this tool to build your own journey or choose from an exciting range of specially selected tours.
To build your own Itinerary, click to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
You are here > Home > Things to Do > Attractions > Hands on History
The past comes to life in Durham. Get hands-on with history at the award-winning Beamish, discover the hidden stories of Durham's UNESCO Wrold Heritage Site of Durham Cathedral and Castle, or don a hard hat and head down the mine at Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum.
See more ideas below.
Number of results: 59
, currently showing 21 to 40.
Industrial Archaeology
Hamsterley
Built in the 1720s, Derwentcote is the earliest and most complete steel-making furnace to have survived in Britain.
Children/Family events
Stanley
Join us at Beamish Museum on Saturday, 18th and Sunday, 19th May to celebrate the important contribution children and young people made towards fundraising during this period, as well as the great work they do nowadays.
Church / Chapel
Chester-le-Street
The cathedral church and shrine of St Cuthbert from AD883 to 995 with attached anchorage containing displays on Roman, Saxon and medieval times.
Show / Display
Stanley
On Sunday, 26th May visitors will have the special chance to see a variety of unusual and quirky cars at Beamish museum.
Show / Display
Stanley
The Northern Counties Photographic Federation (NCPF) will be putting on a fantastic display of their work.
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.
Picnic Site
Stanley
Picnic site which is home to the world’s oldest surviving single arch railway bridge.
Museum
Cowshill
*Due to ongoing restoration works Killhope will remain temporarily closed throughout the 2024 season.
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
Bishop Auckland
Auckland Tower is the perfect place to get a feel for The Auckland Project, the stunning setting, and to pick up everything you’ll need for your day of exploration.
Children/Family events
Durham City
This summer, Durham Cathedral will welcome Peter Walker’s installation – Peace Doves.
Abbey / Priory
Bowes Village, Barnard Castle
Medieval monastic communities probably did not have much free time to enjoy picnics but the legacy they left behind in terms of beautiful abbeys and churches beckon the modern visitor. In the 13th century the Premonstratensian Canons, or “white…
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…
Military
Spennymoor
The Durham Light Infantry Collection has moved to Sevenhills at Spennymoor. The dedicated research and study area is open by appointment Tuesday and Thursdays, 10 am – 3 pm. Appointments can also be made to view objects.
Museum
Durham City
Much of Durham’s history lies beneath our feet. Sometimes we can catch a glimpse of the past through the unique objects that are uncovered as the result of archaeological excavations, or are unearthed by chance by members of the public.
Museum
Shildon
At Locomotion you can see highlights of the national collection of railway vehicles in the world’s first railway town.
Museum
Horden
Heritage Centre with themed rooms. Mining Museum going back 100 years with 350 archives, photographs of Horden, lots of history, 1940s rooms.
Historic Site
Durham City
Raffaele Monti's statue of Charles William Vane Stewart, the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry.
Abbey / Priory
Durham City
The very extensive remains of a 13thC priory, founded on the site of a retired pirate's hermitage.
© Copyright Visit County Durham. All Rights Reserved
Registered Office: Visit County Durham, Room SF1C, 2nd Floor, Salvus House, Aykley Heads, Durham, DH1 5TS