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: 37
, currently showing 1 to 20.
Museum
Shildon
At Locomotion you can see highlights of the national collection of railway vehicles in the world’s first railway town.
Museum
Cowshill
*Due to ongoing restoration works Killhope will remain temporarily closed throughout the 2024 season.
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
Horden
Heritage Centre with themed rooms. Mining Museum going back 100 years with 350 archives, photographs of Horden, lots of history, 1940s rooms.
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.
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.
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,…
Gallery
Bishop Auckland
No.42 is home to The Auckland Project’s Art, Social History Collection and Future Plans Exhibition. Here you can see some of the intriguing objects and archives that The Auckland Project holds, as well as hearing some of the fascinating oral…
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.
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.
Gallery
Seaham
The EDAN Gallery is the only dedicated art gallery in East Durham.
Arts Centre
Barnard Castle
The Witham is a community venue for theatre, music, art and social events, facilities range from the architecturally award-winning café bar to a fully-renovated Victorian music hall.
Museum
Bishop Auckland
Sitting in the historic Grade 1 listed Scotland Wing of Auckland Castle, The Faith Museum explores the myriad ways in which faith has shaped lives and communities across Britain, inviting visitors to consider how people across history have…
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
Bishop Auckland
The People’s Museum is situated in the old Hippodrome.
Public Art
NEWTON AYCLIFFE
Designed by artist Joseph Hillier, In Our Image is a landmark designed to represent the industrial heritage of the area.
Cathedral / Minister
Durham City
Explore 2000 years of the North East’s history, culture and faith at Durham Cathedral Museum. Step into the octagonal Great Kitchen and get up close to iconic symbols of Durham, including the Sanctuary Ring and St Cuthbert’s Pectoral Cross.
Heritage / Visitor Centre
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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…
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