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.
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
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.
Public Art
NEWTON AYCLIFFE
Designed by artist Joseph Hillier, In Our Image is a landmark designed to represent the industrial heritage of the area.
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,…
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.
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
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,…
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…
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…
Heritage / Visitor Centre
Bishop Auckland
The People’s Museum is situated in the old Hippodrome.
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.
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…
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.
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
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.
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…
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