7 Museums to Explore in Durham

Checkout places to visit in Durham

Durham

Durham is a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham in North East England. The city lies on the River Wear, to the southwest of Sunderland, south of Newcastle upon Tyne, and to the north of Darlington. Founded over the final resting place of St Cuthbert, its Norman cathedral became a center of pilgrimage in medieval England.

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Museums to Explore in 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 beautiful Durham countryside. This huge open-air museum provides a glimpse of life in England from the early 1800s until the mid-20th-century. Volunteers throughout the museum dress in period clothing and are more than willing to chat about life in the past.

Durham Museum and Heritage Centre

The Durham Museum and Heritage Centre is a fascinating museum of local history covering Durham and the surrounding area. The museum contains a variety of objects, models, pictures and audio-visual displays. These exhibitions provide the visitor with an overview of life, labour and leisure in this ancient fortified city, centre of pilgrimage and capital of the Prince Bishops of Durham.

Killhope Lead Mining Museum

Killhope is a multi-award winning 19th century mining museum in the centre of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The museum stands on the site of the former Park Level Mine, which is being restored to show the workings of a 19th-century lead mine.

Locomotion

Locomotion, previously known as Locomotion: the National Railway Museum at Shildon or Shildon Locomotion Museum is a railway museum in Shildon, County Durham, England. At Locomotion, you can see highlights of the national collection of railway vehicles in the world’s first railway town. The town of Shildon has had an exciting story to tell since the earliest days of the rail industry, making it the perfect place to explore the rich seam of local railway history and discover how the railways have

Museum of Archaeology • Durham University

The Museum of Archaeology is a museum of the University of Durham in England. Its collections range from prehistoric to post-medieval. It includes Victorian Antiquarian excavations, such as the 1880s excavations at Binchester, along with some archives from research excavations carried out by the University’s Department of Archaeology since the 1930s. There are also donations from members of the public and objects acquired through the 1996 Treasure Act.

Oriental Museum

From Ancient Egypt to modern China, This is the only museum in the North of England devoted entirely to the art and archaeology of the great cultures of Northern Africa and Asia. The museum was founded due to the need to house an increasing collection of Oriental artefacts used by the School of Oriental Studies, that were previously housed around the University.

The Bowes Museum

The Bowes Museum is a hidden treasure, a jewel in the heart of beautiful Teesdale. Housing internationally significant collections of fine and decorative arts. Picnic Area & Playground. The magnificent building stands proud in the historic market town of Barnard Castle housing internationally significant collections of fine and decorative arts. Purpose built in the 19th century by John and Joséphine Bowes, the Museum has a wonderful story to tell.

Map of Museums to explore in Durham