Must-Visit Museums and Galleries in the North East
There's so much to discover in the North East's museums
BALTIC
On the banks of Gateshead Quayside you’ll find Baltic, with four floors of art to explore. Exhibitions are constantly rotating, so each visit here is different. Kids will love the sensory room, and the library which holds more than 13,000 books on contemporary art and visual culture. There are two terraces to take in the Quayside views, as well as rooftop restaurant Six which serves elegant tasting menus in the dining room and chef’s table and innovative cocktails at the bar.
Gateshead Quays, South Shore Road, Gateshead NE8 3BA
0191 478 1810
baltic.art
THE BOWES MUSEUM
The vision of Joséphine Bowes and her husband John, The Bowes Museum opened in 1892, displaying historic art, fashion and design from around the world. The walls are covered with paintings, the oldest being Sassetta’s Miracle of the Eucharist from 1423. There’s also a huge fashion collection spanning generations, including the Blackborne Lace Collection, one of the largest of its kind in the world. Ceramics and sculptures include a gallery dedicated to the Silver Swan, a life-size silver replica with 2,000 moving parts and three clockwork mechanisms that performs daily at 2pm.
Barnard Castle DL12 8NP
01833 690606
thebowesmuseum.org.uk
BEAMISH
Discover an amazing journey through time at Beamish Museum. Experience the unforgettable sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the 1820s, early 1900s, 1940s and 1950s. Sample Georgian delights at the Drovers Tavern, take an underground tour of a coal mine in The 1900s Pit Village, brave a visit to the dentist in The 1900s Town, meet the 1940s Land Girls and Home Guard, take a trip to a 1950s cinema, explore the 1950s Farm and so much more! You can also enjoy exciting events throughout the year. Plus, see that no two visits to the museum are the same with a Beamish Unlimited Pass (you can pay once and visit free for a year)!
Beamish DH9 0RG
0191 370 4000
beamish.org.uk
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE ROYAL NAVY
Take to the seas and step aboard Europe’s oldest floating warship HMS Trincomalee to find out about life as an 1800s sailor. Discover what lies beneath the waves at the Diving Deep exhibition, bring the tales of pirates interactively to life at the Horrible Histories: Pirates exhibition and read the ship’s own story from her build in India to restoration in Hartlepool.
Jackson Dock, Maritime Avenue, Hartlepool TS24 0XZ
023 9289 1370
nmrn.org.uk
ROMAN VINDOLANDA FORT AND MUSEUM
Right on Hadrian’s Wall, this Roman fort will transport you back to the time of their rule over Britain. As a result of an ongoing excavation programme, the museum is ever-changing, receiving new additions annually. The Wooden Underworld gallery houses a rare collection of Roman wooden finds but you need to see the Vindolanda Tablets, the oldest surviving handwritten documents in Britain.
Chesterholm Museum, Bardon Mill, Hexham NE47 7JN
01434 344277
vindolanda.com
LAING ART GALLERY
Founded in 1901, Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle is home to an internationally important collection of art. Permanent exhibitions include 100 Years of Collecting, Northern Spirit, The Pursuit of Beauty and Tactile Artworks and Alternative Interpretation, which brings art to life through the senses. New exhibition With These Hands explores paintings, drawings and prints all representing craft, and the identity, tradition and progress associated with hand skills.
New Bridge Street, Newcastle NE1 8AG
0191 278 1611
laingartgallery.org.uk
HOPETOWN
Celebrating Darlington’s position as a pioneer of the modern railway, Hopetown houses a range of locomotive-themed attractions. Find out the history of rail transport in the Grade II*-listed North Road Station Museum, visit ever-changing exhibitions in the Carriage Works, see a collection of 30,000 railway items in The Stores, and watch live engineering in action at Darlington Locomotive Works. Visitors can also see Skerne Bridge, the oldest operating railway bridge in the world.
McNay Street, Darlington DL3 6SW
01325 405060
hopetowndarlington.co.uk
BAILIFFGATE MUSEUM & GALLERY
An award-winning people’s museum, Bailiffgate tells the story of Alnwick’s rich 10,000 year history. See the permanent collection of fascinating artefacts and documents on the first two floors, before heading to the third floor to see exciting rotating exhibitions. Until July, the Changing Landscapes exhibition showcases the work of local artist David Wilson, exploring two very different landscapes – the North West Highlands of Scotland and Northumberland.
14 Bailiffgate, Alnwick NE66 1LX
01665 605847
bailiffgatemuseum.co.uk
