Explore our Travel and Tourism Guide to North East England with Cultural Attractions featuring Museums
There are several museums and galleries in Newcastle, including the Centre for Life with its Science Village; the Discovery Museum a museum highlighting life on Tyneside, including Tyneside’s shipbuilding heritage, and inventions which changed the world;
The Great North Museum; in 2009 the Newcastle on Tyne Museum of Antiquities merged with the Great North Museum (Hancock Museum);
Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books; the Side Gallery with historical and contemporary photography from around the world and Northern England; and the Newburn Motor Museum.
The Laing Art Gallery, similarly to other art galleries and museums around the world, has collections digitised on the Google Cultural Institute, an initiative that makes important cultural material accessible online.
Museum’s in North East England
Below we have listed the best museum’s in North East England
Woodhorn
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Enjoy our excellent facilities, cutting-edge arts and cultural exhibits and a fun-filled events programme.
Located in what was once the largest pit village in the world, the former colliery is now home to our popular visitor attraction, welcoming thousands of people each year.
National Museum of the Royal Navy
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Climb aboard and see the most famous ships, planes and submarines of the Royal Navy through the eyes of those who served on them. Feel the exhilaration and fear of battle. Be truly captivated by the thousands of unique, emotional and sometimes quirky stories that have shaped the Royal Navy into what it proudly stands for today.
Great North Museum
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The Living Planet gallery spans the ground and first floor of the museum and tells the story of wildlife and habitats. Also on the ground floor, the Hadrian’s Wall gallery enables visitors to discover the detailed history of the World Heritage Site as well as finding out about all the forts, milecastles and associated museums that can be visited today. The gallery includes a wealth of archaeological finds from across the 73 mile stretch of Hadrian’s Wall.
Locomotion
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The North East’s role as pioneers of the railways was recognised in 2004 when the National Railway Museum opened a second site on the base of the former Timothy Hackworth Railway Museum. Now part of the Science Museum Group, Locomotion is home to several locomotives from the National Collection, including a replica of Timothy Hackworth’s Sans Pareil.
Vindolanda
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A number of Roman Wall sites could have made this list – Segedunum, Chesters, Housesteads, Arbeia – but Vindolanda just about pips them to win inclusion. The site of a Roman auxiliary fort near modern day Bardon Mill, Vindolanda is a living archaeology project as well as having a museum dedicated to some of the items found on the site.
Preston Hall
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The former residence of the Ropner family – which lies in a 100-acre park by the Tees in Stockton – has been a museum since 1953. The museum includes a replica of a Victorian Street and had a major redevelopment in 2012.
Jarrow Hall
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Formerly known as Bede’s World, Jarrow Hall re-opened in 2016 and tells the story of the Venerable Bede and Anglo-Saxon Northumbria. As well as a Grade II listed manor house, there is an Anglo-Saxon farm and village, while St Paul’s Monstery is close by.
Hexham Old Gaol
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The oldest purpose-built jail in England, Hexham Old Gaol dates back to the 14th century. It now houses a museum telling the history of the infamous Border Reivers.
Discovery Museum
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Discovery Museum is housed in the old Co-operative Wholesale Society building, Blandford House. Opening in 1899, it quickly became an iconic building in Newcastle city centre. Blandford House became a museum in 1978 and was re-launched as Discovery Museum in 1993.
Discovery Museum started life in Exhibition Park, Newcastle in 1934 as the Municipal Museum of Science and Industry, the first science museum outside of London. It was housed in the temporary pavilion that was built for the 1929 North East Coast Exhibition.
National Glass Centre
. Part museum, part gallery, the National Glass Centre opened in Sunderland in 1998 to celebrate the North East’s long-established glass industry. The centre also houses Sunderland University glass and ceramics department and Institute for International Research in Glass, while a number of artists are located on site.
Bowes Museum
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Almost as much an attraction for its building as for the contents within, the Bowes Museum stands at the entrance to Barnard Castle and was founded by John Bowes and his wife Joséphine Benoîte Coffin-Chevallier. The museum has one of the UK’s best collections of Spanish art as well as ceramics, textiles, tapestries, clocks and costumes, as well as older items from local history. A top attraction is an 18th-century Silver Swan automaton.
Cultural Tours in North East England
The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
What are the best Cultural Tours in North East England?
The best Cultural Tours in North East England according to Viator travelers are:
Below we have listed the best Galleries in North East England
The Glamorous Owl
The Glamorous Owl Gift Boutique And Gallery is an independant shop supporting local artists. every item is lovingly created in the North East supporting over 40 artists to showcase their work
The Biscuit Factory
The Biscuit Factory is the UK’s largest independent commercial art, craft & design gallery set in the heart of Newcastle’s cultural quarter. Housed in a former Victorian warehouse, our beautiful gallery spaces are set over two floors and display a range of exciting contemporary fine art, sculpture, original prints and jewellery, quality craftsmanship and design led homewares. The Biscuit Factory hosts four major exhibitions a year, representing the work of around 250 artists each season, so there is always something new to see every time you visit.
Laing Art Gallery
The Laing is home to an impressive collection of art and sculpture and its exhibition programme is renowned for bringing the biggest names in historic, modern and contemporary art to the North East. The Gallery has a packed programme of free events including gallery talks, family activities and artists’ events. Donations welcome, free entry. Charges apply to some exhibitions.
North East Art Collective
Here at North East Art Collective we pride ourselves on having something for everyone. We display and sell art from many genres for a variety of prices for every pocket, taste and age. Around the North East you may have heard and seen some of our artists… to name a few we have Watercolours by Jenny Ulyatt, Oils by Walter Holmes and Acrylics by Michael James as well as Photography by Time Freezer Photography’s Matt Hale and Jewellery by Tartan Ruby’s Karen Jones.
These artists share our walls with many more that you may or may not have heard of but they are the essence of Local talent. Have a browse through the artists, by name or the medium they work in. Come in and see us 7 days a week in Eldon Garden Shopping Centre, located in Newcastle City Centre.
Tours in North East England
What are the best tours in North East England?
The best tours in North East England according to Viator travelers are:
