The 8 best museums in Newcastle and beyond

The north-east has a fantastic selection of museums that cover all bases, so if you're staying in a hostel in Newcastle and looking for a cultural day out it is a safe bet there will be one that suits your tastes.

The north of England was famous as the last outpost of the Roman Empire so there are forts and settlements to explore, as well as modern museums that look at the region's more recent history. Add this to the various science museums and a centre for children's books and there is a diverse selection to please just about everybody.

From May 18th, the Museums at Night festival returns as part of the Late Shows too, with many of the city's top attractions opening their doors extra late – giving you the chance to see them in a whole new light (literally, it will be dark!).


Arbeia Roman Fort & Museum

Overlooking the mouth of the Tyne just a few miles from the end of Hadrian's Wall, Arbeia Roman Fort is thought to have been built in 160CE as a garrison and supply base for the Roman Empire's troops in northern England.

The excavated remains of the site have now been turned into a fantastic museum that looks back in time to a significant period in the formation of England as we know it. Some of the buildings have been reconstructed and a range of great exhibits in the museum shed light on life under the Romans.
Free Entry. Baring Street, South Shields, NE33 2BB. 0191 456 1369. April 1st – October 1st, Mon - Fri 10am to 5pm, Sat 11am to 4.15pm and Sun 2pm to 5pm.

Centre for Life

The Centre for Life is one of the most popular visitor attractions in Newcastle and lies at the heart of the city, just two minutes away from Central Station.

It is a hub for science and features a planetarium and theatre as well as an awesome motion simulator ride. The award-winning attraction is packed full of great exhibitions that are constantly changing and is joined on to a research centre that is at the forefront of the UK's work on genetics.
Adults £7.40/concessions £6.75/children £5.40. Times Square, Newcastle, NE1 4EP. 0191 243 8210. Mon – Sat 10am to 6pm and Sun 11am to 6pm. Open bank holidays.

Discovery Museum

Newcastle's answer to the Science Museum, the Discovery Museum is packed full of hands-on activities that never get boring, no matter your age.

The museum focuses on the region's technological past and offers an educational insight into the north-east's military and industrial past including its role in ship building and coal mining, but there is plenty more than that to take in too.

A huge 35-metre steam turbine is one of the star displays, but the undoubted favourite is the Science Maze, complete with interactive games and exhibitions.
Free Entry. Blandford Square, Newcastle, NE1 4JA. 0191 232 6789. Mon - Sat 10am to 5pm, Sun 2pm to 5pm.

Great North Museum: Hancock

Following an epic £26 million renovation project, the former Hancock Museum is now one of the north-east's best-loved attractions and a truly stellar museum that thinks it's a zoo too.

The new museum boasts exhibitions devoted to the Ancient Greeks and the mummies of Ancient Egypt, as well as being home to a full-size T-Rex skeleton, while the Living Planet area features tanks containing live animals including reptiles and fish. It even has its own planetarium!
Free Entry. Barras Bridge, Newcastle, NE2 4PT. 0191 222 6765. Mon - Sat 10am to 5pm, Sun 1pm to 5pm.

Monkwearmouth Station Museum

Who'd have thought the history of travel and transport could be fun? Monkwearmouth Station Museum makes it so with a diverse selection of interactive and insightful exhibitions in a stunning former train station that was built in the 1840s and recently restored as part of a £1 million redevelopment project.

The site itself used to be the main station serving Sunderland, making it the perfect location for such a museum, and its gallery gives a great view over today's trains as they trundle along the tracks. Get off the Metro at St Peter's and you're just a few minutes' walk away.
Free Entry. North Bridge Street, Sunderland, SR5 1AP. 0191 567 7075. Mon - Sat 10am to 5pm, Sun 2pm to 5pm.

Seven Stories

There is nowhere in the UK quite like Seven Stories, so even though it is predominantly a place for children we couldn't leave it off our list. Describing itself as a centre for children's books, the establishment is so-named because it is spread over seven floors in a former industrial building.

It regularly plays host to some of the biggest authors in children's literature and has a range of great exhibitions of original artwork and manuscripts, many of which you may well recognise from your own childhood. It also has a brilliant bookshop, dressing up boxes and a great workshop for children to get arty and crafty.
£6.50/£5.50. Lime Street, Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ. 0845 271 0777. Mon - Sat 10am to 5pm. Sun 10am to 4pm. Open bank holidays.

Stephenson Railway Museum

Newcastle played a pretty important part in the industrial revolution, as it was home to George Stephenson - the man who invented the steam engine that made it all possible. The Stephenson Railway Museum in North Shields is dedicated to him and the railway industry that his groundbreaking invention spawned.

Visitors can see the 'Billy' prototype engine that paved the way for his famous Rocket, with lots of other steam engines on show too. You can learn how trains work and look at the way the move from coal to electricity transformed modern life.
Free Entry. Train Rides £2.45/£1.20. Middle Engine Lane, North Shields, NE29 8DX. 0191 200 7146. March 31st - November 4th, Mon - Sun 11am to 4pm.

Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

Probably the number one visitor attraction in Sunderland, the Museum & Winter Gardens brings an art gallery, museum and botanical garden together in one place.

The museum is home to a diverse range of collections that span from Sunderland in prehistoric times to the modern day, while many of the of exhibits feature interactive, hands-on parts.

In the art gallery visitors can see some fantastic paintings and artefacts, including pieces by Lowry, but it is the Winter Gardens that are the biggest draw with more than 2,000 plants and flowers housed within a wonderful environment – a beautifully natural enclave in the city centre that is minutes away from Sunderland Metro station.
Free Entry. Burdon Road, Sunderland, SR1 1PP. 0191 553 2323. Mon - Sat 10am to 5pm, Sun 2pm to 5pm.

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