Beamish Museum: The Living Museum of the North

Beamish Museum is an award-winning attraction near Gateshead that brings to life North East heritage all year round.

• Timeslots tickets are available to book on Beamish’s website
• Find out more about Beamish's Summer of Fun here
• Find out more about visiting Beamish Museum on their website: Beamish.org.uk/FAQs

Experience living, breathing history at Beamish Museum, The Living Museum of the North and discover what life was like in North East England during Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, war time and fifties Britain. Beamish is a living, working museum, set in a stunning 300-acres of County Durham countryside. Meet knowledgeable volunteers and staff who are decked out in exceptional, historical costume and who shine a light on the stories, facts and the goings on of everyday life at locations set throughout the expansive outdoor museum. Travel by tram or old-fashioned bus from the Edwardian Town and Pit Village, complete with original drift mine to at Home Farm and Pockerley Old Hall. Experience first-hand how the Industrial revolution transformed agricultural life in the region, what life was like in a North East town and the trials and tribulations of a Victorian village school.

Visitors to the award-winning, family-friendly attraction will be fully immersed in the smells, sounds, experiences and even tastes of the past. With plenty of places to sample the delights of yesteryear, don't forget to stop off at the Jubilee Sweet Shop in the 1900s Town to pick from a treasure trove of confectionary and sweets. Tuck into fresh fish and chips at Davy's Fried Fish Shop in the Pit Village; enjoy an afternoon tea in the Victorian Town, drop into Herron’s Bakery or cosy up in The Sun Inn pub.

The buildings you see and can wander through at Beamish Museum are not replicas but have been reconstructed brick-by-brick to give visitors a real sense of history. Throughout the year Beamish hosts an exciting programme of events, from a Georgian Fair to the Great North Steam Fair and much more besides, including spooky Halloween events and a whole season of Christmas which is a magical and enchanting experience for visitors of all ages!

Step back into more recent past with a visit to the 1950's Town which is the latest addition to Beamish Museum. The 1950's is being brought to life in the welfare hall. Drop in and take part in a host of 1950's activities including board games, crafts, keep fit and amateur dramatics as well as getting hands on in the NHS clinic.

The new fifties experience is just one part of an exciting project: Remaking Beamish made possible by National Lottery players and Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The Remaking Beamish project is the biggest development in the museums 50-year history. Visitors will begin to see new exhibits and experiences unfolding at the visitor attraction as plans for development include expansion in the 1950's Town with a semi-detached house, shops, cafe, cinema, police house and recreation area. Perhaps most exciting will be the creation of the Georgian Coaching Inn which will not only be a museum-quality exhibit but also somewhere that visitors will be able to stay overnight!

Beamish Museum celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2020. They asked visitors to share their own memories of Beamish, from family days out to school trips as part of their Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Tickets to Beamish Museum are valid for 12 months from your first visit, so you can pay just once and come back for a whole year FREE making it the perfect visitor attraction for fun-packed family day out near Newcastle.

How to get to Beamish Museum on public transport.

The best way to get to Beamish Museum by public transport is on Go North East Bus number 28 - The Waggonway - from Newcastle's Eldon Square Bus Station viaGateshead Interchange. The journey takes around 50 minutes and there is a bus stop at the Beamish Museum entrance. Passengers can get 25% discount on Beamish Museum entry by showing a Waggonway bus ticket. A valid bus ticket for each passenger must be shown at the admission desk and it is not valid for family tickets. A return on the Waggonway costs 5.90.