Beamish the Living Museum of the North

Beamish Museum is an open-air museum in County Durham. It’s a unique and wonderful way to learn about life in the North East of England in the 1820s, 1900s, 1940s and 1950s. Many of the buildings and features are taken directly from villages and towns in parts of the North East and transported and rebuilt at Beamish.

Things to do at Beamish the Living Museum of the North

Beamish is set over a massive space and is just like a real town. There are various areas including a 1900s town where you can watch bread, cakes and biscuits being made at Herrons Bakery and buy them too! Drink a pint at The Sun Inn or choose some traditional sweets from the sweet shop. The town is also home to the Beamish Motor & Cycle Works, which is a replica of a typical early 1900s garage and the Town Stables where you can see horses and carriages.

In the centre of the town is Redman Park with its bandstand, originally from Saltwell Park in Gateshead. At various times throughout the year, you can listen to brass band performances or buy traditional produce from the Christmas market.

Visitors can ride on vintage fairground rides or try their hand at winning prizes on the side shows. At Rowley Station, visitors can take a ride on a real steam train which used to be a working engine at Rowley, near Consett, County Durham, in 1867.

At the 1900s Colliery, you can take a trip down the Beamish drift mine and experience the dark, cramped conditions coal miners had to endure. The Northern General Transport Bus Depot allows visitors to see engineering work on historic vehicles and is home to some of the working vehicles that Beamish has. This includes two Edwardian replica buses based on the London B type (in Newcastle Corporation livery) and a Northern General Daimler.

The 1950s welfare hall is a replica of Leasingthorne Colliery Welfare Hall and Community Centre, near Bishop Auckland, which opened in 1957. It’s exactly how I remember the village hall in the village I lived when I was young and the one at Beamish even holds a regular Mother and Baby group. There is also a new 1950s street with a play area and crazy golf.

Beamish Museum is by far my favourite North East attraction. It’s unique in every way and is jam-packed with history, information and fun things for the whole family. Beamish holds regular events, throughout the year including Halloween and Christmas specials, star gazing events,, weekend celebrations for the Beamish Agricultural Show and the Great North Festival of Transport.

Important Information Beamish the Living Museum of the North

Is there food and drink available?

There are a number of places where you can purchase food and drinks.

What are the main things to do?

Beamish has so much to explore, there are old buildings, transport to ride on houses, a mine and vehicles. There are toilets and places to eat.

What are the ticket prices?

£22.50 for an adult, £13.50 for a child aged 5-16. Other pricing options are available such as family tickets. It’s great value for money because once you’ve purchased your ticket you can return as much as you like for free, for the next 12 months.
Prices are subject to change and/or discounts online.