Durham Museum

30/08/2019

“Lost Durham” tomorrow at St. Giles Church (10 am - 4 pm), come see Durham’s history in photographs.

08/08/2019

Join us tonight for the first look at our new temporary exhibition “ Recent acquisitions of the Durham Museum”
7pm - free entry

05/08/2019

Everyone is welcome to the free preview of our new temporary exhibition “Recent acquisitions of the Durham Museum”
Thursday 8th August at 7pm

30/07/2019

Come see “Lost Durham” an historical photography exhibit at St. Giles Church, this August 31st.

06/04/2019

First day of the season. We are now open from 11 - 16.30, weekends and bank holidays.
Come and join us for the Durham Experience!

01/10/2018

Durham Museum open weekends in October from 14:00 to 16:30. Come learn about the social history of Durham, view our temporary exhibit “Partners in Concrete” and try your hand at brass rubbing. #socialhistory #thisisdurham

19/09/2018

Tomorrow at 5:30 join us at Arlington House for “The Little Count” by Dorothy Meade, a story of the life of Joseph Borulaski. Free admission. #littlecount #boruwlaski #thisisdurham

13/09/2018

Remember: “The Little Count” by Dorothy Meade is on next Thursday (September 20th) at Arlington House. Come by from 5:30, admission free. #littlecount #boruwlaski #thisisdurham

01/09/2018

Durham Museum open daily in September from 11:00 to 16:30. Come learn about the social history of Durham, view our temporary exhibit “Partners in Concrete” and try your hand at brass rubbing. #socialhistory #thisisdurham

25/08/2018

Be a tourist in your own city this weekend!

Durham Heritage Centre and Museum is offering free entry to children on Saturday 25th August, open from 11am to 4.30pm.

#lovedurham #beatourist

23/08/2018

Durham museum will be hosting a showing of Dorothy Meade’s “The Little Count” at Arlington House on the 20th of September. Join us there from 5:30 to learn about the life and celebrity of Joseph Boruwlaski. Free admission. #littlecount #boruwlaski #thisisdurham

22/08/2018

Come learn about the Kingsgate Bridge and Dunelm house at our temporary exhibit: Partners in Concrete. #brutalism #ovearup #architecture #thisisdurham

27/03/2018

Why not come down and join us for the first day of the season this Friday (March 30th) 2 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. Or join us on Saturday and Sunday (also 2 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.) for the Easter weekend.

22/01/2018

Sam Slatcher

Local artist Sam Slatcher has created this song highlighting the character of Durham. Enjoy his work.

At long last... the complete video for 'City of Sanctuary', a song that retells the story of Durham (North East England) from the perspective of 'sanctuary', from St Cuthbert's exile in 875, through to the miners' strike of 1984, to refugees who have fled a civil war in the Middle East, to find a home in Durham.

Featuring Durham Cathedral, Redhills Durham, People's Bookshop, Durham City of Sanctuary, Sanctuary 21 and Empty Shop HQ among other groups who in someway have a heartbeat of Sanctuary.

“In these ancient streets, there’s a heartbeat of sanctuary. All are pilgrims of a kind. In these stones you’re not alone, there’s a place to be. In the City of Sanctuary”

Lyrics and music copyright Sam Slatcher

All videos except the image 1.35-1.39 (source: Durham Miners' Gala), taken by Sam Slatcher

12/07/2017

Check out our upcoming event on the 23rd July.

19/05/2017

Choir warming up for #MuseumsatNight

10/05/2017

Come and join us for our Museums at Night event on Friday 19th May.

27/03/2017

DurhamHeritageMuseum (@DurhamHeritage) posted a photo on Twitter

We open this Saturday! April and May we are open weekends from 2-4:30 pm. Newly renovated, come see what's new! https://t.co/4mF13MmMjI

Get the whole picture - and other photos from DurhamHeritageMuseum

18/03/2017

Durham Cathedral on Twitter

Looks like it has been a fantastic day @durhamcathedral for #StCuthbertsFestival with plenty on offer for everyone #heritage #northeast https://t.co/3i3B7lBg5T

“The annual St Cuthbert Walk and Procession to @durhamcathedral #Thankyou to the Mayor of Durham and his Bodyguard for taking part.”

18/03/2017

Ushaw College on Twitter

Congratulations @ushawcollege on your re-opening today 🎉 We can't wait to visit your new exhibitions (+ the Refectory Cafe of course🍰) https://t.co/dD4RYyBz0n

“Ushaw re-opens to the public tomorrow with a brand new Refectory Cafe, gift shop, and exhibitions! From next week... https://t.co/zOEjWmaAl2”

15/03/2017

Durham Cathedral on Twitter

Congratulations @durhamcathedral on being voted Heritage Site of the Year 🎉 a well deserved win! https://t.co/MASsYv7EQy

“It's official! Durham Cathedral is @CountryfileMag's Heritage Site of the Year. Thank you to everyone who voted! https://t.co/9X81msBvEx”

18/01/2017

The Museum is now closed for Autumn/Winter and will reopen Easter 2017

18/01/2017

DurhamHeritageMuseum (@DurhamHeritage) posted a photo on Twitter

Happy #MuseumSelfieDay2017 from a #museummannequin #nofilter #17thcenturychic https://t.co/r6Vy5xtwUf

Get the whole picture - and other photos from DurhamHeritageMuseum

13/10/2016

Autumn opening hours: Weekends 2:00pm - 4:30pm only

08/09/2016

Well that's our #HOD over for another year! Thank you to the 79 people who came along to #treasureyourtreasures

08/09/2016

Today only! FREE ENTRY to the museum as part of @heritageopenday. Come discover the #DurhamStory and #TreasureYourTreasures #HODs

08/09/2016

Homepage | Heritage Open Days

#treasureyourtreasures this #HeritageOpenDays: attend England's biggest festival of history & culture for free! https://t.co/ssRT6mL19c

Welcome to England’s favourite heritage festival! Every September some 40,000 volunteers across England organise 5,000 events to celebrate our fantastic history, architecture and culture. It's your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – all of which are FREE to explore. Find event...

29/08/2016

DurhamHeritageMuseum (@DurhamHeritage) posted a photo on Twitter

We are a #pokestop! Why not set up a lure outside and explore the #DurhamStory while you wait for #pokemon to appear https://t.co/uOPnVWGehK

Get the whole picture - and other photos from DurhamHeritageMuseum

29/08/2016

Hard at work on our new special exhibition about the historic gardens of Durham! Some of the gardens are still in existence today but others have been lost over the past centuries.

29/08/2016

Out in #Durham this #BankHolidayMonday? Why not pop in and explore the #DurhamStory! Find us at jct of North Bailey + Dun Cow Lane #heritage

28/07/2016

DurhamHeritageMuseum (@DurhamHeritage) posted a photo on Twitter

Caught the clerk daydreaming! The 17thC Chancellor's Bench is part of the unique #DurhamStory #museumselfie https://t.co/ClU1w26x5B

Get the whole picture - and other photos from DurhamHeritageMuseum

09/07/2016

Escape the rain and come find out about the history of #DurhamMinersGala. Do you know when and where the first Big Meeting was held? See footage of past galas!
We are open until 4.30pm #BigMeeting2016

01/07/2016

From 1st July the museum will be operating full opening hours. Come visit us between 11am - 4:30pm anyday of the week #summer #heritage

10/06/2016

Summer is here! The museum is now open everyday 2:00pm - 4:30pm

02/04/2016

Look who we have in our gaol cell...
Its none other than notorious County Durham murderess Mary Ann Cotton!
She killed 13 of her children, 2 husbands, a lover and her mother.

02/04/2016

Our free Family Fun Day is now underway! Come help us celebrate 40 years of the Bows Trust

31/03/2016

The first signs of spring have been spotted in our garden today! Daffodils have been popping up around the garden, even at the feet of our St Cuthbert statue.
Come and see for yourself at our FREE Family Fun Day on Saturday!

30/03/2016

This year the museum is turning 40!
We would like to invite you to help us celebrate our anniversary at our FREE Family Fun Day on Saturday 2nd April 11am - 4pm.
As well as looking around the museum, activities will include brass rubbing, dressing up, a treasure hunt and story telling.
There will even be the opportunity to handle some objects from our collections!
We hope to see you there!

04/11/2015

That's all folks!

The museum is now closed for the winter and will reopen in Spring 2016.

We have had a great summer welcoming new visitors from far and wide, introducing more people to the Durham Story and, as always, we have been pleased to see those who have come to visit us again.

A big thank you must go to all of our volunteers who have given their time to help run the museum - we hope to see you again next year!

Watch this space for details of when we will be reopening and for volunteering opportunities in 2016!

01/10/2015

As of 1st October, the museum begins operating its Autumn opening hours.

These hours are:
Monday - Friday: CLOSED
Saturday & Sunday: 2:00pm - 4:30pm

13/09/2015

Throughout the museum, you can still see many of the original features of St Mary le Bow.

This particular view is taken from the gallery. The phrase reads "Mine House shall be called an House of Prayer for all people". We think this particularly fitting due to the wide range of people that the church cared for in its past - from the residents of the Bailey to prisoners of the goal!

Other features of interest include 18th and 19th Century graffiti on our pews, some fantastic woodwork and the beautiful stained glass windows of the church itself. Come and see what you can discover today!

Closed as a church in 1967, St Mary le Bow reopened as Durham Heritage Centre in 1976.

10/09/2015

As part of Heritage Open Days we are offering FREE admission TODAY ONLY. Perfect for discovering or revisiting the Durham Story.

05/09/2015

Did you know we are County Durham's only brass rubbing centre?

Brass rubbing was a popular pastime in the Victorian Era for both adults and children.

Today, it is still enjoyed by all ages as a fun and educational activity. Some have even described it as stress relieving!

With brass rubbings starting at only 60p come try your hand at this traditional pastime.

30/08/2015

Cuthbert enjoying a break from the rain yesterday.
Carved in 1984 by Dr Fenwick Lawson, from an elm that was removed from the grounds of Durham Cathedral, Cuthbert of Farne has been at Durham Heritage Centre and Museum since 2004.

Come see him and our other Lawson statue, Gaia, in the peaceful setting of our garden.

28/08/2015

Looking for something to do this Bank Holiday Weekend? Try our new number trail to unlock the box. It's free!