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Beamish: The Living Museum of the North
Arts & Culture

Beamish: The Living Museum of the North

Beamish County Durham DH9 0RG UK
🕐Apr-Oct: 10:00-17:00 daily. Nov-Mar: Wed-Sun 10:00-16:00. Closed Mon-Tue in winter. Closed 24-25 Dec.

About

Beamish: The Living Museum of the North is one of Britain's most extraordinary open-air museums, spread across 300 acres of County Durham countryside. Step back in time as you wander through a fully recreated 1900s Town, a Victorian colliery village, a working 1950s town complete with a cinema, garage, and Co-op, and a Georgian manor farm. Costumed staff bring every era vividly to life, while original trams and buses carry visitors between the exhibits. The museum was founded in 1970 by Frank Atkinson and has grown into a world-class heritage destination attracting over 800,000 visitors a year. Whether you're watching a farrier at the forge, ordering a pint in the 1900s pub, or catching a film in the authentic 1950s picture house, Beamish offers an immersive experience that is genuinely unlike anywhere else in the UK.

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    Location

    Beamish County Durham DH9 0RG UK
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    Getting here

    Chester-le-Street Station
    Direct bus connections from the station
    Free On-site Parking

    About Durham

    Durham is a small but extraordinarily historic city in the north-east of England, dominated by its magnificent Norman cathedral and castle — both UNESCO World Heritage Sites — set on a dramatic river peninsula.

    • County Durham
    • ~50,000 residents
    • UNESCO World Heritage Site
    • Home to Durham University