Photo: Trevor Littlewood (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do in County Durham
The best holidays are planned around great days out. Here's what's on the doorstep in County Durham, from big-ticket attractions to rainy-day savers.
Showing museums, aquariums and attractions with indoor areas — the ones that work whatever the forecast.
🎟️ This weekend near County Durham
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 12:00
Newcastle Audio Tour: A Journey Through Time and Trade
The Tyne Bridge, Newcastle · 19.4 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 19:00
Dine & Dance - Fame, Footloose & Saturday Night Fever
The Purple Peacock Newcastle, Newcastle Upon Tyne · 19.6 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 19:00
Absolute Amy
Newgate Social, Newcastle Upon Tyne · 19.6 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 19:00
30s & 40s Singles Night at Harry's Newcastle| Love at First...
Harry's Bar, Newcastle · 19.6 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Aquariums
Museums & Galleries
3.9 mi from County Durham
Faith Museum
The Faith Museum explores how faith, belief and religion have shaped lives and communities across Britain, from 6,000 years ago to today. Spread across four gallery spaces on two f...
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5.9 mi from County Durham
Durham Mining Museum
The Durham Mining Museum is based at Spennymoor Town Council's Town Hall in Spennymoor, County Durham (BRITSTAYS:place), and sits within the Museums & Galleries category (BRITSTAYS...
7.1 mi from County Durham
Locomotion - The National Railway Museum at Shildon
Locomotion is a free railway museum in Shildon, County Durham, home to more than 70 historic rail vehicles from the national collection, including Sans Pareil, APT-E and the Deltic...
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8 mi from County Durham
Oriental Museum
The Oriental Museum, formerly the Gulbenkian Museum of Oriental Art and Archaeology, is a museum of the University of Durham in England. The museum has a collection of more than 23... — Wikipedia
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8.6 mi from County Durham
Durham Cathedral Museum
Set within the medieval monastery buildings of Durham Cathedral, this museum spreads across three atmospheric rooms, including the fourteenth-century Great Kitchen and the Monks Do...
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8.8 mi from County Durham
Durham Museum Pop-Up Shop
This pop-up shop brings the story of the City of Durham to a temporary home at Prince Bishops Place, No. 39 High Street, just off Durham Market Place, having formerly been housed i...
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9.8 mi from County Durham
Aycliffe and District Bus Preservation Society
Aycliffe Bus Museum is conveniently located on Burtree Road in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, home to the Aycliffe and District Bus Preservation Society. Explore classic buses, lo...
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12.8 mi from County Durham
The Bowes Museum
The Bowes Museum is an art gallery in the town of Barnard Castle, in County Durham in northern England. It was built to designs by Jules Pellechet and John Edward Watson to house t... — Wikipedia
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13.3 mi from County Durham
Beamish Museum
Beamish Museum, in Urpeth, County Durham, is a large open-air living history museum where you can walk through recreated historic streets, meet costumed engagers and watch traditio...
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13.8 mi from County Durham
Tees Cottage Pumping Station - Visitor Centre and Gas Engine House
Tees Cottage Pumping Station is a Victorian pumping station complex at Broken Scar on the A67 near Low Coniscliffe just west of Darlington. The site dates from 1849, and was built... — Wikipedia
13.8 mi from County Durham
Tees Cottage Pumping Station - Beam Engine House
13.8 mi from County Durham
Hopetown Darlington
Hopetown Darlington is a railway-themed museum and visitor attraction spread across a 7.5 acre site in County Darlington, telling the story of Darlington's pioneering role in the S...
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16.8 mi from County Durham
Washington Old Hall
Washington Old Hall is a historic manor house in Washington, Tyne and Wear, England. It lies in the centre of Washington, being surrounded by other villages. The building was the a... — Wikipedia
17.2 mi from County Durham
Bowes Railway
Bowes Railway is a preserved colliery railway near Sunderland, built to carry coal using a unique system of rope-worked inclines and locomotives dating back to 1826. You can join a...
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18.4 mi from County Durham
Path Head Watermill
Path Head Mill is an 18th-century watermill at Summerhill on Blaydon Burn, between Blaydon and Stella, near Gateshead in north-east England. The Vale Mill Trust has been restoring... — Wikipedia
18.6 mi from County Durham
Cherryburn - Thomas Bewick Museum
Cherryburn is the birthplace of Thomas Bewick, the Georgian wood engraver and naturalist, set among farmland with views across the Tyne Valley near Prudhoe, Northumberland. You can...
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18.9 mi from County Durham
Ryhope Engines Museum
Ryhope Engines Museum is a historic Victorian waterworks, built in 1868 to supply water to the Sunderland area and now preserved as a Grade II* listed building and Ancient Schedule...
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19.1 mi from County Durham
North East Land, Sea and Air Museums
The North East Land, Sea and Air Museums (NELSAM), formerly the North East Aircraft Museum, is a volunteer-run aviation museum situated on the site of the former RAF Usworth/Sunder... — Wikipedia
Theme Parks
7.6 mi from County Durham
Diggerland
Diggerland Durham, in Langley Park on the outskirts of Durham city, is a theme park built around construction machinery, where guests of all ages can ride, drive and operate real d...
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10.2 mi from County Durham
Holmside Park
Holmside Park is a family adventure destination in Edmondsley, just outside Durham City (BRITSTAYS:place), combining indoor and outdoor activities across a large site. You can enjo...
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11.2 mi from County Durham
Adventure Valley
Adventure Valley is a family adventure park set within Valley Farm in Durham, describing itself as the North East's biggest family adventure park. You'll find acres of outdoor play...
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Zoos & Wildlife
24.1 mi from County Durham
Newham Grange Leisure Farm
Newham Grange Leisure Farm is a family-friendly animal petting farm in County Durham, with hands-on animal care sessions in the Discovery Barn, a woodland walk, maze, and multiple...
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Where to stay near County Durham
Places to stay within easy reach of these days out.
More around County Durham
Itineraries
Haunted Britain
County Durham packs a lot into a small area: lead mines on the high moors, Roman walls near the coast, working steam engines, farm parks and a castle in the middle of a city. The result is a region where you can plan a day around the weather rather than around opening a map and hoping. With 556 places to stay on BritStays across the region, it also works well as a base for a long weekend rather than a single rushed day out.
Best for families
Farm attractions do the heavy lifting here. Hall Hill Farm is the obvious one for younger children, with animals to meet and the kind of space that lets small legs run off steam, while Newham Grange Leisure Farm gives you another day out in the same vein if the first goes down well. For seaside energy, Ocean Beach Pleasure Park is the classic rides-and-arcades option, best saved for a bright afternoon when you can combine it with time on the sand.
Older children often get more out of the industrial sites. Killhope Lead Mining Museum is the standout: the setting is high, open and atmospheric, and the mining story lands far better in person than it does in a textbook. Check in advance what's running on the day, as underground and outdoor elements can vary with the season.
Rainy-day options
County Durham is unusually well supplied with indoor days out, which is just as well.
- Tees Cottage Pumping Station - Beam Engine House and the neighbouring Tees Cottage Pumping Station - Visitor Centre and Gas Engine House, best visited together; look up steaming days before you set off, as the site isn't open daily.
- The Railway Museum, which suits anyone with an interest in how the North East shaped the railways.
- Dorman Museum, a solid general museum for an hour or two out of the weather.
- Newburn Hall Motor Museum for vintage vehicles.
- Platform Arts if you'd rather see contemporary work than cases of objects.
- The Faith Museum and The Bishops, a pairing that rewards a slower, more reflective visit.
- Transporter Bridge Visitor Centre, a short stop that makes sense of a genuinely unusual piece of engineering.
The Durham Museum Pop-Up Shop is worth a look if you're already in the city and want something quick between bigger stops.
Heritage and castles
Durham Castle is the headline, and because parts of it remain in use, visits are usually by guided tour — book ahead rather than turning up. Arbeia Roman Fort Museum is the best Roman site in the county for families, with reconstructed buildings that help children picture the place. Prudhoe Castle and Bolton Castle both make good half-day trips, and the National Trust's Washington Old Hall is a manageable, human-scale house rather than a vast estate. George Stephenson's Birthplace, also National Trust, is tiny but pairs neatly with the Railway Museum for a railway-themed day.
Brough Hall, Hamsterley Hall and Sockburn Hall are worth knowing about, though access varies — check whether they're open to visitors before building a day around them.
Sensible day plans
- Industrial day: Killhope Lead Mining Museum in the morning, when you're freshest for the walking, then a slower afternoon at Tees Cottage Pumping Station - Beam Engine House.
- Family day: Hall Hill Farm until early afternoon, then Ocean Beach Pleasure Park if the forecast holds.
- Heritage day: a booked tour of Durham Castle, then the Faith Museum and The Bishops nearby.
- Railways and engineering: George Stephenson's Birthplace, the Railway Museum, and the Transporter Bridge Visitor Centre to finish.
- Roman day: Arbeia Roman Fort Museum, with Corstopitum Visitor's Centre over in Northumberland if you want to make a full day of it.
Where to eat
We don't hold verified hygiene ratings for eateries in this region, so rather than send you somewhere unchecked, the practical approach is this: farm attractions such as Hall Hill Farm and Newham Grange Leisure Farm generally have cafés on site that suit families, and city-centre visits around Durham Castle give you the widest choice without driving. Upland sites like Killhope have far fewer options nearby, so take a picnic and flasks. If hygiene ratings matter to you, look up individual premises on the Food Standards Agency site before booking a table.
Making it a short break
Two or three nights is the sweet spot. Base yourself somewhere central and you can do one upland day, one city day and one coastal or farm day without long drives. If you're venturing north, Whitehouse Farm Centre near Alnwick and Mr George's Museum of Time in Northumberland both work as day trips from a County Durham base.
Practical notes: many of the smaller museums and the pumping station open on limited days, so ring or check websites the week before. Upland weather at Killhope can differ sharply from the coast, so pack layers and proper footwear whatever the valley forecast says. Book Durham Castle tours early in school holidays, and if you're travelling with a dog, confirm policies site by site — farm attractions in particular often restrict dogs near livestock.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best rainy-day attraction in County Durham?
There are several good options. Tees Cottage Pumping Station - Beam Engine House and the Visitor Centre and Gas Engine House can be done together under cover, and the Railway Museum, Dorman Museum, Newburn Hall Motor Museum, Platform Arts, the Faith Museum and The Bishops are all indoor. The Transporter Bridge Visitor Centre is a good short stop if you only have an hour.
Which County Durham attractions are best for young children?
Hall Hill Farm and Newham Grange Leisure Farm are the two farm-based days out, both suited to younger children. Ocean Beach Pleasure Park is the traditional rides-and-arcades option for a dry day. Arbeia Roman Fort Museum tends to work well for slightly older children thanks to its reconstructed buildings.
Are there any National Trust places to visit in County Durham?
Yes, two are listed for the region: Washington Old Hall and George Stephenson's Birthplace. Both are relatively small and compact, so they pair well with another stop in the same day rather than filling one on their own.
Can you visit Durham Castle?
Durham Castle is open to visitors, but because parts of it remain in use, access is usually by guided tour. Book ahead rather than turning up, particularly during school holidays.
What is there to do outdoors in County Durham?
Killhope Lead Mining Museum sits in high, open moorland country and is the main outdoor-feeling heritage site. Hall Hill Farm and Newham Grange Leisure Farm give children space to run about, Ocean Beach Pleasure Park suits a coastal day, and castles such as Prudhoe Castle and Bolton Castle involve plenty of time outside.
Where should I stay for a short break in County Durham?
There are 556 places to stay in the region listed on BritStays. A central base works best, letting you plan one upland day around Killhope Lead Mining Museum, one city day around Durham Castle, the Faith Museum and The Bishops, and one coastal or farm day without long drives in between.
More ways to explore
Not booked yet? See the best places to stay in County Durham.