Opened in 1972, Beamish Museum is England's first open-air museum. The award-winning museum pioneered the concept of a living museum when founder Dr Frank Atkinson began to collect items to keep the North's rich history of communities living during the industrial era alive. The museum brings to life the stories of ordinary people living in North East England in the 1820s through to the 1940s. Discover reasons to visit Beamish Museum in our guide below.
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Beamish Museum is located in County Durham. The postcode is DH9 0RG. To reach the museum by car (from the North and South) follow the A1M to Junction 63 (Chester-le-Street exit), then the A693 towards Stanley for 4 miles, following the signs. The closest train station is Chester-le-Street where visitors can take a regular bus service from the town centre to reach the museum (approximately 20 minutes).
Fun fact: When the museum reopened its doors after lockdown they hired an actor to play a police officer to help visitors abide by distancing rules in place the time.
The 1820s village allows visitors to explore stunning gardens and homes filled with plants and vegetation that would have grown there during the Georgian era.
Visitors can visit the Quilter's cottage which is a recreation of the home of Georgian quilter Joseph Hedley who was murdered in 1826. The cottage is partially built from bricks found in the original home that was recreated by museum staff based on a drawing found in his home.
Visitors can also take a steam train ride through the Georgian landscape on the Georgian Waggonway to learn more about the birth of railways in Britain. Steam rides operate on Wednesdays to Sundays.
The museum stands on what was once a coalfield and pays tribute to the hundreds of thousands of men and boys who worked across Durham's 304 mines. Visitors can experience the reality of the harsh working conditions through a guided tour of the drift mine. The tours run regularly throughout the day with the last one 30 minutes before the museum closing time.
The colliery is located next to the 1900s Pit Village which presents an insight into how the miners and their families lived at the time of the North East's peak coal production.
The interactive 1950s town includes a replica of the Leasingthorne Colliery Welfare Hall and Community centre to immerse visitors into the sense of community that was felt. The main hall has a range of activities and tells the story of the NHS and baby clinics through exhibits.
After learning about the history, visitors can enjoy a competitive round of mini golf inspired by locations in the North East such as the Blaydon Races. The chip shop is a replica of a real shop in Middleton St George, found near Darlington, that presents its famous fish and chips in a recreated 1950s-style newspaper.
While this article focused on reasons to visit the Beamish Museum you can find a range of Northumberland trip ideas on our blog.
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