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What’s On

Find out what’s on at our venues across Durham. From major exhibitions to family friendly craft sessions, tours, lectures and art workshops. We have something to interest everyone. You can also find out more about our regular groups and online exhibitions and events.
Group of people at an exhibition

Special exhibitions

Explore exhibitions created by Durham University students.

Toy Box: celebrating toys and games across cultures

A family-friendly summer exhibition showcasing toys from across Asia and Egypt to celebrate the simple fact that we all love to play.
drawing of a range of toys from around the world

Repair and Care: the Norman Chapel Project

This exhibition explores the history of construction and building conservation at Durham Castle, with a particular focus on the Norman Chapel Project.
Photograph looking in to the Norman Chapel and Durham Castle, showing several illuminated stone columns beside thick stone walls

Under Durham: the Untold Stories

This exhibition explores the past of Durham through the ordinary people who lived and worked here.
View of the River Wear to historical Prebend’s Bridge arches in the summer sunshine.
View more

Upcoming events

Horse Play

Saturday 21 September, 2024
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Tomb figure iron horse with convex parts in flower shape all over the body. 900 CE–999 CE Tang Dynasty

Twilight Talk - Preserving the Norman Chapel

Thursday 26 September, 2024
5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Durham Castle, Durham World Heritage Site Visitor Centre, Museum of Archaeology
Norman Chapel

Celebrating Rosh Hashanah

Saturday 28 September, 2024
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Jewish shofar horn for use during Rosh Hashanah. Rams horn sawn at the narrow end to create a mouth piece for blowing the horn; the other end has been sawn to create a scalloped edge.

DU Poetry Society 'Living Objects'

Friday 31 May, 2024
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Oriental Museum, Art Collection
Overhead view of the galleries in the Oriental Museum
More upcoming events

Knitted together: the Korean lives and legacies of Richard and Joan Rutt

Drawing on the objects and photographs of the main donors to the Korean collection at the Oriental Museum, Knitted Together details Richard and Joan Rutt’s 20 years living in South Korea in the immediate aftermath of the Korean War (1950 – 1953).

The exhibition is set in three parts – a photography exhibition of Richard Rutt’s photographs of Korea taken between 1954 – 1974. An installation in the permanent Korea Gallery focuses on the impact of the Rutt collection on the development of the Korean collection at the museum. The third part is a special temporary exhibition that focuses on the legacies of Richard and Joan Rutt.

man and a woman sit at a table covered with bowls of food

Online exhibitions

Explore our collections from home with our online exhibition programme.

Journeys: Reading the World

Explore themes of travel, adventure and exploration using the rare books, diaries, maps and letters in Palace Green Library special collections.
Collage image of items included in the Journeys exhibition, including a giant from Gulliver’s Travels, a tourist with binoculars, Notre Dame Cathedral, a plane, a world map, three arctic explorers and an aeroplane.

Hidden Stories From the River Wear

Explore the collections of underwater archaeologist, Gary Bankhead, in an exhibition by students from Durham University.
River Wear Exhibition logo showing outline of the river and map of Durham from above

Bridging Identities: the Cultural Odyssey of Kurdistani Jews

This exhibition combines contemporary and historic photography to show how cultural roots and a sense of history helps new communities to form today.
A group of people holding hands and dancing around a living room.
View more online exhibitions

Join our Friends

Our Botanic Garden, Oriental Museum and Palace Green Library all have Friends organisations which organise events and lectures including special members-only experiences.

A group of people stood examining a piece of artwork

Regular activities

Durham University Library and Collections offer a range of fun, engaging and accessible workshops, resources and experiences for people of all ages.

  • Creative Age

    Creative Age is a free, weekly art group for people living with dementia or other long-term health challenges and their carers.
    Journey, a collaborative artwork made by the Creative Age group and artist Marián Hernandez Villada.

  • Durham Archaeology Explorers

    Our archaeology club for children aged 7 - 11, meeting monthly at the Oriental Museum as well as trips to local archaeological and heritage sites.
    Child in high-vis jacket taking part in Durham Archaeology Explorers

  • Little Dragons

    Come along to Little Dragons under-fives group and explore the Oriental Museum's fantastic collections and exhibitions.
    Toddler enjoying Little Dragons under-fives session

Creative Age

Creative Age is a free, weekly art group for people living with dementia or other long-term health challenges and their carers.
Journey, a collaborative artwork made by the Creative Age group and artist Marián Hernandez Villada.

Durham Archaeology Explorers

Our archaeology club for children aged 7 - 11, meeting monthly at the Oriental Museum as well as trips to local archaeological and heritage sites.
Child in high-vis jacket taking part in Durham Archaeology Explorers

Little Dragons

Come along to Little Dragons under-fives group and explore the Oriental Museum's fantastic collections and exhibitions.
Toddler enjoying Little Dragons under-fives session
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