What’s On Events Calendar
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Weaving Stories: From Community Hands and Hearts
24 May 2025 - 14 September 2025
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Oriental Museum
A vibrant exhibition celebrating the creativity and voices of community groups who regularly collaborate with the Oriental Museum.
- Creative
- Exhibition
- Exhibitions
- Public
- Family friendly
- Everyone
Telling Tales: Making Stories Come to Life
13 June 2025 - 09 November 2025
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Experience the joy and wonder of storytelling through the Oriental Museum’s new summer exhibition, Telling Tales Making Stories Come to Life.
- Creative
- Exhibition
- Exhibitions
- Public
- Family friendly
- Everyone
Enchanted Objects: Adornment and Personal Protection from Amulets to the Mobile Phone
13 June 2025 - 09 November 2025
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Contemporary artist Dinah Kelly shines a light on the protective powers and symbolism of charms, talismans and amulets.
- Creative
- Exhibition
- Exhibitions
- Public
- Family friendly
- Everyone
Little Dragons
02 July 2025 - 02 July 2025
9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Creative
- Public
- Family friendly
- Under 5s
Ride the Wave
05 July 2025 - 05 July 2025
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Spot the boats in the museum and make 3D sea sculpture.
- Accessible
- Creative
- Family friendly
- Children and families
- Everyone
Little Dragons
09 July 2025 - 09 July 2025
9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Creative
- Public
- Family friendly
- Under 5s
The Path of Kindness
12 July 2025 - 12 July 2025
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Discover the latest scientific research we've been doing on a very special statue of Guanyin and use your imagination to recreate how it might have looked like 500 years ago.
- Accessible
- Creative
- Family friendly
- Children and families
- Everyone
Printing Workshop
12 July 2025 - 12 July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Experiment with shape and colour and create a unique print on fabric.
- Workshop
- Everyone
Little Dragons
16 July 2025 - 16 July 2025
9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Creative
- Public
- Family friendly
- Under 5s
FANtastic!
19 July 2025 - 19 July 2025
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Make a beautiful fan to help you stay cool over the summer!
- Accessible
- Creative
- Family friendly
- Children and families
- Everyone
Little Dragons
23 July 2025 - 23 July 2025
9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Creative
- Public
- Family friendly
- Under 5s
Sunken Shipwrecks
23 July 2025 - 23 July 2025
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Hunt for the Tek Sing shipwreck and learn how underwater archaeologists study shipwrecks.
- Accessible
- Creative
- Family friendly
- Children and families
- Everyone
Mysterious Mummies
25 July 2025 - 25 July 2025
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Learn how archaeologists study Ancient Egyptian mummies and make an x-ray of your own!
- Accessible
- Creative
- Family friendly
- Children and families
- Everyone
Dress Up
26 July 2025 - 26 July 2025
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
See a beautiful Japanese kimono and try dressing up your own mini doll.
- Accessible
- Creative
- Family friendly
- Children and families
- Everyone
Little Dragons
30 July 2025 - 30 July 2025
9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Creative
- Public
- Family friendly
- Under 5s
Fakes and Forgeries
30 July 2025 - 30 July 2025
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Be a detective and hunt down some objects that might not be exactly what they seem and make one of your own.
- Accessible
- Creative
- Family friendly
- Children and families
- Everyone
Exploring ancient Japan
01 August 2025 - 01 August 2025
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Learn about prehistoric Japan and make a clay dogu figure.
- Accessible
- Creative
- Holiday activities
- Family friendly
- Children and families
- Everyone
- School students
Festival of Archaeology Special event: Mapping the Past
02 August 2025 - 02 August 2025
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Find out how archaeologists record their discoveries and draw a giant site plan of the museum and its treasures. Perfect for budding archaeologists.
- Accessible
- Creative
- Holiday activities
- Family friendly
- Children and families
- Everyone
- School students
Little Dragons
06 August 2025 - 06 August 2025
9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Creative
- Public
- Family friendly
- Under 5s
Glorious Glass
06 August 2025 - 06 August 2025
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Spot some objects made from glass in the museum and make your own glass tile mosaic.
- Accessible
- Creative
- Family friendly
- Children and families
- Everyone
What’s on across our venues
Our unique cultural attractions include Durham Castle, Botanic Garden, Historic Libraries at Palace Green, Oriental Museum, Museum of Archaeology and our World Heritage Site Visitor Centre. Whatever your interest, there's something for everyone to enjoy.