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Event Venues

Audience

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Building closure - upcoming dates

Due to extensive roofing works at Palace Green Library, there will be times when we have to close the building to visitors between summer 2024 and spring 2025, with no access to Museum of Archaeology, Cosin’s Library, Penned and Printed exhibition and World Heritage Site Visitor Centre.

Visit our Tickets and Times pages at each venue for more information.

Show Past Events

Penned and Printed

27 May 2023 - 31 March 2025

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Historic Libraries

An exhibition of our Archives and Special Collections, telling hidden stories from the shelves and strongrooms. (Please note, access to this exhibition will be affected by the upcoming Palace Green Library closure dates.)

  • Exhibition
  • Everyone

Student Art Prize 2023/34: Paradise

01 May 2024 - 31 March 2025

10:00 AM - 4:00 AM

Palatine Centre, Art Collection

Visit the Student Art Prize 2023/24 exhibition and explore this years theme of Paradise.

  • Creative
  • Everyone

Toy Box: celebrating toys and games across cultures

23 May 2024 - 15 September 2024

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Oriental Museum

A student-led, family-friendly summer exhibition showcasing toys from across Asia and Egypt to celebrate a simple fact of humanity: we all love to play.

  • Creative
  • Exhibition
  • Exhibitions
  • Public
  • Family friendly
  • Everyone

Eternal Ascent: Bentley Beetham and the 1924 Mount Everest Expedition

24 May 2024 - 15 September 2024

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Oriental Museum

This exhibition marks the centenary of the 1924 Mount Everest Expedition, the first Western, and ultimately tragic, attempt to climb the highest mountain in the world.

  • Creative
  • Exhibition
  • Exhibitions
  • Partnerships & Collaboration
  • Public
  • Family friendly
  • Everyone

Under Durham: The Untold Stories

24 May 2024 - 21 November 2024

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Museum of Archaeology

When you think about the history of Durham, what comes to mind? Beautiful architecture, rich and powerful people and the history you find in textbooks. But how often do we stop and think about the lives of ordinary people? This exhibition explores the past of Durham through the ordinary people who lived and worked here.

  • Exhibition
  • Everyone

Repair and Care: The Norman Chapel Project

24 May 2024 - 17 November 2024

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Durham Castle

Have you ever looked at an ancient castle and wondered how it’s still standing? This exhibition will explore the history of construction and building conservation at Durham Castle, with a particular focus on the Norman Chapel Project, a long-term endeavour to preserve the oldest free-standing building in Durham.

  • Exhibition
  • Everyone

DU Poetry Society 'Living Objects'

31 May 2024 - 30 September 2024

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Oriental Museum, Art Collection

Living Objects shows a display of poems by DU Poetry Society

  • Exhibition
  • Exhibitions
  • Children and families
  • Everyone
  • Friends of the Oriental Museum
  • Lifelong Learners and Community groups
  • Local and family historians
  • School students
  • Students in HE
  • Teachers / Home Educators
  • Young People

Strike! Art Collective

28 June 2024 - 14 November 2024

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Outdoor Art Gallery, Art Collection

STRIKE is a new women-led public art collective in County Durham. Together they use public art to take up space without apology, saying farewell to the many ‘sorrys’ of the women who walked before them.

  • Creative
  • Everyone

Twilight Opening at Oriental Museum

01 August 2024 - 01 August 2024

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Oriental Museum

Oriental Museum is open until 7pm the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month.

  • Accessible
  • Exhibitions
  • Lates
  • Public
  • Everyone

Awesome Armies

02 August 2024 - 02 August 2024

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Oriental Museum

Learn about the Chinese terracotta army, and make your own terracotta warrior from clay.

  • Family friendly
  • Children and families

Terrible Teeth

03 August 2024 - 03 August 2024

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Oriental Museum

Find out why many Ancient Egyptians had terrible teeth and make a set of chompers from plasticine.

  • Family friendly
  • Children and families

Little Dragons

07 August 2024 - 07 August 2024

9:30 AM - 10:30 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
  • Under 5s

Little Dragons

07 August 2024 - 28 August 2024

10:45 AM - 11:45 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
  • Under 5s

Gorgeous Glass

07 August 2024 - 07 August 2024

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Oriental Museum

Decorate a glass jar with your favourite colours.

  • Family friendly
  • Children and families

Twilight Opening at Palace Green Library

08 August 2024 - 08 August 2024

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Durham World Heritage Site Visitor Centre, Museum of Archaeology

Palace Green Library is open until 7pm on the 2nd Thursday of this month.

  • Accessible
  • Exhibition
  • Lates
  • Public
  • Everyone

Paper Marbling Workshop

09 August 2024 - 09 August 2024

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Oriental Museum

Experiment with colour and try paper marbling.

  • Family friendly
  • Children and families

Sculpture Saturday

10 August 2024 - 10 August 2024

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Oriental Museum

See our huge Ancient Egyptian temple frieze and then make your own relief sculpture.

  • Family friendly
  • Children and families

Teddy Bear's Picnic

12 August 2024 - 12 August 2024

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Botanic Garden

Join us for a fun-filled day of exploring bear habitats on an interactive guided walk through the Garden, a messy bear art workshop and all your favourite bear stories.

  • Family friendly
  • Children and families

NEW DATE Festival of Archaeology Embroidery Workshop

13 August 2024 - 13 August 2024

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Oriental Museum

Festival of Archaeology Embroidery Workshop: Exploring the LGBTQIA+ histories in the Ancient Greek Collections

  • Creative
  • Everyone

Rescheduled: Festival of Archaeology: Embroidery Workshop

13 August 2024 - 13 August 2024

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

7 Owengate, Museum of Archaeology, Art Collection

Explore Durham University’s Museum of Archaeology Greek and Roman collections with artist Sarah Li in this unique workshop. Delve into LGBTQIA+ histories, engage in Queer storytelling, and create your own piece of embroidery.

  • Creative
  • Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
  • Festival
  • Holiday activities
  • Outreach & community
  • Public
  • Everyone
  • Lifelong Learners and Community groups
  • Students in HE

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.

Children sitting at a table and smiling during an event