Living history

Until 23rd October 2026 – Open daily, 10am-5pm

Sat 24th Oct – Sun 1st Nov 2026 10am-4pm
Mon 2 Nov – Fri 20th Nov 2026 – Open Wed-Sun, 10am-4pm (closed Mon & Tue)
Sat 21 Nov – Thu 24 Dec 2026 – Open daily, 10am-4pm
Fri 25th Dec 2026: Closed
Sat 26th Dec 2026: Closed
Sun 27th – Thu 31st Dec 2026: Open daily, 10am-4pm

2027
Fri 1st Jan 2027: Closed
Sat 2nd – Sun 3rd Jan 2027: Open weekend only, 10am-4pm
Mon 4th – Fri 22nd Jan 2027: Closed
Sat 23rd – Sun 24th Jan 2027: Open weekend only, 10am-4pm
Mon 25th – Fri 29th Jan 2027: Closed
Sat 30th – Sun 31st Jan 2027: Open weekend only, 10am-4pm

Visitors do not require a timeslot to visit the museum. Please note, last admission is one hour before closing.

Beamish Museum
Beamish
County Durham
DH9 0RG

Entrance Building: what3words///spans.brave.sugar

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.

From the West – Take the A68 to Castleside, near Consett, and follow the Beamish Museum signs along the A692 and A693 via Stanley.

Sat-nav users – our postcode is DH9 0RG.

Charging points for electric vehicles are accessible at the museum’s Entrance car park.

Public Transport

You can travel to Beamish car-free. Find out more on good journey here.

By Bus

Go North East

• Service 28 offers a bus service from Newcastle City Centre, Gateshead, Birtley, Ouston and Chester-le-Street.  Connections with other bus, train or metro services can be made in Newcastle, Gateshead and Chester-le-Street.
• Service 29 operates a service between Newcastle, Gateshead, Kibblesworth, Ouston, Beamish, Grange Villa, Pelton Fell and Chester-le-Street.
• Service 8 runs between Stanley and Sunderland.
• Click here to visit the Go North East website for full details and bus timetables to help you plan your journey to Beamish.
• Travel to Beamish Museum on any Go North East bus and get 25% discount on a standard individual admission charge.

Durham Explorer

• This summer, hop on board the Durham Explorer bus service, and receive a 25% discount on a standard Beamish Unlimited Pass with a valid bus ticket purchased on the day of your visit.
• From historic landmarks to top family attractions, enjoy a car-free adventure across the county with convenient routes designed for exploring.
• Running on selected dates throughout the summer season: 23 May – 31st August, every weekend and bank holiday.
• Click here to find out more.

By Train

Our nearest train stations are Chester-le-Street, Durham and Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

By Bicycle

We have a number of bike racks outside the Entrance building and are well-connected by local cycle routes, including the C2C cycle route.

Please be aware, bikes are left at the Entrance at visitors’ own risk.

Beamish is a large open air museum with many historic buildings, some of which are not always completely accessible to visitors.

To create an authentic feel, there are a variety of ground surfaces, some of which are uneven by nature. There are steep slopes in places, and some buildings and exhibits have stepped access.

We operate a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle every day that the museum is open. This is available on-call and is limited to its seated capacity. It is not operating in general service and is solely available for those who require its adaptations, including the wheelchair lift at the rear of the vehicle. The crew have been inducted and trained to look after you and enable you to enjoy your visit to the museum.

Find full accessibility information here. 

1900s Town

• Tea Rooms (takeaway, indoor seating)
• The Sun Inn pub (takeaway, indoor seating)
• Herron’s Bakery (takeaway)
• Jubilee Confectioners Sweet Shop (takeaway)
• Beamish Delicious Ices (open)

1900s Pit Village

• Davy’s fish and chip shop (takeaway)
• Sinkers’ Bait Cabin (takeaway)

1950s Town

• Middleton’s Quality Fish and Chips (takeaway, a vegetarian chip offer is available on request)
• John’s Café (takeaway and indoor seating)

1820s Pockerley

• Drovers Tavern (indoor and outdoor seating)

Entrance

• Coffee Pot Café (takeaway, indoor seating)

Find more frequently asked questions here.