Museums & Art Galleries in Northern England

Abbey Walk, Abbey Road, Kirkstall, Leeds, West Yorkshire

Explore the enchanting Victorian streets of Abbey House Museum, join in with the activities in the interactive childhood gallery or relax in the Abbot Tea Rooms.... more

Abbot Hall, Kendal, Cumbria

Abbot Hall Art Gallery is a fine Georgian house containing an outstanding collection of fine art. Works are shown in period settings along with furniture and... more

Baring Street, South Shields, Tyne & Wear

Arbeia Roman Fort & Museum - nowhere else on Hadrian´s Wall can the sheer scale of Roman achievements be better understood than here. Built around AD160,... more

Bee Mill, Preston Road, Ribchester, Lancashire

Ascot Studios is one of the leading independent contemporary art galleries in the North West of England. Based at Bee Mill in the historic village of... more

Astley Park, Chorley, Lancashire

Astley Hall opened as a museum & Art Gallery in 1924, built by the Charnock family in Elizabethan times, it houses some fine oak furniture from... more

Lord Street, Southport, Merseyside

Atkinson Art Gallery houses permanent collections including 19th and 20th century watercolours and oil paintings with works by LS Lowry, John Piper and Henry Moore. Each... more

Beamish, Chester-le-Street, Durham

Beamish, The North of England Open Air Museum, Britain´s favourite open-air museum, set in over 300 acres of beautiful countryside, vividly recreates life in the North... more

Main Street, Hawkshead, Ambleside, Cumbria

Beatrix Potter Gallery has the largest collection of Beatrix Potter´s published work, including most of the original watercolour illustrations and manuscripts from the `Peter Rabbit´ series... more

Le Mans Crescent, Bolton, Greater Manchester

Bolton Museum and Archive Service: Find out all you want to know about our wonderful town and people. But that's not all; with an array of... more

Barnard Castle, Durham

With its wonderful history and outstanding collections there is always something to inspire at The Bowes Museum. One of the most important museums outside London, it... more

Moorside Road, Eccleshill, Bradford, West Yorkshire

Bradford Industrial Museum, built in 1875 and the original spinning mill, is alive with magnificent machinery which once converted raw wool into the world´s worsted cloth.... more

Church Street, Haworth, Keighley, West Yorkshire

The Bronte Parsonage Museum - Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte were the authors of some of the greatest books in the English language. Haworth Parsonage was... more

Moss Street, Bury, Greater Manchester

Bury Art Gallery & Museum opened in 1901 thanks to the generosity of the children of local paper manufacturer Thomas Wrigley. To commemorate Queen Victoria´s Diamond... more

Bark House Lane, Cawthorne, Barnsley, South Yorkshire

Cannon Hall Museum, first opened as a museum in 1957 and is now home to `Charge´, the Regimental Museum of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary´s... more

Stewart Park, Marton, Middlesbrough, Teesside

The Captain Cook Birthplace Museum is set in the scenic grounds of Stewart Park, and traces the life of Captain James Cook, the world´s most famous... more

Standish Street, Keswick, Cumbria

Cars of The Stars Motor Museum opened in 1989. This world famous Museum features vehicles from television and film, including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Batmobiles, Herbie,... more

Lister Park, Bradford, West Yorkshire

Cartwright Hall Art Gallery was built in 1904 as an art gallery. This stunning building houses a notable permanent collection of 19th and 20th century British... more

Bardon Mill, Hexham, Northumberland

Chesterholm Museum - Vindolanda is a Roman Frontier military and civilian site, which has been the location of extensive excavation for over 30 years with archaeologists... more

Chollerford, Humshaugh, Hexham, Northumberland

Chesters Fort & Museum was built around 122-123AD and located along Hadrian´s Wall, this is one of the best-preserved examples of a cavalry fort in Britain.... more

Spring Gardens Lane, Keighley, West Yorkshire

Cliffe Castle Museum was built in 1833 and originally called Cliffe Hall, it was converted into a museum and art gallery in 1960. Housing displays of... more

Clifton Lane, Rotherham, South Yorkshire

Clifton Park Museum is situated within Clifton House, built in 1783 as the home of Joshua Walker, the founder of Rotherham Ironworks. Inside is Britain´s finest... more

Southey Works, Greta Bridge, Keswick, Cumbria

Visit Keswick´s Cumberland Pencil Museum, the home of the first pencil, and the Cumberland Pencil Co, home of pencil perfection since 1832. Walk through a replica... more

Aykley Heads, Durham

The DLI Museum & Durham Art Gallery is home to the treasures of The Durham Light Infantry, County Durham´s own regiment. It charts the history of... more

Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear

Discovery Museum is the North East of England´s most popular free museum. Walk through its doors to discover all about life in Newcastle and Tyneside, from... more

North Road, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria

The Dock Museum is built over an original Victorian Graving Dock, this modern Museum tells the history of Barrow-in-Furness. Discover the remarkable story of Barrow's rapid... more

Chequer Road, Doncaster, South Yorkshire

Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery is a purpose built Museum, opened in 1964 to display various collections of natural history, archaeology, local history and fine and... more

Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, Teesside

The Dorman Museum was completely refurbished and expanded to give eight galleries filled with different themes, stories and objects. Explore `Earth in Space´ or take a... more

The Wordsworth Trust, Dove Cottage, Grasmere, Cumbria

In 1799 William Wordsworth went on a walking tour of the Lake District with his friend and fellow poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He fell in love... more

Elvet Hill, Durham

Durham University Oriental Museum opened in 1960, and is the only museum of its kind in the country devoted solely to Oriental art and archaeology. The... more

Queen Victoria Square, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire

Ferens Art Gallery opened in 1927, this award winning Gallery boasts a magnificent and diverse collection, from European Old Masters to contemporary video portraits. The permanent... more

The Abbots Tower, Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland

The Fusiliers Museum of Northumberland opens to the public in line with Alnwick Castle from Easter to the end of October. There are important collection displays... more

Cultural Quarter, Greaves Street, Oldham, Greater Manchester

Gallery Oldham is an award-winning building, opened in 2002. It forms the first phase of Oldham´s new Cultural Quarter. The fine and decorative art collection was... more

Surrey Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Founded in 1934, the Graves Art Gallery is home to Sheffield´s outstanding collection of British and European art, from the 16th to the 20th century. The... more

27 Grosvenor Street, Chester, Cheshire

The Grosvenor Museum houses Chester´s biggest collection of its local and international history, spread over three floors of a classic 19th century building. In the Roman... more

Merseyside Maritime Museum, Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside

HM Customs & Excise National Museum was opened in 1994 and situated within Merseyside Maritime Museum, it tells the exciting story of smuggling and duty men... more

Market Square, Preston, Lancashire

The Harris Museum & Art Gallery offers the best of Preston´s heritage in this purpose built beautiful Grade I listed building. Its houses a large collection... more

Church Square, Hartlepool, Teesside

Hartlepool Art Gallery opened in 1996, is situated in a beautifully restored Victorian church. The programme of exhibitions is changed regularly and features the best of... more

Wellington Mill, Wellington Road South, Stockport, Greater Manchester

Hat Works - The Museum of Hatting is the UK´s only museum dedicated to the hatting industry and headwear. Guides reveal the art of hat making... more

The Quadrangle, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear

The Hatton Gallery opened in 1926 and is situated within the University of Newcastle. The permanent collections contains over 3500 works that includes paintings, sculptures, prints... more

Haydon Bridge, Northumberland

Housesteads Roman Fort & Museum covers an area of 5 acres. It is the most complete example of a Roman fort in Britain and is one... more

Princess Alexandra Walk, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

The Huddersfield Art Gallery has an exciting programme of temporary exhibitions throughout the year featuring the best contemporary art from regional, national and international artists. Also... more

36 High Street, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire

Hull & East Riding Museum is situated in an area of historic buildings and cobbled streets known as the Museums Quarter and boasts some of the... more

The University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire

This small outstanding University of Hull Art Collection specialises in paintings, sculpture, drawings and prints produced in Britain between 1890 and 1940. Included are works by... more

The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester

Imperial War Museum North opened in July 2002, and is a stunning aluminium-clad building - the first in the UK by international architect Daniel Libeskind. The... more

7 Aldermanbury, Centenary Square, Bradford, West Yorkshire

Impressions Gallery opened in 1972 as one of the first specialist contemporary photography galleries in Europe. It is now established as a leading international exhibition space... more

Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside

The International Slavery Museum is the only national museum in the world to deal with transatlantic slavery and its legacies. Liverpool, central to the transatlantic slave... more

Coppergate, York, North Yorkshire

At JORVIK, get face-to-face with the Vikings on the very site where archaeologists discovered the remains of the place they once called home. Discover what life... more

near Cowshill, Upper Weardale, Bishop Auckland, Durham

Explores the life of North Pennine lead mining families. Visitors walk down the original mine tunnel and discover the working conditions of Victorian miners. See how... more

Port Sunlight Village, Lower Road, Bebington, Merseyside

Lady Lever Art Gallery was founded in 1922 and houses the magnificent personal collection of the first Lord Leverhulme in memory of his wife. The Gallery... more

New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear

The Laing Art Gallery has been attracting visitors for over a hundred years and the permanent collection includes beautiful 18th and 19th century paintings and world-renowned... more