75 Years of Discovery Museum
1934 - 2009
The Co-Op headquarters at Blandford Square
Our History
In 1934, the ‘Municipal Museum of Science & Industry’, which went on to become Discovery Museum, opened in Newcastle's Exhibition Park. The Museum's collections were housed in a temporary pavilion built for the 1929 North East Coast Exhibition, and received more than 22,000 visits during its first year – which seems small today compared with the 440,000 people who come to Discovery Museum every year!
As the Museum’s collections grew, the building at Exhibition Park could no longer contain them and in 1978, the Museum moved to its current premises at Blandford Square.
In 1993 the Museum was re-launched as Discovery Museum and in 1994, one of the Museum’s best-known exhibits was transported from Exhibition Park to the new Museum - Turbinia, the first ship to be powered by steam turbines, now has pride of place in Discovery’s entrance hall. Crowds of people gathered to watch Turbinia as she was transported through the streets of Newcastle from Exhibition Park to her new home. You can see film footage of Turbinia being moved on YouTube.
In 2004, a £14 million redevelopment of the Museum was complete, with the galleries and displays refurbished. The following year proved the venue to be the region's most popular museum - attracting 450,000 visitors.
Today, the thousands of visitors to Discovery Museum enjoy displays all about life on Tyneside. They explore the region’s renowned maritime history and world-changing science and technology, fashion through the ages and military history.
Interactive displays and special areas for children keep young visitors entertained and a changing programme of temporary exhibitions draws in visitors throughout the year.