Permanent Collections & Galleries
Discovery Museum is the ideal place to find out all about life on Tyneside, from the region's shipbuilding heritage to inventions which changed the world. Packed full of interactive displays it is the perfect place for all ages to learn and have fun. Discovery also has special displays for children under 5 and 7 years old.
Free entry.
Play Tyne
Play Tyne has now re-opened after a two-month refurbishment,
sponsored by Northumbrian Water.
Themed around the River Tyne, visitors aged under seven years old
can explore the many different ways water is used through the use
of imaginative hands-on interactives and activities. Children must
be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.
Play Tyne opening hours:
Monday to Saturday: 11am - 4pm
Sunday: 2 - 4pm
Working Lives
Real stories, dramatic reconstructions and a variety of objects bring to life the experiences of working on Tyneside over the last three hundred years.
Fashion Works
A gallery exploring changes in the fashion industry using
reconstructed scenes through the ages. From hats to shoes, the
gallery takes visitors along a trendy trail.
Newcastle Story
The history of Newcastle from Roman times to the present day is
revealed in a walk-through reconstruction of the streets, homes and
communities of the past. The journey includes: Roman Newcastle; the
Norman castle that gave the city its name; its Victorian past; two
world wars; the depression of the 30s; the arrival of the welfare
state in the 40s; the swinging 60s and affluent 80s.
Presented by kind arrangment with the John George Joicey
Bequest.
Tyneside Challenge
The region's rich history of scientific invention and industrial activity is explored in a display featuring some of the most interesting products made on Tyneside. These include a model of one of Stephenson's famous locomotives and the revolutionary Armstrong No.1 Gun.
Story of the Tyne
Impressive displays explore how the Tyne became one of the nation's most successful trading rivers and the powerhouse of the British Empire. A unique display of ship models showcases 150 years of shipbuilding, alongside full size boats and stories about how the ecology of the river has changed.
Science Maze
A favourite with children, this exciting gallery features a variety of interactive displays bringing to life a wide range of scientific and engineering artefacts. Among the many exhibits are a telephone exchange, working engines and some of Joseph Swan's historic lightbulbs.
A Soldier's Life
A Soldier's Life explores 200 years of life in the army and
includes the regimental collections of the 15th/19th The King's
Royal Hussars and The Northumberland Hussars. Get your marching
orders from a Sargent Major and meet a lifesize horse.
Turbinia
Once the fastest ship in the world, Turbina is one of Discovery
Museum's most popular and impressive exhibits. Situated at the
heart of the museum she immediately grabs the attention of
visitors. Interactive displays and an impressive multi-media wall
showing footage relating to this great ship can also be
enjoyed.
Turbinia was built in 1894 by Charles Parsons and changed the face
of maritime history. It was the first ship to be powered by a steam
turbine and, in 1897, was the fastest ship in the world.
The Gallery
The Gallery is a space for the people of Tyneside to create exhibitions about their own experiences of living in the area. The gallery has an ever-changing display of works of art including paintings, photographs, and sculptures created by different community groups.