We are free to visit and open to everyone, providing a warm welcome to visitors of all ages, including children and family groups.
Heritage Open Days
Every September thousands of volunteers across England organise events to celebrate our fantastic history and culture. This year The Story is celebrating by hosting a range of exciting tours, events and activities.
Some events are bookable – follow the links on bookable events to reserve your space.
Family Events (Under 5s) – Term Time Only
Bookings are £2 per family (max 2 children per family & no cap on adults).
Fun for Families – Monthly – Sundays
See all of our events for families.
Tours and Exhibitions
Spotlight Tours
Friday – Saturday | 11:00 and 14:00 | Free | Drop in
Find out more about our historic collections and exhibitions in a free to join, bitesize Spotlight Tour. In these informal short tours, The Story Team will share their insights into the stories and themes in the exhibition, the objects on display and the building itself. If you miss one of the tours or the times don’t work for you then don’t worry, you can always get the same insights and information by speaking to our amazing team of staff and volunteers. The tours are suitable for all ages, wheelchair accessible and pushchair friendly. If you have any accessibility queries, please email us at info@thestorydurham.org
Exhibitions
Our exhibition space is free to visit and shares stories of County Durham’s varied and exciting past throughout its full history.
The Forgotten Battle: 14 June 2024 – October 2024
Access our Archives
Access to all collections is in purpose-built facilities on the first floor of the new building, with interactive screens and 16 computer terminals for accessing digital content, a secure research area (the ‘collections room’) for viewing collection items from the strong rooms and a separate reception area for enquiries relating to historic civil registration. On demand access to the Historic Environment Record (HER), the collections database and popular records such as church registers and newspapers will be available digitally in our ‘Search and Discover’ space.
While many collection items will be available ‘on demand’ some, including larger objects, will require several days’ notice.
Teacher Advisory Group
Our Teacher Advisory Group provides invaluable guidance and helps answer questions on how we can continually improve our offer at The Story to best suit local schools. Run in partnership with Durham University Museums and Special Collections, it also gives teachers the chance to network with like-minded colleagues from across the county, helps to shape our developing offer and you will be the first to hear of any opportunities to take part in pilot workshops or funded projects. Please get in touch with our learning team if you’d like to come along by emailing learning@thestorydurham.org
Can children visit your exhibitions?
Yes! Everyone is welcome to visit our both our permanent and temporary exhibition space, although some of the topics covered may be more suitable for children and young people than others.
Our exhibition space tells the story of County Durham’s history and the people who have called it home. The exhibition uses objects, written text, tactile interactives and digital interactives to share stories and information in different ways for our visitors. Though the exhibition is open to everyone, lots of elements are children and young people focused.
