Featured Exhibition | Welcome to our County: The Children of Yesterday and Tomorrow

Saturday 2 November 2024 – Spring 2025 | Free

‘Welcome to our County: The Children of Yesterday and Tomorrow’ has been devised and created by Durham Youth Council.

Drawing on objects and documents from The Story’s extensive collections, the exhibition shines a light on children throughout history, including the Roman Empire, Medieval times, Victorian era and more.

From a miniature uniform made for a little boy to match that worn by his father serving in the First World War, to beautifully illustrated Victorian diaries – each object has been selected and researched by young people.

Showcasing lesser-known stories, and investigating why young people’s voices are often omitted from histories, the exhibition, which runs until spring 2025, also considers how children’s stories should be recorded now and in the future.

Permanent Exhibition

Our exhibition space is free to visit and shares stories of County Durham’s varied and exciting past throughout its full history. 

Meet individuals who have left their mark on the county and explore their life stories using our records and collections. Discover the global connections County Durham has and witness how its landscapes have been transformed through time. 

Group of people at an exhibition. Three of them are visitors being guided by a host.

Encounter unusual and unexpected items – objects shaped by conflict, treasures recovered from the ground, and documents that mark moments in time. Our digital interactives will help you step into the past and explore our collections like never before.

Learn about the people of the county’s past and how they lived, worked, celebrated, and commemorated. We’ll show you how you can explore your own deep and exciting stories of the county as we continue to make history every day.

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. 

The photo appears to be from an exhibition where a young child is browsing old historic photos on a large tablet.