Museums and castles in NewcastleGateshead

Explore NewcastleGateshead's history at museums and castles across the region.

The wealth of museums in Newcastle and Gateshead add to the rich cultural heritage of the region. Many of the Tyne and Wear Museums are free entry too and have hands on activities for children to have a go! Great North Museum: Hancock and Discovery Museum  are both free museums in the heart of Newcastle with room after room of exhibits, treasure troves of antiquities and discoveries at every turn.

Castles take many shapes and sizes in the North East but all have a story to tell which dates back centuries. Visitors to NewcastleGateshead can even stay overnight in a castle!

Newcastle has its very own castle which has been an important landmark in the city in its current form since the 12^th Century. Visitors to Newcastle Castle can uncover the often-gruesome history of Newcastle before climbing to the roof top to take in spectacular views across the city and along the iconic Quayside.

Wander through the grand halls and passageways at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland and pretend you’re an extra in the Harry Potter series - the popular attraction was used as a real-life Hogwarts for the blockbuster film. Fun fact, Alnwick Castle is also the second largest inhabited castle in the UK meaning visitors are invited to see first-hand what life in a castle is really like.

Discover over 900-years of history at the recently renovated Auckland Castle which was once a palace for bishops in County Durham and now forms one of the seven attractions which tell a story of art, culture and heritage in that region.