Beamish 2027

Beamish 2027

Beamish is a living, breathing museum, where history is experienced.  Walk through historic streets and watch traditional skills in action.

History comes to life through costumed engagers, live demonstrations, and hands-on activities. Whether it’s chatting with a 1900s shopkeeper or watching a blacksmith at work, there’s always something new to discover.  Beamish isn’t a traditional museum – you won’t find objects displayed in glass cases, and there are no labels.  

Beamish is a world famous open air museum which brings the history of North East England to life at its 1820s Pockerley, 1900s Town, 1900s Pit Village, 1940s Farm, 1950s Town and 1950s Spain’s Field Farm exhibit areas.  Visitors to the museum meet costumed folk and discover fascinating stories of everyday life in the region through time.

Beamish was the vision of Dr Frank Atkinson, the Museum’s founder and first director.  Frank had visited Scandinavian folk museums in the early 1950s and was inspired to create an open air museum for the North East. He realised the dramatically-changing region was losing its industrial heritage. Coal mining, ship building and iron and steel manufacturing were disappearing, along with the communities that served them.  Frank wanted the new museum to “illustrate vividly” the way of life of “ordinary people” and bring the region’s history alive. Beamish remains true to his principles today and brings history to life for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. 

There are trams and vintage buses operating throughout the day on a circular route around the museum, calling at the Entrance, Pockerley, 1900s Town and Foulbridge.

Beamish Tramway, opened in 1973, serves to re-create the experience and atmosphere of tramway operation of an earlier generation, whilst providing an essential means of transport for visitors around the site.

Accessibility at Beamish - Trams and Period Buses

Period buses and trams operate around the site approx. every 20 minutes. The steps onto the trams and buses are very steep. There are stops near every area.