Beamish - The Living Museum of the North

One of the Best Places To Visits in Beamish Beamish is highly recommended for anyone interested in social history. It's a large and engaging museum that offers a fantastic day out for all ages. Be prepared for crowds, especially during peak times, and check the tram schedule in advance. Plan your visit strategically to make the most of your time. The ticket is valid for a year, making it worthwhile for repeat visits. Wear comfortable shoes as there's a lot of walking. Check for special events, such as Halloween and Christmas activities. Arrive early to avoid queues. Some areas have limited accessibility for wheelchairs and pushchairs. "The staff are very friendly and helpful giving you a real feel of being in that part of history." "What an amazing place this is, expect to spend all day here." "If living and social history is your thing then Beamish is your vibe." "The way the staff 'live' in the character makes the whole place come alive." "Definitely needs a few visits to see and do everything." Frequently mentioned in reviews: Top-rated.online cuts through the clutter, highlighting only the reviews that are most helpful, earn the most likes, or come from the most active contributors. place to and take a trip back in time. It's fascinating to see and be immersed in the different periods. The is a good surface level introduction and the knowledgeable about the area and periods. The facilities are good, toilets are not clearly signed posted and could do with a lot more outdoor seating. The two disabled toilets we used were clean and with plenty of space. It is tricky for wheelchair users as it's quite steep and spread out. Not all exhibits are disabled access but that's obvious as they're historical buildings. We can't wait to come back. What can I say? WOW. It's the best attraction there is. We didn't realise how big it was, so had to do a return visit. We went twice last year. I am glad we did as the 1950s section opened up. I highly recommend a here, but spend the weekend, you won't be disappointed. Pay a to the chip shop, the and were proper nice. and tons to see and do. Hop on and off the old and trams. Beamish is amazing 👏 We visited May and August 2024 What an experience! The effort they have gone to to create an amazing and immersive is insane! Moving buildings brick by brick to keep authenticity is going above and beyond and protects our heritage. The and volunteers are incredible, with their acting and knowledge, they complete the experience. You can buy bread, sweets even and chips! There is also a restaurant with a range of food and drinks. We arrived at opening and left at closing and only just managed to see almost everything. The best part? Our ticket is valid for 12months so we can come back! Loved it was absolutely amazing. We had a good few people recommend it and everyone said you would have to take a few trips to take it all in. So we plane to a few times because we only had a look at a few bits but not all of it. We had arrived about 10 minutes before they actully opened so only a bit of a wait witch I didnt really mined at all. £58 pounds to get in just the 2 of us. But the next we plan to the min town on the bus or tram. We spent a few hours walking around and I think we had betten the rain actully today. Hopefully the next it will be better weather all around. An excellent (and took my memories back to visiting my grandparents when I was young). Although I’d recommend booking tickets to beat the queues, we hadn’t and even in half term week there wasn’t too long a wait. The whole spreads out over a considerable area. Lots of walking therefore. The exhibits take the form of original buildings, all furnished and presented in period - and well-explained by costumed guides. ♿️The main site is very accessible and well equipped. Lots of accessible toilets and restaurants. However, like any house or town, the exhibits are varying in levels of ease of access. In my view many of the exhibits had been spoiled by the addition of a hallowe’en theme. For example Victorian rooms festooned with fake spiders’ webs and pumpkins. These were all over. They are fine in their place, but today detracted from the authenticity of the which we had paid to see. There would have been no fake spiders webs and pumpkins in a real Victorian school room. On the whole, though, the was excellent and worth revisiting Awesome without some many buildings and machinery to explore. It's so big that there are and old taking you around. Didn't expect to spend here 7 hours. So, plan your day wisely. It is a dog friendly place, but bear in mind that you can not enter buildings with your doggy. for all ages! Lots to see and do to keep the whole family entertained. This is a large site, so good walking footware is recommended! There are lots of transport options available to get around the site also, including and buses, which run on a very regular basis. I would definitely recommend purchasing tickets in advance, as the queues can get very long. My only recommendation would be for more places to eat and drink. We visited in the Easter holidays and they had run out of a lot of food options in the shops, no sausage rolls, no ice cream and very limited choice for vegetarians (as the and are cooked in beef dripping). Next time, i would definitely take a picnic! What a place! If living and social history is your thing then Beamish is your vibe. Amazing attention to detail and recreation of different eras of British history from the 1840s through to the 1950s. Felt that some areas had more to do and see than others with the 1840s and 1950s eras feeling a bit incomplete! But still an amazing place for everyone - young and old alike Good day out plenty to see. We visited midweek outside of school holidays - no queues. place. We have been several times and this was the best. The addition of the new town area is great. Whilst it was busy when we arrived, quickly got through the reception area, we had precooked tickets, greeted with a friendly welcome. When going into each area it didn't feel to busy. Interesting talks with the "residents" in the areas and very informative which helps bring alive the experience. Spent all day wondering around. Well worth the visit. Only down side is the queues for the chippy and sweet shop. We got to the chippy in the pit village and despite not closing for 20 mins was told no yet there was a full bucket of prepared....bit disappointed but didn't let it spoil our day. Incredibly accessible, especially the new 1950's town which has lifts within the houses meaning as a wheelchair user I could access upstairs in the houses and it didn't have a huge impact on the authenticity. Also an old fashioned van has been converted into a wav and the are incredibly helpful and passionate. Definitely well worth a visit, in my opinion the best way possible to learn about the history of our country Absolutely fantastic!! The people who work here are absolutely amazing and so knowledgeable. My children thoroughly enjoyed the and learning about the past. Living history is so much more interesting and relatable. Sharing this with them was heartwarming. I from a generation where our parents are old enough to have experienced the end of war and grandparents who were considered working class Victorians. We visiting for Science Week but quite 3 to 4 times a year. I highly recommend visiting Beamish if you are visiting the region. It’s huge and you can spend the day there, and learn so much and local History too. I am from France living in Newcastle and when my friends and family us, I always take them to Beamish. I've just made my first in over 30 years and I had an amazing day the were wonderful and so knowledgeable, The & from Davy's were out of this world and easily the best I've had. The baked goods from Joseph Herron's were simply delicious as was the pint in the Sun Inn. I had a ride on the Carousel, even winning a prize on the table tennis balls into the small goldfish bowls in the Edwardian fairground. Beamish thoroughly deserves all the accolades it receives It was cold and a bit damp when we visited, plus the weren't running, but l really enjoyed my trip here. Glad I came mid week though, as I can imagine it gets very busy in the holidays or at weekends. I particularly liked looking in the houses and chatting to the volunteers. You could easily spend several days looking around as its a large site with different exhibits, with farms, a pit plus village as well as 1900 and 1950s towns, complete with shops and a cinema. We watched a 1954 Pathe news film in the cinema. We also had a freshly baked sausage roll from the bakers. I believe that you can get n from the shop as well as hand made sweets! There is a large tea room plus a cafe at the entrance. You can also hire a buggy to drive around in if you're disabled. The was absolutely excellent but be prepared for a long wait at all the food places eg and and ice cream. If it's a nice day bring a picnic. You need to get there early as there is a lot to do. There are are lots of and to shuttle you around the big site. If you are wanting the proper steam train ride it is at the weekend until the end of August. What an amazing place this is, expect to spend all day here. There is food on site a special mention has to be the choice of 2 excellent n chip shops not that bad price either. Travel on different modes of transport. Go down a mine. Fun Fair. Lots of toilets. are and play their roles given very well. Gift shop. If you want to the sweet shop head there asap. Expect to Q' for most things 20/40min. Have and fun and go back in time. Good bit of history to go back to the 1900s seeing how they lived. Bus and every 20 mins (free). Really nice and chip shop, pub and sweet shop. Went with my 12yr old son. He really enjoyed it It was my first to living and the was great. It covers large area and it has multiple sites which can take about 5 hrs approximately to visit. It has multiple and old style for visitors to old styles transport and also to commute from one site to another. It was a good hike as well for us and we enjoyed learning about past life. We went late so could not finish seeing all the sites but the best part is the ticket is valid for 12 months. So much to see and do..definitely arrive at opening and give yourself till closing if you are only doing it in one day. Love that the ticket means you can return for free anytime within the year. Will definitely be going back. Best and are definitely the ones cooked in beef dripping on a coal range! Fantastic place for adults and children alike. Worth every penny spent 👌 Well what can I say.....fab place to visit...plenty to see. Definitely like going back in time. It's absolutely massive, but with and to take you round. It is certainly a full day visit. Although check that there are no school outing before you go, we went on a day that had 100's of Brownies on a trip, so going into some of the buildings there was a delay. Absolutely Worth a though. Unique stepping back in time. The living spans 1800s to 1950s with lots to see ans explore. Houses set up in the different eras gave an insight into life of the past. We went for the day and didn't manage to see it all. were very knowledgeable and added greatly to the immersive experience. Would highly recommend. Fab. Take a packed lunch if you want there are plenty of places to sit, long queues for and but the bakery wasn't too bad. Unfortunately the weren't running but they had bus replacement which were very regular. We did not have long enough there to see everything so leave yourself a good 6 hours if you can. So many things to see, lovely reminders of the past, so many houses to go in and look around. The day ticket can be used for 12 months if you ask....Well they offered it, definitely needs a revisit. We were blessed with good weather, I can't imagine it being as enjoyable in the wind and rain! What a place. The different villages & farms are a real step back in time. If like us you enjoy history this is definitely the place to visit. It's family & dog friendly. It is a huge place with & going round all day to hop on & off .The only thing I would say is both the tram & do get full quick, but whilst you wait there is plenty to see. Lots of places to eat & drink. Just a day out. An absolutely amazing day out. I just wish we'd arrived earlier as so much to see! We pre booked our tickets which got us straight in - a big bonus. And my carers admission was free. are fantastic throughout the museum, so knowledgeable and friendly. We will definitely go back in the near future. Was met at the desk by the jobsworth assistant who explained that they are phasing out paper tickets and in the future we would need to have our photo taken. Well that’s not happening. I asked why we couldn’t have a ticket today and she said the machine was broken. All the were off due to maintenance and to be honest at this of year it’s certainly not worth the entry fee. Fantastic day out. I was disappointed on arrival to be told the were off (26.1.25) as these were expected and there was no updates on the website or their X account to inform guests. Overall I’d recommend this to anyone wanting something a bit different - we ate the and from the 1950’s village (brilliant) however I’d recommend taking your own soft drinks as there are no bottles available to buy so you either have cans or glass bottles. It wasn’t too busy and became quite rainy in our last hour but that didn’t stop us having a day and made us want to again in the summer. Travelled 6 hours to get here but it was completely worth it! It's awesome to get immersed in the different periods and travel around in the different areas. It was a bank holiday so quite busy but as it's such a large place it didn't feel packed. Long queues for the & chip shop and sweet shop but again definitely worth it! The live and breathe the period they work in which just adds the the as well! Can't wait to go again. Really enjoyed our day out at Beamish. The are very friendly and helpful giving you a real feel of being in that part of history. The shops had some lovely souvenirs too. It's well worth coming but it is better to book online and get here early to avoid the worst of the queues. Hadn’t realised how big this place is. Had a time. Did a lot of walking. Wasn’t too impressed with the chocolate though. I've never heard anything but glowing reviews of Beamish and it absolutely deserves all the praise! I've visited a few times over the years and took my Gran recently as she was keen to see the relatively new 1950s area for her birthday. We arrived for doors opening and were glad we did as there's so much to see. The and are a lot of fun and make the site more accessible - it's a big site to explore on foot. It was a fairly quiet (rainy) day so we had the chance to speak to lots of volunteers, they all had so much for us and lots of knowledge to share. Really felt like everyone wanted us to get the most possible out of our visit. The 1950s area brought back lots of memories for my Gran, especially the electronics store - I love the 1910s shops. We chose to add on the Edwardian photo studio which was brilliant, loads of attention to detail and a really special experience. We got two copies of the photo so it cost £26.50. We got the bus and the driver kindly advised us to show our bus tickets when buying our tickets as they reward using public transport/being sustainable with a discount 😊 If we were a wee bit closer I could see us becoming members and regulars! place, loads to see and do. Authentic and atmospheric. Be aware its on a large plot and needs to see everything. Lots of transport, train, tram and bus which go around the plot. Lots of food available. Free parking. Picnic areas. Recommended. A superb living giving an insight into life in the olden days! Plenty to do and lots to take in. Several villages, farms, shops, attractions- all exactly as it was in the Victorian era. There’s old fashioned and chips, tram and bus rides, a fairground, cinema, sweet shop, farms. The excellent volunteers make the place- often within the living houses and outlets within the giving valuable insights into life in the era. A must visit. Dogs welcome. day out for families! Lots to see : everything is in pristine order, and the in period clothes are helpful and friendly. Having and whizzing round the site makes visiting very easy and they have wheelchair adapted buses. Well worth a visit! This was our 3rd visit. Absolutely love it! Firstly it is such a very well thought out as you are taken through the years. Secondly the way the 'live' in the character makes the whole place come alive. Going into someone's house or workplace and hearing them chat about what life was like is amazing. Highly recommend! This we also tried lunch and a pint in the Tavern. The serving were lovely, as was the food and drink. A unique experience. Lovingly preserved towns, industry and farms from 1900s to 1950s. Full of wonderful details. The atmosphere is authentic and full of the life of the times. Lots of interesting places to eat. Lots of toilets! Extremely clean. Knowledgeable and far too much to do in one - the yearly pass is value and an excellent idea. Ideal for all ages and types of mobility. Educational and entertaining. I’ve visited many times since the 1970s and Beamish never fails to impress. Very nice place to so was the cafe!! A bonus was that "Peaky Blinders " was filmed there . Wow! What an amazing place. So much to see. Definitely need more than 1 day here. Loved seeing the old Christmas decorations, elf wood was really cute. Yummy bakery and and chips. Huge complex. Lots of walking, but there is also and to get around. There is a wheelchair accessible van too. Most areas are wheelchair accessible, better in motorised or trike for ease on cobbles. Ticket price is for unlimited pass for year, good if you live not too far away, you can keep coming back. Such a special place stepping back in time. Friendly & Dog friendly too. Looking forward to coming back again. Beamish is a place to go for all ages and they are wheelchair friendly. Have been to the living in Summer, Autumn and Winter and have loved it each time. Summer you get more to explore and the fairground is open and during winter it's fantastic with the change as they put lights through the villages and decorate it's beautiful ✨️🎄 the bakery and sweet shop are a big favourite and always busy. The new expansion is as there are quite a few places to eat and explore. It's very interesting to see how things were and getting the miners experience. Love getting to ride on the and too ❤️ place to for a taste of history and nostalgia, this place is huge! We were lucky to have a lovely sunny march day, and wondered in and out of buildings from the 1900s and 1950s everywhere we walked the employees talked to you with enthusiasm for this mock mining town, we learnt so much, shame the were not working as being serviced but still enjoyed the old to transport you to various points of the site, we could have spent much longer there than we did! Excellent value for money! Lots to see and do. The tickets are very good value as you get unlimited entry for a year, definitely needs a few visits to see and do everything. My 4yr old loves the and buses. He is train mad but both times I have visited with him the steam train wasn't running, not sure why. The Halloween event was brilliant and although we didn't book to see Santa at Christmas time, we did still get to see him in the streets when we visited in December, and he stopped to say hello and take photos with the children. The fair ground could be more reasonably priced, it's a highlight for the younger kids so it would be nice to get more rides from your money. interactive museum, been a few times. Ticket is annual and cheap - can as many times as you want within the 12 month period. Went in the Mine and was good at no extra cost. Great many food places , downside queues can be quite lengthy and consuming. If you’re not a fan of walking about, you can catch a tram or a bus around to the different villages. Would recommend!! Fantastic place to visit. We had a teenager, tweenager, 5yr and toddler with us and all were entertained. In our 3hr we only got around the Pitt village and into the mine, so we have loads more to explore. The ticket is valid all year so many more trips out are planned. Really interesting place for all ages. Guides are very friendly and interesting to talk to. I last visited this on a family holiday 46 years when I was a kid. It put a long lasting impression on me and I have wanted to return for too many years. It was a lot smaller then but has grown and expanded into a showing ever aspect of life in Britain for the last 200 years. Travel on and throughout the museums different towns and environments. Your ticket lasts a full year. We took 2 days to on this occasion and I am certain it won't be another 46 years to return. They run special events, eg Halloween and Christmas. I am disabled an took my scooter. Its battery run out 200 yards from us concluding our on the first day but the on a 1950s bus stopped and radio'ed for help. We were taken back to our car by the wardens. All the there where very friendly and knowledgeable. My wife and I loved this place and we will be back very soon. We live in Merseyside and wish there was a lot more living museums throughout the country. Thank you very much for a place to visit. No one will leave unhappy. day with my wee doggy ,weather was beautiful,thoroughly enjoyed the and very well rin with very enthusiastic and trained staff. If I could write a book about the whole , it would take a while. We have visited the whole nine yards. Staying at the Beamish hall hotel. I, we. Have to say absolutely 100%. We have another to do. I think regardless. If you are on the Go. Absolutely fabulous. Sorry, I'm waffling. GO SEE IT. 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