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Special exhibitions

Explore exciting events and exhibitions across our venues.

Voices: contemporary art and craft from the Middle East and North Africa

Opening on 29 September, this exhibition celebrates the work of emerging contemporary artists and designers recently acquired by the Oriental Museum.
photographic artwork

Throwing it out there: the archaeology of ritual, rivers and rubbish

Explore the rich ritual history of the rivers of County Durham. Featuring local objects from the Bronze Age to the medieval period and beyond.
range of small objects surrounded by blue shapes to denote a river

Penned and Printed

An exhibition of our Archives and Special Collections, telling hidden stories from the shelves and strongrooms.
Penned and Printed Exhibition logo showing various items from Palace Green Library Special Collections

Upcoming events

Twilight Talk - Roman finds from the River Tees: Meet the diver who helped reveal the history of Roman Piercebridge.

Thursday 28 September, 2023
5:45 PM to 6:45 PM
Durham Castle, Museum of Archaeology, Historic Libraries, Durham World Heritage Site Visitor Centre
Picture of the two Piercebridge Divers holding a model of a bridge.

Fabulous Fans

Saturday 30 September, 2023
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Japanese folding fan. The scene shows dragon flies, flowers and grasses.

Durham Castle Guided Tours

Monday 2 October, 2023
1:15 PM to 4:15 PM
Durham Castle
Castle Tour standing in front of the Norman Arch.

Little Dragons

Wednesday 4 October, 2023
9:30 AM to 10:30 AM
Oriental Museum
Child with paper snake

Online exhibitions

Explore our collections from home with our online exhibition programme.

Journeys: Reading the World

Explore themes of travel, adventure and exploration using the rare books, diaries, maps and letters in Palace Green Library special collections.
Collage image of items included in the Journeys exhibition, including a giant from Gulliver’s Travels, a tourist with binoculars, Notre Dame Cathedral, a plane, a world map, three arctic explorers and an aeroplane.

Hidden Stories From the River Wear

Explore the collections of underwater archaeologist, Gary Bankhead, in an exhibition by students from Durham University.
River Wear Exhibition logo showing outline of the river and map of Durham from above

Taxila in Focus: 100 years Since Marshall

This exhibition focuses on the ancient site of Taxila, around 32 kilometres from Pakistan’s federal capital, Islamabad.
Half of the image is in black and white, showing the site in the early 20th century. The other half is a colour 21st century image.

Join our Friends

Our Botanic Garden, Oriental Museum and Palace Green Library all have Friends organisations which organise events and lectures including special members-only experiences.

A group of people stood examining a piece of artwork

Regular activities

Durham University Library and Collections offer a range of fun, engaging and accessible workshops, resources and experiences for people of all ages.

  • Creative Age

    Creative Age is a free, weekly art group for people living with dementia or other long-term health challenges and their carers.
    Journey, a collaborative artwork made by the Creative Age group and artist Marián Hernandez Villada.
  • Durham Archaeology Explorers

    Our archaeology club for children aged 7 - 11, meeting monthly at the Oriental Museum as well as trips to local archaeological and heritage sites.
    Child in high-vis jacket taking part in Durham Archaeology Explorers
  • Little Dragons

    Come along to Little Dragons under-fives group and explore the Oriental Museum's fantastic collections and exhibitions.
    Toddler enjoying Little Dragons under-fives session

Creative Age

Creative Age is a free, weekly art group for people living with dementia or other long-term health challenges and their carers.
Journey, a collaborative artwork made by the Creative Age group and artist Marián Hernandez Villada.

Durham Archaeology Explorers

Our archaeology club for children aged 7 - 11, meeting monthly at the Oriental Museum as well as trips to local archaeological and heritage sites.
Child in high-vis jacket taking part in Durham Archaeology Explorers

Little Dragons

Come along to Little Dragons under-fives group and explore the Oriental Museum's fantastic collections and exhibitions.
Toddler enjoying Little Dragons under-fives session

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