What’s On Events Calendar
Building closure - upcoming dates
Due to extensive roofing works at Palace Green Library, there will be times when we have to close the building to visitors between summer 2024 and spring 2025, with no access to Museum of Archaeology, Cosin’s Library, Penned and Printed exhibition and World Heritage Site Visitor Centre.
Visit our Tickets and Times pages at each venue for more information.
Little Dragons
24 May 2023 - 24 May 2023
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Creative
- Public
Fragments from History exhibition tour
25 May 2023 - 25 May 2023
3:15 AM - 4:15 PM
Durham Castle
Learn more about the current exhibition hosted inside Durham Castle and have more time to enjoy it at the end of a standard tour.
- Exhibition
- Public
- Tour
- Everyone
Twilight Opening at Palace Green Library
25 May 2023 - 25 May 2023
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Palace Green Library is open until 7pm the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month.
- Exhibitions
- Lates
- Public
- Everyone
Twilight Talk: Tunstall and the Tudors
25 May 2023 - 25 May 2023
5:45 PM - 6:45 PM
Museum of Archaeology, Historic Libraries, Durham World Heritage Site Visitor Centre
Cuthbert Tunstall is one of Durham’s most interesting and least understood Bishops. Not just a religious figure, Cuthbert was a diplomat, mathematician, book collector and gardener who survived and thrived in Tudor England. Find out more in this talk.
- Exhibition
- Lecture
- Everyone
Penned and Printed
27 May 2023 - 31 March 2025
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Historic Libraries
An exhibition of our Archives and Special Collections, telling hidden stories from the shelves and strongrooms. (Please note, access to this exhibition will be affected by the upcoming Palace Green Library closure dates.)
- Exhibition
- Everyone
Buddha's Birthday
27 May 2023 - 27 May 2023
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Celebrate the most important day in the Buddhist calendar and join us for making, meditation, talks on Buddhism and traditional Buddha Bathing. Suitable for all the family.
- Creative
- Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Festival
- Holiday activities
- Outreach & community
- Public
- Everyone
Little Dragons
31 May 2023 - 31 May 2023
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Creative
- Public
Little Dragons
31 May 2023 - 31 May 2023
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Creative
- Public
Awesome Archers
31 May 2023 - 31 May 2023
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Find out about our archers' thumb rings and make a mini bow and arrow set to take home.
- Creative
- Holiday activities
- Outreach & community
- Public
- Everyone
Fragments from History exhibition tour
01 June 2023 - 01 June 2023
3:15 AM - 4:15 PM
Durham Castle
Learn more about the current exhibition hosted inside Durham Castle and have more time to enjoy it at the end of a standard tour.
- Exhibition
- Public
- Tour
- Everyone
Twilight Opening at Oriental Museum
01 June 2023 - 01 June 2023
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Oriental Museum is open until 7pm the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month.
- Exhibitions
- Lates
- Public
- Everyone
Ancient Egyptian Shabti Making Workshop
02 June 2023 - 02 June 2023
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Find out why the Ancient Egyptians placed shabti figures inside their tombs and create your own shabti from clay.
- Outreach & community
- Public
- Everyone
Beautiful Birds
03 June 2023 - 03 June 2023
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Spot the magical hintha bird on display and make your own feathery friend to take home.
- Creative
- Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Holiday activities
- Outreach & community
- Public
- Everyone
Little Dragons
07 June 2023 - 07 June 2023
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Accessible
- Public
Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki
07 June 2023 - 10 September 2023
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Oriental Museum
This moving exhibition, produced in collaboration with the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, highlights the devastation wreaked by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
- Exhibitions
- Everyone
Little Dragons
07 June 2023 - 07 June 2023
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Accessible
- Public
Fragments from History exhibition tour
08 June 2023 - 08 June 2023
3:15 AM - 4:15 PM
Durham Castle
Learn more about the current exhibition hosted inside Durham Castle and have more time to enjoy it at the end of a standard tour.
- Exhibition
- Public
- Tour
- Everyone
Twilight Opening at Palace Green Library
08 June 2023 - 08 June 2023
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Palace Green Library is open until 7pm the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month.
- Exhibitions
- Lates
- Public
- Everyone
Interesting X-Rays
10 June 2023 - 10 June 2023
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Take a look at some x-rays of the Ancient Egyptian animal mummies on display and make your own x-ray picture.
- Creative
- Holiday activities
- Outreach & community
- Public
- Everyone
Little Dragons
14 June 2023 - 14 June 2023
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Accessible
- Public
What’s on across our venues
Our unique cultural attractions include Durham Castle, Botanic Garden, Historic Libraries at Palace Green, Oriental Museum, Museum of Archaeology and our World Heritage Site Visitor Centre. Whatever your interest, there's something for everyone to enjoy.