Our aim is to give you an enjoyable time! The museum caters for the Foundation Stage, as well as Key Stages One and Two. Younger children from the Foundation Stage upwards can learn about Victorian leisure, the history of, and play with, our large box of reproduction toys. Role play for young children includes re-enacting Victorian domestic life, learning about, and dressing up as, Victorian children, also weddings and baptisms can be acted out, with even more dressing-up! Older children can choose from: all aspects of the Victorians including a spell in a ‘Board School’, Brass-rubbing, Drama Workshops, Crime and Punishment through the Ages, Elizabeth Fry: Prison Reformer, Durham’s History from St Cuthbert onwards plus aspects of Coal Mining with handling artefacts. Children can do a World War 2 ‘Children at War’ factual unit at the museum. This includes each child being given an identity from the period. They then learn about the war from the perspective of Jewish and German children as well as British. The unit also has two drama workshops, each tracing the life stories of two evacuees, with very different experiences of being evacuated. In these workshops the children get to dress-up in the fashions of the period so bring along your cameras! Some World War 2 artefacts are available for handling and there are opportunities to find out about fashion, rationing, diet, the coins used and their value, etc. during the war. We have recently introduced 'A Tudor Day'. Activities on offer include: Brass-rubbing, Tudor Crime & Punishment, the Planting of Herbs and their Tudor uses and a drama workshop featuring 'The Rising of the North.' NB: Our activities are also suitable for uniformed organisations and other out-of-school groups.
Access: Most school parties choose to be dropped off at Kingsgate Bridge in New Elvet. Walk across this footbridge, up Bow Lane and turn right to reach us. IMPORTANT! The pavement directly outside the museum is very narrow and children must enter in single file. Booking: Please contact our Curator, Mrs Jo Jones, on (0191) 386 8719 for more information and to arrange your visit. Charges:Teachers and helpers are free. We charge £2 per child for a half day visit and £3 per child for a whole day visit.Facilities: We only have one lavatory at the Centre but there are others nearby. Food: Weather permitting, we can provide you with picnic rugs and seats in our sculpture garden for your packed lunches. Teachers can buy cups of tea and coffee. If the weather is poor you are welcome to eat in our gallery. Shop: Please let us know in advance if the children wish to buy our pocket money toys, games etc. We guarantee you a very warm welcome!
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Hands-on History at Durham Heritage Centre
We can accommodate up to 32 children per visit. Schools often combine a visit to us with a visit to the cathedral although if you need a guide there you will need to arrange this in advance with the cathedral.