Summer Holidays
A huge variety of activities are on offer this summer that are suitable for the whole family!
Dates
Friday 19 July - Sunday 1 September
Visitor information
Price
Free, but booking is essential for some activities. Donations welcome.
Need to know
We are open for business as usual on Bank Holiday Monday 26 August.
What's on
Join us at the Great North Museum: Hancock this Summer to discover a variety of activities linked to our annual theme of Hidden Worlds. Travel back in time with some ancient archaeology, meet the elusive lynx that once wandered the forests of Northumberland, and see beneath the surface of Newcastle with beautiful photos of unseen areas of the city—plus much more!
20 July-4 August: The Missing Lynx Exhibition visits Newcastle
Over two weeks this summer, the Great North Museum: Hancock hosts The Missing Lynx exhibition—a family-friendly experience with audio-visual displays that bring to life the woodlands where lynx could live. The exhibition charts the history and comeback of lynx across Europe and invites your opinions on bringing the species back to Britain.
Free. No booking required. Drop-In. Find out more.
23-24 July: Archaeology day
Dig up a good time! Learn how archaeologists unlock the secrets of the past. Part of the 2024 Festival of Archaeology.
Times:
Tuesday 23 July, 10am–2pm
Wednesday 24 July, 10am–2pm
Free. No booking required. Drop-In. Find out more.
8–11 August: NOVUM Festival
SHRINK 01995 by Lawrence Malstaf
Two large, transparent plastic sheets and a device that gradually sucks the air out from between them leave the body (in this case, local people from Newcastle) vacuum-packed and vertically suspended!
Free. No booking is required. Drop-in. For more info, including opening times, visit the NOVUM website.
Secret City: Newcastle Exhibition
The images captured by Andrew Brooks while exploring sites and rarely-seen Newcastle locations will be displayed in an exhibition in the Civic Centre Gardens and at the front of The Great North Museum: Hancock during NOVUM Festival.
Free. No booking is required. Drop-in. For more info, including opening times, visit the NOVUM website.
14-16 August: Marvellous Microbes from Cap-a-Pie theatre company
In this workshop, you'll journey into the marvellous world of microbes. These tiny superheroes are paving the way for environmental sustainability in ways you wouldn't believe, from cleaning water to making energy. Daily shows at 11am and 2pm. Suitable for those aged 4-7 and their grown-ups.
Free, booking required. Book tickets.
All Summer
Relaxed Early Opening sessions
Dates: 23 & 30 July, 6, 13, 20 & 27 August
Times: 9-10am
Join in our Relaxed Early Openings aimed at autistic visitors, those with other neurodiverse conditions or learning disabilities and other people who may need a quieter visiting experience. Free, booking required. Book tickets.
Mouse Tales
Dates: 30 July, 6, 13, 20 & 27 August
Times: 11-11.45am & 1-1.45pm
Join Georgina and Albany Mouse for Mouse Tales, our drop-in storytime for younger visitors, with a story, songs and objects to handle. Free. No booking is required. Drop-in.
Space Investigators - Astronomy in the North East
Investigate the evolution of telescopes, examine historical instruments and other ground-breaking discoveries, and get hands-on with interactive activities. Free. No booking is required. Drop-in.
Immerse yourself in a series of visualisations and embark on a time-travelling journey with insights from Newcastle University experts. Free. No booking is required. Drop-in.
PSYCHE: Where does the soul go?
This mini exhibition can be found in Hadrian's Wall gallery on the ground floor. Free. No booking is required. Drop-in.
Planetarium
Book your tickets on the day at the Welcome Desk. From £2.95 per person.
Hancock Café
Our main upstairs café is open daily. Please help us if you can by enjoying a pit stop - all purchases support the Museum.
Part of our Ways to Play programme of free and low-cost family-friendly activities.
Make your ‘Ways to Play’ adventure a great value day out by travelling to our venues by the Metro and / or Ferry.
Up to three children aged 11 and under can travel for free on the Metro and the Shields Ferry with a fare-paying adult. Metro is the convenient, fast and frequent way to get to your favourite attractions and now it’s even more affordable.
Funders
Tyne and Wear Metro
