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Discovery Museum hails August success

News imageNorth East Museums The Discovery Museum is a red-brick Victorian building with tall windows in its middle section. Two green dome-shaped towers are sitting on each of its ends. There is a tank in front of it, landscaped lawn and young trees. The sky above is blue with a few scattered clouds.North East Museums
The building has been used as a museum for 45 years

A Newcastle attraction is celebrating a "tremendous" month after visitors reached pre-Covid levels.

Discovery Museum recorded more than 28,000 visitors in its busiest August since before the pandemic.

A major draw was "Things That Go", an exhibition aimed at families with young children, featuring previously unseen items from its collection, and the first to be held in its new special exhibitions gallery.

There was also strong footfall over the summer at other North East Museums' venues, including the Great North Museum: Hancock, the Laing, Shipley and South Shields art galleries, and Hexham Old Gaol.

It marks an eventful year for the Discovery Museum, with the start of a £3.9m refurbishment of the building's roof and windows.

It also recently acquired the Union flag flown from HMS Royal Sovereign - the flagship of Newcastle-born Vice-Admiral Collingwood at the Battle of Trafalgar.

The flag which is thought to be hand-stitched by the crew nicknamed "the Tars of the Tyne", will go on display for two weeks from 17 October, then put in storage while a permanent space for the flag and the story of Vice Admiral Collingwood is created.

Keith Merrin, director of North East Museums said: "August has been a tremendous month... it's been great seeing the museum packed with happy families.

"The Things That Go exhibition in the new gallery has been a big boost and occupies a new space which will house more exciting exhibitions to come.

"[These] include Colourful Discoveries, celebrating the museum collections through colour in 2027 and a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Tyne Bridge in 2028."

News imageNorth East Museums Two display cabinets, part of a museum exhibition. The one on the left has a red label stating "To the Rescue" and the two shelves below containing models including a Victorian fire engine and an extendable ladder on wheels. The one on the right has a yellow label stating "On the Building Site" and its models include a lorry with lifting gear and a crane on caterpillar tracks.North East Museums
The "Things That Go" exhibition was a big draw for families

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