Newcastle Attractions

Destination Newcastle > Attractions


Whoever you are and whatever you’re into, Newcastle upon Tyne’s diverse range of activities, venues and events will keep you entertained.

From Europe’s largest indoor fair to the fun-filled Centre for Life; from the 2,000 years worth of history found in and around the city streets to the stunning new buildings along the quayside, Newcastle has something to suit every taste.

Attractions


Arbeia Roman Fort

Built around AD160, Arbeia Roman Fort once guarded the entrance to the River Tyne, playing an essential role in the mighty frontier system. Based four miles east of the end of Hadrian’s Wall at South Shields, the Fort was originally built to house a garrison and soon became the military supply base for the 17 […]





BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art

The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art (BALTIC) is an international centre for contemporary art located on the south bank of the River Tyne alongside the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. It presents a constantly changing programme of exhibitions and events, and is a world leader in the presentation, commissioning and communication of contemporary visual art. BALTIC has […]





Blue Reef Aquarium

Take the ultimate undersea safari at Blue Reef Aquarium, Tynemouth.  Enjoy close encounters with seahorses, sharks, giant octopus, frogs, otters and hundreds of other incredible aquatic creatures. Entertaining talks and feeding displays help bring the whole experience to life. Don’t miss the amazing Seal Cove! This purpose-built outdoor facility provides a perfect environment for our captive-bred […]





Castle Keep

The Castle Keep of Newcastle upon Tyne was built by Henry II between 1168-1178, it is one of the finest surviving examples of a Norman Keep in the country. The Castle Keep is a Grade 1 listed building, a Scheduled Ancient monument, and is open to the public 361 days of the year as a […]





City Sight Seeing Tours

Get a bird’s-eye view of the city!  The Citysightseeing tour will show you all the sights and sounds of this vibrant North East area, and buying your ticket couldn’t be easier – simply pay the driver! Hop On – Hop Off! Stops include: City Centre St. James’ Park Millennium Bridge The Baltic The Sage Tyne Bridge […]





Discovery Museum

Discover all about life in Newcastle and Tyneside, from the area’s renowned maritime history and world-changing science and technology right through to fashion through the eras and military history. The museum is bursting with interactive displays, which makes it the perfect place to learn and have fun. The displays are regularly updated and complemented by an […]





Electrik Sheep Gallery

The Electrik Sheep gallery opened on Newcastle’s busy Pink Lane in October 2003. The gallery extends the stores aesthetic into the art world. Since opening our walls have been graced with work from some of the best artists in the world. The gallery offers a totally flexible space in an intimate setting and it’s huge […]





Exhibition Park

Located in the heart of Newcastle and less than five minutes away from the A167, exhibition park is the perfect day out for any family in Newcastle. The park has something for everyone from the swing park for the toddlers to the putting range for the parents. The park has a full range of activities […]





Gateshead Millennium Bridge

Gateshead Millennium Bridge – the world’s first and only tilting bridge! Linking developments on both sides of the river is the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. A stunning pedestrian and cycle bridge which operates like the giant lid of an eye slowly opening, forming an arch under which ships can pass. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects and […]





Great North Museum

The flagship visitor attraction incorporates collections from the Hancock Museum and Newcastle University’s Museum of Antiquities, the Shefton Museum and the Hatton Gallery. Highlights of the new £26million museum include a large-scale, interactive model of Hadrian’s Wall, major new displays showing the wonder and diversity of the animal and plant kingdoms, spectacular objects from the […]





Hadrian’s Wall

A tour of the easterly end of Hadrian’s Wall County could begin with Tynemouth Priory and Castle, teetering on the edge of the North Sea, and then the reconstructions at the supply base of Arbeia Roman Fort & Museum at South Shields. The beginning of the Wall itself can be seen at extensively excavated Segedunum […]





Hatton Gallery

Described in recent years as “one of the most impressive exhibition spaces in Britain”, Newcastle University’s Hatton Gallery, situated in the old Quadrangle, has been at the heart of cultural life in the North East since the early twentieth century. The Hatton stages a highly-regarded programme of historical, modern and contemporary art exhibitions. Over recent […]





Laing Art Gallery

The Laing is home to an impressive collection of art and sculpture and its exhibition programme is renowned for bringing the biggest names in historic, modern and contemporary art to the North East. The Gallery has a packed programme of free events which include gallery talks, family activities and artists’ events. The impressive permanent collection […]





Metro Nocturne

State-of-the-art low-power LED lighting and a new colour scheme will transform the bridge into a new landmark at one of the busiest gateways to Tyne and Wear – but consume less power than the average family home. The huge scale of the bridge makes Nocturne one of the largest permanent art installations in the UK. The […]





Newcastle Racecourse

Enjoy exciting horse racing days out at Newcastle Racecourse plus racing hospitality, events & venue hire, racing sponsorship plus Parklands Golf Course. Newcastle’s famous Gosforth Park Racecourse is set within 812 acres of the High Gosforth Park Estate and only 2 minutes from the main A1 motorway. Home to meetings across the National Hunt and Flat […]





Newcastle United Stadium Tours

A tour of St. James’ Park will take you on an amazing journey through the history of Newcastle United. Your knowledgeable tour guide will show you many areas you will never have seen before – as well as some very famous ones! Tour highlights include: Take a look inside the changing rooms Find out what […]





Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths & Museum

In AD122 the Emperor Hadrian ordered a mighty frontier system to be built across Britain to defend the Roman Empire from the barbarians to the North. The result was Hadrian’s Wall, a 73 mile barrier stretching from the River Tyne in the east to the Solway Firth in the west. Segedunum, which means strong Fort, […]





Seven Stories

Seven Stories is the only exhibition space in the UK dedicated to the celebration of British children’s literature. Our changing programme of exhibitions is designed to spark the imaginations of children and adults, and inspire exciting new work. There’s always a choice of creative activities on offer throughout Seven Stories. Join in with dressing-up and […]





Shipley Art Gallery

Relax, unwind and discover the fantastic range of art and design on show in the friendly surroundings of the Shipley. Over the last 25 years the venue has become established as a national centre for contemporary craft and has built up one of the best collections outside London, including ceramics, wood, metal, glass, textiles and […]





Stephenson Railway Museum

Re-live the glorious days of the steam railway at Stephenson Railway Museum in North Shields. See George Stephenson’s Billy, a forerunner of the world-famous Rocket, and many other engines from the great age of steam including Jackie Milburn, named after the Newcastle United legend. Discover the impact of the coal industry on the region’s railways […]





The Biscuit Factory

The Biscuit Factory, Britain’s biggest commercial gallery comprising 35,000 square feet with two floors of exhibition spaces and two floors of artists’ studios. We sell paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, photography, ceramics, jewellery and glass by artists from all over the world. The Biscuit Factory is a fun, relaxed place to buy original contemporary art in […]





The Centre for Life

The Centre for Life in Newcastle upon Tyne is a science village where scientists, clinicians, educationalists and business people come together to promote advancement of the life sciences. In the last decade, their combined efforts have produced spectacular results and have secured Life’s reputation as a centre for world class science. Almost 500 people from […]





The Great North Run

The Great North Run is the world’s most popular half marathon road running event. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields. The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster. This year’s race is on 19th September and around 50,000 people are expected to line up […]





The Hoppings Fun Fair

The Hoppings fun fair is Europe’s largest travelling funfair and is held at the end of June every year since 1882 in Newcastle Upon Tyne When you visit Hoppings for yourself you can see why it has become such a big hit. There are over 60 rides appealing to all ages and sizes. Everything from […]





The Sage

Just over the river is the The Sage – an international home for music and musical discovery, bringing about a widespread and long-term enrichment of the musical life of the North East of England. Our inclusive approach enables all our performance, learning and participation programmes to be constantly inspired and supported by each other. The Sage […]





Tynemouth Priory and Castle

Tynemouth Castle is located on a rocky headland (known as Pen Bal Crag), overlooking Tynemouth Pier. The moated castle-towers, gatehouse and keep are combined with the ruins of the Benedictine priory where early kings of Northumbria were buried. The coat of arms of the town of Tynemouth still includes three crowns commemorating the tradition that […]





Wet n Wild

One of Europe’s largest waterparks – Wet N’ Wild had loads of great rides and water activities, with names like the Kamikaze and Tsunami – you get the picture. Ticket lasts the whole day and there are restaurants and other facilities inside.