Donating objects to Beamish Museum

Beamish tells the story of everyday life in the North East through time. Costumed staff and volunteers bring to life these amazing stories using the museum’s internationally-recognised collection of objects. Read on to find out about donating objects to Beamish Museum.

We welcome the opportunity to add new items to the collections and are extremely grateful for all offers of object donations we receive. However, we aren’t able to accept every object offered to us, usually due to limits on storage, costs and duplication within the collection.

Donating objects to Beamish Museum

Before bringing an object to Beamish or arranging delivery, please contact our Collections Team who first need to gather information on every potential donation.

You can contact us by:

Email:  Please send a description, photo, brief history and current location of the object to collections@beamish.org.uk.

Telephone: Ring the Beamish switchboard, tel. 0191 370 4000.

After careful consideration, we will let you know whether the object can be accepted and, where necessary, will make arrangements for delivery or collection.

Please note that staff working around the museum site, including the Entrance, are unable to accept donated objects – this can only be arranged through the Collections Team, thank you.

Beamish is continually developing and planning for the stories we will tell in the future, so it could be some time before an object is used in exhibits or displayed. In the meantime, it will be stored and catalogued for eventual use.

Please note:

  • Beamish does not normally accept objects on long-term loan.
  • The museum cannot accept objects with specific conditions attached.
  • In almost every circumstance, objects containing hazardous materials and substances (eg. asbestos, explosives, radioactive material, flammable, poisonous or potential carcinogens) will not be accepted.

Contact us

Email:              collections@beamish.org.uk