Half Term Fun at Beamish

May 26th 2021

Visit Beamish this Half Term (29th May to 6th June 2021) where there’ll be something to see and do every day at the museum.

From a car rally, candle making and 1950s Coronation celebrations to live music, musket firing displays and medallion making, there’s plenty to get involved with from Saturday, 29th May to Sunday, 6th June!

Paul Foster, Historic Events Officer, said: “There’s lots to see and do at Beamish during the local May Half Term, including transport, traditional craft demonstrations, music, Coronation celebrations and a fun family trail – there’ll be plenty to keep the whole family entertained.

“All events and activities have been carefully planned so that they are COVID-19 Secure and there are various measures in place across the museum to ensure a fantastic family day out.

“Be sure to keep an eye out on our website and social media for more information on upcoming Beamish events!”

Visit the museum for the last weekend of the Meet the Georgians event on Saturday, 29th and Sunday, 30th May. See displays by The Old 68th Durham Light Infantry Society and Display Team in The 1820s Landscape. Members of the group will share fascinating information on the regiment and carry out explosive musket firing demonstrations. Plus, there’ll be candle making demonstrations where you can find out more about this traditional craft. Georgian musicians will play traditional tunes for the Monday Bank Holiday (31st May), the final day of the Meet the Georgians event.

Meet the Georgians at Beamish the May Half Term.

Also taking place on Saturday, 29th is the Eastern European Car Rally. Visitors will be able to admire unusual and quirky cars on our Events Field. Organised by the Wartburg Trabant IFA Club, there will be a great selection of vehicles to see.

The 1820s Pockerley Waggonway will be operating steam train rides again for the first time since the museum’s first closure due to coronavirus. From Saturday, 29th May visitors will be able to take a ride through the Georgian landscape behind replica engine Puffing Billy and experience the early days of railway. Rides will be limited to one compartment per household/support bubble and masks must be worn in line with government COVID-19 rules.

See The Colliery Railway operating on Monday, 31st May, and the Friends of Beamish will be operating historic vehicles from Tuesday, 1st to Friday, 4th June. Be sure to keep an eye out for them as they travel around the museum site and they will have a fascinating display outside The 1900s Town garage.

Visit us from Wednesday, 2nd to Sunday, 6th June for 1950s royal celebrations as the museum remembers the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, which took place on 2nd June 1953 at Westminster Abbey.

Celebrations will be centred around our 1950s welfare hall, the first building in The 1950s Town. Visitors will be able to admire fascinating items from our collection, including original street decorations used during the Coronation celebrations and commemorative ceramics. There will be a party-style Coronation spread and bunting, and visitors will be able to watch footage of the Coronation and see the new Queen being crowned.

Plus, on Saturday, 5th and Sunday, 6th June, visitors will be able to make themselves a paper party hat, listen to 1950s music, create a commemorative medallion and take part in 1950s-style party games and challenges. The Colliery Railway will also be operating during the weekend.

Don’t forget, every day at the museum you can also complete the fantastic flower trail. There are 20 colourful flowers blooming in the windows around Beamish, download a copy of the flower trail here and tick them off as you follow the trail and discover fascinating floral facts.

A member of Beamish staff completing the Beamish Flower Trail

Complete the fantastic flower trail during May Half Term at Beamish.

As well as a walk around our beautiful museum grounds, under Step 3 of the government’s COVID-19 roadmap, we are delighted that visitors can now also go inside many of our exhibits and buildings.

In The 1900s Town be sure to visit the Edwardian Co-op, chemist’s, garage, bank, Masonic Hall and Ravensworth Terrace, including the dentist’s and music teacher’s houses. You can also enjoy a spot of Edwardian shopping at the stalls, where there is a fantastic range of gifts and souvenirs!

Visitors can also have a go on rides at The Fairground, including the gallopers, side show, chair-o-planes and helter skelter (small charge applies).

In The 1900s Pit Village pop into the band hall, school, chapel and see the pit cottages and what is growing in the gardens. In The 1900s Colliery, visit the lamp cabin, engine shed and heapstead and winding engine house. Plus, see The Colliery Railway operating on Monday, 31st May and weekends (excluding 29th and 30th May).

For May Half Term only, visitors can go inside Garden Cottage – home of the Land Girls – at The 1940s Farm and enjoy spotting farm animals whilst walking around the cottages (our 1940s farmhouse is not yet open). There might also be the opportunity to take part in Home Guard drills!

Our 1950s buses are also running once again and visitors can enjoy table service in the Tea Rooms in The 1900s Town, as well as takeaway treats from Davy’s fish and chip shop, Jubilee Confectioners sweet shop, Herron’s Bakery and The Sun Inn. Table service and takeaway options are also available in the 1950s welfare hall (weekends and local school holidays only). For more information please click here.

Beamish is a charity, and 95 per cent of our income is from ticket sales, retail and catering, so our closures due to the coronavirus pandemic over the past year continue to have a huge effect.

Timeslots tickets for visits up to 20th June 2021 are available to book on our website. ALL visitors must pre-book an entry timeslot as part of the museum’s COVID-19 Secure measures, including Friends of Beamish members and Beamish Unlimited Pass holders. To find out more information about visiting the museum and to book your timeslot please click here.

Beamish has a range of COVID-19 Secure health and hygiene measures in place across the museum, including pre-booked entry timeslots, enhanced cleaning, social distancing, one-way systems, hand sanitiser points and contactless card payments. Under government rules, all visitors over the age of 16 will be asked to scan the NHS QR code using the NHS COVID-19 app, or provide their name and contact details at the Entrance for the purposes of NHS Test and Trace.

We hold the “We’re Good To Go” standard, which is awarded to organisations that are following government and industry guidelines, have a COVID-19 risk assessment and processes to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing.

Beamish is continuing to follow government and public health COVID-19 safety guidance and reserves the right to alter events, activities, facilities, operations and opening times without prior notice.