Its a good day out in there and if the weather is fine Mowbray park is interesting also.read more

Only popped in as we were short of time and had a quick look around spending most of our time in…read morethe house. A definite longer visit next time we visit Sunderland.

I accidentally stumbled upon this place on a day trip from Hadrian's Wall. Really cool little…read moremuseum with gruesome and interesting history. I like places that are off the beaten path, so this satisfied my curiosity. They have cool exhibits with wax figures, costumes you can try on, and part of an old dungeon. They also have good student discounts. The Gaol is situated in old Hexham, right by the Abbey. Go ahead and satisfy your macabre sense of humour!

Built in 1311 it was one of the first buildings that was built to be a proper jail. you can get…read morestuck in the stocks outside or go down to the dungeon though not for long. There is a commentary from people who used to live in the times of the border reviers which comes on autmotically and lots of info about the jail break here in the 1600 and the lives of the prisoners It also has the border libary and a film on a riever raid, you are much better going to one of the bastles or towers on the borders to get a fee of what it would be like in riever times it has a nice little shop in it a intersting place to learn more about the history of Hexham but it is very hard to imagine being imprisoned here The only eerie thing is the skull of Sir john fenwick a jacobite who was beheaded for treason

Very good free museum at the University of Newcastle. The Great North Museum focuses on natural…read morehistory for the most part, with interesting sections on world cultures as well. The exhibits are interesting and informative, but also interactive enough to keep everyone's attention. When we visited, there was a special exhibition on the amazing Gertrude Bell. It tells her life story, including her fascinating archaeological work in the middle east, and her efforts to establish a National Museum in Baghdad. A truly interesting woman. There is a good shop and a café on site, so you can definitely spend a few hours here and not get bored. Highly recommended in Newcastle.

A really great couple of hours spent wandering around. The refurb quite clearly, and rightly…read morefocussed on interaction with children in mind dumbing down some of the exhibits. Cafe was OK; just about OK.

Bede's World is a brisk walk away from Jarrow metro station and is thankfully quite well sign…read moreposted. On arrival the staff on the front desk were polite and helpful. The only criticism being there didn't appear to be a guide book for sale. The front desk leads to the museum which explains who Bede was and tells you some fascinating history about Great Britain. It's quite possible to spend several hours in the museum but I decided instead after an hour or so to take a look outside. The gardens are a real treat and it was great to see such well cared for animals. Next time I am near Newcastle I will definitely try and visit again.

Took my children today. Age 4 and 18 months. Both got in free which is a bonus…read more We went for the Halloween activities. The storyteller was fantastic! She was very enthusiastic and had the children loving the story. Will have to visit again!

The National Glass centre has free entry and hosts the end of year show for Sunderland University…read moreGlass Students, they also operate a tour where you can watch the glass making process. There is a reasonably priced cafe and a shop where you can purchase items made by both the students and established artists. The building itself is impressive with a glass roof which you can walk on. There is a large free car park and it is situated a short walk away from the metro line. A great day out for all that family.

There is free entry to the glass centre You can watch the…read moreartists blow the glass and go look at the glass galleries There is free parking outside or it is a short walk from the metro station There are free talks and a gallery where you can see what glass is made from and loads of information about the history of glass There is a really nice resteraunt here and a shop where you can buy all sorts of things made from glass for good prices If you have a free afternoon it is worth a visit They do differen courses as well if you have ever been interested in making something from glass

South Shields Museum & Art Gallery is a free museum funded by the council, in South Shields city…read morecentre. It has recently been refurbished, though I have not been inside for over a year now so am not sure what the refurbishment entailed! Bearing in mind that is it free it is obviously worth a look around. I particularly like the Catherine Cookson-esque street scenes, and also... the old fashioned sweetie shop. It sells loads of classic old sweets - it's always packed with kids, for obvious reasons! Definitely try the cinder toffee and the cola cubes!!! For the more cultured types there are often art displays upstairs. There is WC access too so it is easily accessible to all of the public. You can find out more about the current displays and exhibitions by going to their website: http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/southshields/

Based at the bottom of King St the Shields museum is funded by the council and is free for anyone…read moreto go inside. The displays vary all year round and have quite a bit of local history inside of them. Although the museum itself is quite small some of the diaplya are very informative and appeal to people of all ages. I think that the council could do more to promote this place as very few people know about it and even more so know that it is free to enter and have a look around. The museum is ideal for people who are on there way to the beach to take in a little history of the town and will get you to know the place a little better.

Aydon Castle is a 13th century English manor house which was later turned into a farmhouse and was…read morethen restored as closely as possible to its former state. It's an enjoyable place to visit and you get a good sense of what it must have been like to live in medieval times thanks to the information boards in the main castle building. It's a pleasantly understated English Heritage site really, a bit of a relief after the busier Roman historical sites in the area which inevitably draw more of the crowds. When I visited it was £3.90 for adults, £3.50 for concessions (not much of a concession really as always with English Heritage) and £2.30 for a child. It is accessed by a narrow, and at parts rough, road and has a similarly rough and ready car park. Worth a visit really, especially on a sunny day as there are a few picnic tables and the perimeter walk traverses some pretty woodland.

I love the exterior of this building but the interior is a major disappointment with 5 floors of…read morenothing, a total waste of space. This is supposed to be a building to house contemporary art but the art was very minimal and nothing that excited or inspired or touched me in any way. The only good thing I can say about this gallery is the roof top terrace gives a fabulous view of the bridges and the shop has some cool things but apart from that, it left me uninspired and disappointed.

I came across it by accident. It was a very foggy Saturday morning in Newcastle and my head was…read morebegging for a cup of coffee. First I spotted the cafe, then the bookstore, which was a treasure trove of sorts, then I noticed the label Free Entry and I was already walking towards the reception desk. The receptionist met me with a very warm smile eager to welcome me and tell me about the exhibitions - from all five floors, only two were open. The ground floor contained an installation by Jordan Baseman and the second floor had a pharmacy exhibit by Damien Hirst. Baseman's work consisted of three audio/video clips with disturbing stories of people being sexually harressed or somehow psychologically damaged or scarred. The second exhibition was a bit disappointing: in a very small room the whole arrangement was that of a pharmacy store with the counter installed in too. Only after reading the brochure I realized the artist's idea behind it, which I found a bit fa-fetched and untruthful. I spent almost an hour inside because of the shop and the cafe which treated me with a great service: I bought a melting chocolate flapjack and a hot cup of espresso. For such a lovely architectural design, I though it was a bit of a shame that they do not to use the whole space for art, I am sure there is a lot of interesting art that could be and should be made available to the public.