Durham University Museum of Archaeology

About the museum

The museum traces its roots to 1833, when Durham University opened its first museum in the Old Fulling Mill on the River Wear, one year after the university was founded. It was only the second university museum in England open to the public and held natural history specimens, archaeology, curiosities and antiquities. After repeated flooding at the riverside site, the museum moved in 1878 to Bishop Cosin’s Almshouses on Palace Green.

In 1917 the university decided to close the museum, and some objects went to university departments while the rest went into storage. The collections grew again after Eric Birley became the university’s first archaeology lecturer in 1931 and added material from his Hadrian’s Wall excavations. The Old Fulling Mill reopened as an archaeology-only museum in 1975, with new displays opened in 1986.

In 2014 the displays moved to a larger gallery in Palace Green Library, in the Durham World Heritage Site, and the research collections moved to an offsite store in 2021. The collections run from prehistory to modern times, with over 1,000 prehistoric objects and thousands of Roman objects, including the first complete Roman Fleet Diploma found in the UK. The gallery at Palace Green has attracted nearly 30,000 visitors a year.

Highlights

• First complete Roman Fleet Diploma found in the UK
• Roman stone-carved altars
• Piercebridge divers’ finds, including scale armour and coins
• Gallery on Durham’s prehistoric and Roman past
• Refurbished gallery “From the Anglo Saxons to the modern day”

Permanent exhibitions

• Durham’s prehistoric and Roman past – A gallery of prehistoric and Roman objects from Durham and the surrounding area, including Roman altars and the Piercebridge finds.
• From the Anglo Saxons to the modern day – A refurbished gallery on Durham’s later history, with new displays opening in June 2026.

Founded

1833

Operated by

Durham University

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

The Durham gallery in Palace Green Library has free entry.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Palace Green Library has accessible lifts and accessible toilets, and a portable hearing loop is available at the museum reception desk. Large print guides are available in all permanent galleries. Gallery videos have English subtitles but no British Sign Language interpretation, and some areas are dimly lit to protect objects. Wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be hired from Durham City Shopmobility. There is no parking at Palace Green Library; accessible parking details are on the Durham County Council website.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Baby changing facilities

The museum offers family-friendly activities, workshops for schools and home learners, and a talks programme. Baby changing is available near the Barker Research Library.

Getting there & parking

The Park and Ride operates every day from 07:00 to 19:00. The museum’s own postcode is DH1 3RN.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Lockers

There is no café in Palace Green Library; food and drink are available around the World Heritage Site and in Durham city. The library shop sells gifts, souvenirs and publications. Lockers need a £1 coin, which is returned. Toilets, including an accessible toilet, are near reception on the ground floor.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit