Sunderland Museums

(Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, UK)

When it comes to cultural attractions in the city, the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens is most definitely the crowning glory. Established during the middle of the 19th century, the Sunderland Museum was actually the first municipally funded attraction of its kind sited outside of London and remains one of the most popular in England.

Monkwearmouth Station Museum was opened in the seventies in an effort to preserve this attractive mid-19th-century station and its neo-classical architecture. For aviation buffs visiting Sunderland, the North East Aircraft Museum (NEAM) is likely to be of great interest and is home to a large collection of historic aircraft, in various states of renovation and repair.

Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens

Address: Burdon Road, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR1 1PP, England, UK
Tel: +44 0191 553 2323
Moved to its current location on the northern side of Mowbray Park in 1876, the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens incorporates the Winter Gardens and its striking Crystal Palace interpretation, which is filled with exotic, subtropical plants and flowers. Following bombing damage in the Second World War, much of the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens needed to be rebuilt and in 2001, lottery funds made many proposed improvements and enhancements possible. Highlights include video presentations, a collection of local Lustreware pottery, a stuffed lion named Wallace, the city's very first Nissan car to roll off the production line and innumerable Victorian artefacts. The onsite Art Gallery contains an impressive collection of more than 30 valuable L. S. Lowry masterpieces.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 14:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Monkwearmouth Station Museum

Address: North Bridge Street, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR5 1AP, England, UK
Tel: +44 0191 567 7075
Once a busy railway terminus for city trains travelling between Newcastle and Gateshead, this station closed in 1967 and was reopened in 1973 as a museum. Many original features remain, such as the booking office, ticket booths and fireplaces, which appear exactly as they would have more than 150 years ago. The history and heritage of public transport in Sunderland is also explored, by means of fun interactive exhibits. During school holidays, popular family friendly activities take place here. A recent £1 million refurbishment certainly adds to the overall appeal.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 14:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

North East Aircraft Museum (NEAM)

Address: Old Washington Road, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR5 3HZ, England, UK
Tel: +44 0191 519 0662
Housing the best collection of aviation history in northern England, the North East Aircraft Museum has more than 30 individual old aircraft and numerous engines, many of which have been completely restored. This attraction operates as a registered charity and is operated solely by volunteers and enthusiasts. Both planes and helicopters are on display here, with the Avro Vulcan subsonic bomber and the EE Canberra standing outside. The remainder of the aircraft are sited within three hangers an include an Avro Anson reconnaissance plane, a Sea Venom night-fighter and a Flying Flea single-seat aircraft, which was designed to be assembled at home, in just a small garage, and first flew in the early 1930s.
Open hours: daily, April to October - 10:00 to 17:00; November to March - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children under 16 years old, seniors and families (two adults and two children), children five years old and under are free

Washington 'F' Pit Museum

Address: Albany Way, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE37 1BJ, England, UK
Tel: +44 0191 553 2323
Celebrating Tyne and Wear's rich 250-year mining heritage, the Washington 'F' Pit Museum comprises an engine house, a restored Victorian steam engine and many coal-mining artefacts. The 'F' Pit was created in 1777 and continued to supply coal for almost 200 years, finally closing in 1968. This attraction is now owned by the city council, who organise a variety of events each year, including a popular family fun weekend at the beginning of August.
Open hours: hours vary according to special events
Admission: free

Sunderland Volunteer Life Brigade Museum

Address: The Watch House, Pier View, Roker, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR6 0PR, England, UK
Tel: +44 0191 567 2579
Established in 1877 and responsible for saving roughly 800 lives over the years that followed, the Sunderland Volunteer Life Brigade continues to operate around the section of England's north-easterly coast. This small museum documents the stories of the various brave rescues performed by the city's life brigade. There is much related memorabilia and photographs here in the Watch House, which serves as the actual working headquarters of this important association, together with the Sunderland VLB Coastal Search and Cliff Rescue Team.
Open hours: Sunday - 13:00 to 16:30
Admission: free

Ryhope Engines Museum

Address: Ryhope Pumping Station, Waterworks Road, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR2 0ND, England, UK
Tel: +44 0191 521 0235
Standing within the city's Ryhope suburb, the Ryhope Engines Museum occupies the Grade II-listed building that is the Ryhope Pumping Station. Operating for some 100 years and finally closing in 1967, the Ryhope Pumping Station was designed to facilitate the constantly increasing demand for water around the city. The station is no longer operational in any pumping capacity, although its two giant 100-horsepower beam engines are in working order and regularly run to demonstrate their sheer scale and power. Three 'Lancashire' boilers, a waterwheel and also a blacksmith's forge are also based here.
Open hours: Sunday - 14:00 to 16:30
Admission: free

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