Our museums, galleries, collections, and the Botanic Garden offer a wealth of opportunities for fun and learning for everyone, with exciting events and activities happening throughout the year.
All our venues are free for staff and students to visit, and their proximity makes it easy to explore multiple sites in a single day.
Come along to our attractions and get involved with all the fun activities available this summer.
Explore our Botanic Garden
Bring the whole family along to the annual Summer Fun Day at the Botanic Garden on Sunday 16 June (also Father's Day) and enjoy a range of activities throughout the day. From storytelling, crafts and face painting to live music and a plant sale, there is something for everyone.
The Garden will also host a Teddy Bear’s Picnic on Monday 12 August. Or join storyteller, Elizabeth Baker, on Thursday 22 August for stories and legends from countries where some of the plants from our Garden originate from.
Teddy Bear's picnic
Things to do at the Oriental Museum
Eternal Ascent: Bentley Beetham and the 1924 Mount Everest Expedition is a major exhibition at the Oriental Museum this summer. The exhibition marks the centenary of the 1924 Mount Everest Expedition through the photographs of local mountaineer Bentley Beetham, and you can enjoy it until Sunday 15 September.
The Museum will also hold its regular programme of family-friendly sessions for children aged 5 – 11 years throughout the summer. The sessions are inspired by the collections and exhibitions in the Museum and offer the opportunity for children to make their own crafts and artwork to take home.
Take a tour of Durham Castle
Durham Castle is open for guided tours all year round. Our experienced, friendly volunteers share the history and stories of the Castle.
You can find out more about the tours and book your tickets online. Tickets can also be purchased in person at Palace Green Library.
The World Heritage Site Visitor Centre within Palace Green Library also welcomes visitors to learn about the history of the UNESCO site.
Team Durham Holiday Camps
Our holiday camps are run at Maiden Castle Sports and Wellbeing Park during the school holidays. The camps focus on sports and activities for young people, allowing them to develop new skills and make new friends.
Dialogue spoke to Phil Hancock, Holiday Camps and Community Sports Club Coordinator in our Student Enrichment Directorate to find out more about the Team Durham Holiday camps.
The Team Durham holiday camps have been running since 2012/13. What makes them so popular?
The variety of sport on offer, along with the welcoming and inclusive environment created by our excellent coaches and volunteers, has resulted in the development of our extremely popular Holiday Sports Camps. Our camps have become an important asset in the local community, helping to support children to keep active, make friends and develop new skills in a fun, safe environment.
How many children have attended the holiday camps over the years?
Depending on the time of year we can have 100+ places available each day, with around 850 children attending across a year. We use the facilities at our Sports and Wellbeing Park, with the children being well looked after by an experienced and passionate team of staff and volunteers.
What is the most popular holiday camp?
Our largest and most popular camp is multisport, covering such a broad range of sports and physical activities, resulting in an impressive menu of games and fun for all to enjoy! Complimenting this, our specialist camps are favoured by many, developing more specific skills, such as our sought-after dance and adventure camps.
To find out more about the holiday camps and to book, please visit the Team Durham web pages.
Tell us a bit more about the Team Durham Junior Sports Clubs…
Our Junior Sports Clubs are designed to help widen access to, and participation in sport for children in the local community. The current programmes include hockey, tennis, volleyball and squash. Team Durham Junior Sports Clubs are built on the foundation of our excellent student volunteer base. Our student volunteer coaches are closely supported by the staff team who are well versed in both sports coaching and sport development. Overall, our Junior Clubs provide a safe and welcoming environment for those of all abilities to get active and have fun!
Pick up a Things To Do Guide from one of our venues, or visit our Things To do site for full details of all events and activities happening over the summer.
Enjoy the summer!