At Christmas time, the museum is decorated with traditional Christmas decorations, and you can take part in fun festive activities such as ice skating, drinking traditional mulled wine, and meeting reindeer at Santas Grotto. There are different buildings across the museum from different time periods across the 19th and 20thcentury that house exhibits about Christmas and the North East where you can watch carol services or try Christmas treats. To access each activity, you can walk around the museum (I recommend taking a torch!) or catch an old-fashioned tram! What I love the most about Beamish at Christmas is their night-time activities; everything is beautifully lit and feels completely magical.
If you’re interested in supporting local small businesses, there’s also a crafts and food market at the band stand as you enter the main section of the museum where you can try lots of local Christmas food and buy beautiful trinkets from local crafters for your Christmas tree or home. Meanwhile, a brass band plays jolly Christmas songs; truly setting the tone for the rest of the visit.
For a relatively small fee of £14.50 you can get an unlimited access student ticket for the whole year so you don’t only get to access Beamish’s Christmas activities, but everything else they do during the year. Definitely worth the buy if you like getting out and about, and like me, love the North East’s history.
Feature Image Credit: Beth Robson