Discovery Museum launches new gallery with North East transport themed exhibition

Discovery Museum in Newcastle is launching a brand-new Special Exhibitions Gallery with a playful transport exhibition called Things That Go! particularly aimed at families with younger children, opening on Saturday 1 August and running until 28 February 2027. 

The newly renovated and modernised gallery space will showcase transport-themed objects never before seen from the museum's collections, from boats and bicycles to tractors, trains and prams. Highlights include a surfboard belonging to North Tyneside's British and international surfing champion Gabe Davies, and a toy van made for the Fenwick family in 1938.  

Things That Go! is a free exhibition sponsored by Lumo Travel, Stagecoach and Tyne and Wear Metro.  

The Wolfson Foundation and The National Lottery Heritage Fund have supported the costs of the new Special Exhibitions Gallery.

Keith Merrin, Director of North East Museums, said: 

"The new Special Exhibitions Gallery has transformed a tired space into a bright, contemporary gallery, enabling Discovery Museum to share more of its collections that would otherwise be hidden from view in our stores for visitors to enjoy." 

"Things That Go! is a fun way to bring out items from the collection that relate to the theme of transport and, whilst it has been created with younger families in mind, there are some fascinating and evocative objects on display for all generations to explore.  

"We're very grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Wolfson Foundation for helping us transform the space and all of the Things That Go! sponsors and supporters.” 

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: 

“It’s fantastic news that the Discovery Museum has created this new flexible space, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players. It gives visitors a fresh and innovative way to experience and explore the museum’s wonderful collection.  We’re delighted to have supported the transformation of the space and to see it launched with this fun and engaging exhibition that is sure to be a hit with families from the North East and further afield.” 

Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said:

“We are delighted to support North East Museums with the redevelopment of the Discovery Museum’s special exhibition gallery. The Museum has a rich diversity of stories to tell and the ongoing, imaginative exhibition programme (starting with Things That Go!) will open up the collections to new audiences.”

Richard Salkeld, Director of Communications and Partnerships at Lumo, said: 

“Discovery Museum is one of Newcastle’s great attractions, celebrating the ideas, inventions and innovation that have helped shape our region. As a Newcastle-based train company, we’re proud to support Things That Go!, bringing our all-electric trains into the exhibition through imaginative play and helping inspire families to think differently about the future of travel.”  

Steve Walker, Managing Director, Stagecoach North East, said:  

"We're proud to support Things That Go!, an exhibition that celebrates the important role transport plays in connecting people, places and communities. By bringing transport to life through hands-on experiences and inspiring stories, we hope it will spark curiosity in young visitors, encourage a love of learning and help the next generation discover the many opportunities that the world of transport has to offer."   

David Turton, Marketing Manager, Tyne and Wear Metro said:   

"Tyne and Wear Metro is proud to support Things That Go! at Discovery Museum. Transport has always played a vital role in connecting communities across our region, and this exhibition celebrates the vehicles, innovations and stories that have helped shape life in the North East.   

"We're particularly delighted to see Metro represented alongside so many fascinating objects from the museum's collections. Kids aged 11 and under go free on Metro - and buses over the school holidays - with fare paying adults, enabling families to create their own transport adventure while exploring this wonderful exhibition."  

Inspired by the many ‘Things That Go’ picture books produced for young children over the years, the objects will be grouped into sections including By the Sea, To the Rescue, On the Building Site and On the Farm. 

Curators have delved into Discovery Museum's world-class collections to find new and exciting objects to feature in Things That Go!, helping to inspire the next generation of museum-goers, thinkers and tinkerers. 

The exhibition will feature a life-size Lumo play train complete with sound buttons, a magnetic transport play wall, a transport play table and a storytelling and reading corner with transport-themed books. 

An accessible gallery reference book will be available for visitors who would like to learn more about the objects on display. 

Other objects on display include an Armstrong-Whitworth biplane and an ornate Royal Mail carriage model. An electric model of a Lumo train will run continuously around some of the exhibition's historic transport objects. 

Models of the Shields Ferry and South Shields trolleybus will be displayed alongside 1950s toy cars, steam locomotives, a Victorian fire engine model and a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) model.   

Discovery Museum is free to visit and booking is not required.  

The museum is currently covered in scaffolding while roof restoration work takes place, but the museum and Tyne & Wear Archives continue to operate as normal. 

Discovery Museum is open weekdays from 10am to 4pm and weekends from 11am to 4pm.