Woodhorn Museum celebrates 20 years with special October events
Woodhorn will mark its 20th anniversary during October half term, with the museum’s birthday on Wednesday 28 October 2026.
The centrepiece of the celebrations will be the Luminarium Arborialis by Architects of Air, inviting visitors to step inside a spectacular world of light and colour and join Woodhorn in celebrating its 20th anniversary. The installation has been made possible thanks to funding from the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority and support from Northumberland County Council.
The birthday celebrations also mark the completion of major restoration work to the museum’s two iconic pithead frames, helping to protect these nationally important structures for generations to come.
Twenty years ago, Woodhorn Museum was redeveloped into a major visitor destination and archives centre. The £16 million redevelopment brought new exhibition spaces, community and learning facilities, a café and the striking Cutter Building, which became a permanent home for the world-famous Ashington Group collection, alongside the collections of Northumberland Archives.
The redevelopment also opened up the historic colliery buildings to a new generation of visitors. Woodhorn is a scheduled monument of national importance and is considered the best-preserved architectural example of a deep mine remaining in North East England.
Over the past twenty years, Woodhorn Museum has continued to develop as a place where Northumberland’s industrial heritage, creativity and communities come together – welcoming more than 1.4 million visitors since its redevelopment.
Woodhorn proudly houses the much-loved collection of art by Ashington’s Pitmen Painters, a striking collection of Northumberland Miners’ Banners, the Mik Critchlow ‘Coal Town’ photography collection and the annual Northumberland Miners’ Picnic. The Museum continues to look to the future with community at the heart of its work. Two flourishing community groups are the Age UK Woodhorn Weeders, who help care for the Museum’s grounds, and the Museum Marras, who help look after its collections. In recent years, the Museum has also introduced a Community Pass, giving local community groups free access to enjoy the Museum.
Environmental sustainability is also an increasingly important part of the Museum’s work, with a focus on developing greener spaces across the site and exploring the links between Northumberland’s coal mining heritage and the green energy and technologies shaping its future.
The restoration of Woodhorn’s iconic pithead frames has taken eleven months of specialist work, helping to protect these important structures for future generations. With the work now complete, the historic colliery buildings beneath, which have been closed during the restoration, can reopen to visitors, giving them the opportunity to explore more of Woodhorn’s historic site once again.
Jo Raw, Northumberland Venues Manager for North East Museums, said:
“Turning twenty is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate everything Woodhorn has become over the past two decades, and the communities who have been part of that journey. Completing the restoration of the heapsteads makes this anniversary particularly special, allowing us to protect an important part of our industrial heritage while reopening more of the historic site for visitors to enjoy. We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors this October as we celebrate Woodhorn’s past and look ahead to its future.”
Birthday Celebrations
To celebrate this landmark birthday, Woodhorn Museum is holding a number of events and activities across the October Half Term (24 October – 1 November) for visitors to take part in and enjoy – all of which are free with an Annual Pass.
At the heart of the programme is the Luminarium Arborialis by Architects of Air. A monumental walk-in sculpture, it invites visitors of all ages to explore a labyrinth of light and colour, creating an immersive sensory experience designed to inspire curiosity, reflection and wonder. Arborialis is fully accessible for wheelchair users and welcoming to visitors with SEND.
Inspired by nature, the Arborialis design has been specifically chosen for Woodhorn because of its strong connection to the story of the site. Its arboreal forms provide a link between the ancient forests that became coal and the region’s industrial heritage, while its name also references the aurora borealis, reflecting Northumberland’s status as the largest Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park in Europe.
Visitors can also take part in Mining for Memories, a celebratory activity created with artist Bethan Maddocks, inviting people to share their favourite memories of Woodhorn. Using a simple paper-based making activity, visitors will create black diamond shapes referencing coal, with their memories added to a growing installation in the Museum’s Cage Shop - creating a collective celebration of the people and experiences that have shaped Woodhorn over the past 20 years.
There will also be some Halloween fun to enjoy with the return of Woodhorn’s popular Pumpkin Trail (14 October – 1 November) and Birds of Prey Display (31 October).
For more information visit Woodhormuseum.org.uk
