Bowes Museum, is not your everyday museum, in fact it is more an art gallery than a museum, but then far from being an everyday art gallery. Rather it is a dynamic arts centre where exhibits change frequently and where there is much to keep both adults and children interested for many hours.
Bowes Museum
I had often passed the imposing building that is the Bowes Museum when travelling near Barnard Castle in County Durham, but had never stopped to look inside… until now. When I did, I was quite bowled over by the twenty-two galleries within the museum and was surprised to see many children busy producing their own pieces of artwork.
From the outside, Bowes Museum looks like a fine stately home. However it has never functioned as such. It was built as a public art gallery by John Bowes and his French wife Joséphine Benoîte Coffin-Chevallier.
John came from a noble family (Strathmore and Kinghorne) that had become wealthy from coal mining. This allowed John and Joséphine to build up a collection of fine paintings, to be exhibited in Bowes Museum. Unfortunately both John and his wife died before the museum opened in 1892.
John and Joséphine Bowes
It can be quite daunting to plan a visit when there are twenty-two galleries on three floors. In order to provide guidance, I will give information about each of the floors in turn.
But please bear in mind the dynamic nature of the exhibits in the Bowes Museum. Some of what we saw when we visited mid 2025, may no longer be on show just a few months later.
Ground Floor
Entrance to the Museum is via Reception and the ticket counter on this floor. There is also a Shop and Bowes Café to the right (which can be entered without purchasing a ticket).
Create Gallery
However the most interesting areas on this floor are the Curiosity Galleries with three sections: Create, Conversation and Curiosity. These galleries are designed to allow visitors, both young and old, who enjoy art and being creative, to get their hands on a vast range of exciting objects.
First Floor
This floor has the most individual galleries and the gallery titles give a good indication of their contents: Ceramic Gallery, European Decorative Art, Fashion & Textile Gallery, Decoration & Ornament, Exhibition Gallery, The Joséphine & John Galleries, The Hive.
Fashion & Textile Gallery
The Joséphine & John Galleries are rather different as they contain items commemorating the lives of these benefactors set out in a series of beautifully decorated rooms including a Dining Room, Dressing Room and Bedroom.
The Hive is very different in that it is a place where you are invited to: “Use this space to explore the collaborative spirit in our museum’s community. Here, our objects, artefacts, documents and collections have been curated. Rest, read and research.”
A special exhibition at the time we visited was the Pet Project by local artist Pippa Hale. The museum’s renowned ceramic collection is transformed into an interactive experience for all ages, which involve producing 2.5 m high soft, sculptural ‘squishes’! You will have to visit to understand what this is all about.
Dressing Room
Later this year an exhibition opens entitled: Dressed for Departure: Fashion in the Age of Rail. This will commemorate 200 years since the Stockton and Darlington Railway opened.
Second Floor
This floor has Ceramic Galleries, a Silver & Metals Gallery and a Music Room, but is dominated by the large Picture Galleries which have a massive collection of paintings including works by El Greco, Canaletto, Goya and Turner.
Quite overpowering and difficult to take it all in on a single visit.
Small Section of the Picture Gallery
A fascinating feature in the main Picture Gallery is the Silver Swan. This life-sized swan, which was purchased by John Bowes from a Parisian jeweller in 1872, is a clockwork device that includes a music box.
The Silver Swan is activated every day at 2 pm (and also at 11-45 am on bank holidays and during school holidays) and can be seen to pick up a little silver fish from a flowing silver stream. I found this not-to-be-missed attraction quite mesmerising!
The Silver Swan is now used as the emblem of the Bowes Museum.
Bowes Museum Opening Times and Entrance Prices
Silver Swan
The museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, except December 25th and 26th and January 1st. There is free parking behind the museum.
Admission to the museum is £20 for adults, but this includes repeat admission over 13 months. For County Durham residents and some adjoining areas the charge is £17.70. These admission rates are classed as ‘Membership‘ and give additional perks.
A standard day ticket costs £19.50 for adults – not a very good option by comparison with the membership rate!
Under 18s, full time students and carers always have free entry.
Membership tickets can be booked in advance at the Bowes Museum website.
When in the County Durham area, don’t miss out on the magnificent Raby Castle just eight miles NE of Bowes Museum. Entry is free for Historic Houses members, as also is entry to the nearby Bishop Auckland Palace.
POSTED 19th AUGUST 2025 by STEVE HANSON. The photographs were taken by BARBARA HANSON and DEBBIE ATKINSON. Thank you to AMELIA STALLWORTHY (Bowes Museum Marketing & Communications Coordinator) for an enlightening tour of the Museum.
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Bowes Museum: A Dynamic Art Gallery and Activity Centre
Bowes Museum, is not your everyday museum, in fact it is more an art gallery than a museum, but then far from being an everyday art gallery. Rather it is a dynamic arts centre where exhibits change frequently and where there is much to keep both adults and children interested for many hours.
I had often passed the imposing building that is the Bowes Museum when travelling near Barnard Castle in County Durham, but had never stopped to look inside… until now. When I did, I was quite bowled over by the twenty-two galleries within the museum and was surprised to see many children busy producing their own pieces of artwork.
From the outside, Bowes Museum looks like a fine stately home. However it has never functioned as such. It was built as a public art gallery by John Bowes and his French wife Joséphine Benoîte Coffin-Chevallier.
John came from a noble family (Strathmore and Kinghorne) that had become wealthy from coal mining. This allowed John and Joséphine to build up a collection of fine paintings, to be exhibited in Bowes Museum. Unfortunately both John and his wife died before the museum opened in 1892.
It can be quite daunting to plan a visit when there are twenty-two galleries on three floors. In order to provide guidance, I will give information about each of the floors in turn.
But please bear in mind the dynamic nature of the exhibits in the Bowes Museum. Some of what we saw when we visited mid 2025, may no longer be on show just a few months later.
Ground Floor
Entrance to the Museum is via Reception and the ticket counter on this floor. There is also a Shop and Bowes Café to the right (which can be entered without purchasing a ticket).
However the most interesting areas on this floor are the Curiosity Galleries with three sections: Create, Conversation and Curiosity. These galleries are designed to allow visitors, both young and old, who enjoy art and being creative, to get their hands on a vast range of exciting objects.
First Floor
This floor has the most individual galleries and the gallery titles give a good indication of their contents: Ceramic Gallery, European Decorative Art, Fashion & Textile Gallery, Decoration & Ornament, Exhibition Gallery, The Joséphine & John Galleries, The Hive.
The Joséphine & John Galleries are rather different as they contain items commemorating the lives of these benefactors set out in a series of beautifully decorated rooms including a Dining Room, Dressing Room and Bedroom.
The Hive is very different in that it is a place where you are invited to: “Use this space to explore the collaborative spirit in our museum’s community. Here, our objects, artefacts, documents and collections have been curated. Rest, read and research.”
A special exhibition at the time we visited was the Pet Project by local artist Pippa Hale. The museum’s renowned ceramic collection is transformed into an interactive experience for all ages, which involve producing 2.5 m high soft, sculptural ‘squishes’! You will have to visit to understand what this is all about.
Later this year an exhibition opens entitled: Dressed for Departure: Fashion in the Age of Rail. This will commemorate 200 years since the Stockton and Darlington Railway opened.
Second Floor
This floor has Ceramic Galleries, a Silver & Metals Gallery and a Music Room, but is dominated by the large Picture Galleries which have a massive collection of paintings including works by El Greco, Canaletto, Goya and Turner.
Quite overpowering and difficult to take it all in on a single visit.
A fascinating feature in the main Picture Gallery is the Silver Swan. This life-sized swan, which was purchased by John Bowes from a Parisian jeweller in 1872, is a clockwork device that includes a music box.
The Silver Swan is activated every day at 2 pm (and also at 11-45 am on bank holidays and during school holidays) and can be seen to pick up a little silver fish from a flowing silver stream. I found this not-to-be-missed attraction quite mesmerising!
The Silver Swan is now used as the emblem of the Bowes Museum.
Bowes Museum Opening Times and Entrance Prices
The museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, except December 25th and 26th and January 1st. There is free parking behind the museum.
Admission to the museum is £20 for adults, but this includes repeat admission over 13 months. For County Durham residents and some adjoining areas the charge is £17.70. These admission rates are classed as ‘Membership‘ and give additional perks.
A standard day ticket costs £19.50 for adults – not a very good option by comparison with the membership rate!
Under 18s, full time students and carers always have free entry.
Membership tickets can be booked in advance at the Bowes Museum website.
When in the County Durham area, don’t miss out on the magnificent Raby Castle just eight miles NE of Bowes Museum. Entry is free for Historic Houses members, as also is entry to the nearby Bishop Auckland Palace.
POSTED 19th AUGUST 2025 by STEVE HANSON. The photographs were taken by BARBARA HANSON and DEBBIE ATKINSON. Thank you to AMELIA STALLWORTHY (Bowes Museum Marketing & Communications Coordinator) for an enlightening tour of the Museum.