Sunderland Museum, Library & Winter Gardens

Due to the latest national lockdown restrictions Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens and City Library @ Museum & Winter Gardens will be closed to the public until further notice.
Please keep checking this page for updates.
Discover Sunderland’s fascinating history in one place. With a collection dating back to 1846 there are plenty of surprises at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens. Perhaps the most famous object of all is Wallace the Lion.
Wallace was part of a touring wild animal show which visited Sunderland during the 1800s with the then famous African tamer Martini Maccomo. When he died, some years later Wallace the lion, came into the Museum’s collection and remains one of the most popular exhibits. Over 135 years later, he’s still here…posing for selfies!
You’ll also find hundreds of other amazing objects like the first Nissan car to roll off the production line at their Sunderland factory in 1986. Galleries cover the shipbuilding, glass and pottery making industries the Anglo-Saxon period and many other aspects of the city’s past.
The Art Gallery shows a significant collection of the works of LS Lowry an artist who spent lots of time in Sunderland. The temporary exhibition and events programme mean that there is always something new and exciting to see and do for all the family.
The Winter Gardens, a 21st Century addition to the museum is a tropical paradise. Over 2,000 plants thrive in the glass rotunda and from the tree top walkway visitors have a bird’s eye view of beautiful Mowbray Park.
Please note that the Pottery Gallery is occasionally closed to the general public due to special events taking place. Please contact the museum before your visit to check opening information.
Entry to the museum is free but donations are welcome.
For full information on accessing the museum and what you can see here, click here
Attraction/Venue Information
Things to do nearby
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0.26 miles away
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0.46 miles away
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0.55 miles away
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0.20 miles away
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0.36 miles away
Accommodation nearby
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0.08 miles away
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0.23 miles away
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0.42 miles away
Did you know?
2013 marked 21 years since Sunderland city status from HM The Queen, on 23rd March 1992.
Sunderland Top Ten's
Looking for a great family day out in a friendly, exciting city by the sea? Looking for fascinating museums, cute wildlife and plenty of space for your little ones to run off their excess energy? Look no more because Sunderland ticks all those boxes and more. Here are our ten best things for all of the family to do in Sunderland.