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.
In line with government guidance, Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens shop will reopen on Monday 12th April. Please check here for opening times and further details.
The rest of the building will remain closed to the public until further notice.
City Library will remain closed but will operate a Click and Collect Service
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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0.08 miles away
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0.26 miles away
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0.32 miles away
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0.20 miles away
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0.55 miles away
Accommodation nearby
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0.42 miles away
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0.23 miles away
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0.08 miles away
Did you know?
Sunderland is home of the National Glass Centre - the only UK centre celebrating the history of glass making and providing a world focus for glass. The centre reopened in 2013 after undergoing a major refurbishment.
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.
