Museums in Sunderland: What Is Open in 2026

Sunderland's museum map changed in 2026. Two of the city's best-known attractions are not open to visitors, and anyone planning a day out needs to know about both before setting off.

The National Glass Centre on Liberty Way closed permanently on 31 July 2026. A new Glassworks maker space is planned for 2028, but it will be a working space for glassmaking rather than a museum. Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens on Burdon Road closed at the end of August 2026 for a £13.6m refurbishment and is due to reopen in 2028. While it is closed, objects from its collections appear at pop-up displays around the city, and Mowbray Park next door is still open.

That still leaves plenty to see. The smaller museums below are mostly run by volunteers and trusts, and between them they cover football, Victorian engineering, aviation, medieval castles and the city's Georgian past. Many have limited opening days, so check before you travel.

The Fans Museum, Monkwearmouth

The Fans Museum moved into the former Monkwearmouth railway station on North Bridge Street in 2018. The station itself is one of the finest classical buildings in the city, with a portico of Ionic columns facing the street. Inside, the museum gathers shirts, programmes, photographs and other memorabilia connected with Sunderland AFC and its supporters. It is run by fans, and its opening pattern changes from week to week, so check its website or social media before visiting. It sits between Wearmouth Bridge and the Stadium of Light, which makes it an easy stop on a match day.

Best for: The Fans Museum suits football supporters and anyone planning a visit to the Stadium of Light.

Ryhope Engines Museum, Ryhope

Ryhope Engines Museum is a Victorian pumping station built in 1868 to supply water to the Sunderland area. It worked for about a century until 1967, and is now listed Grade II* and a scheduled monument. Its two 100 horsepower beam engines are kept in working order by volunteers of the Ryhope Engines Trust. The museum opens between Easter and the end of December, on Sunday afternoons from 2pm to 5pm with the engines on static display, and on advertised steam days, when they run under steam. There is no admission charge and there is parking on site.

Best for: Ryhope suits families and anyone who wants to see Victorian engines working, especially on a steam day.

North East Land, Sea and Air Museums, Old Washington Road

The North East Land, Sea and Air Museums, usually called NELSAM, is a volunteer-run charity museum on Old Washington Road, between Sunderland and Washington. It brings together aircraft, military vehicles and the trams and trolleybuses of the North East Electric Traction Trust. The best-known exhibit is an Avro Vulcan B2 bomber from the Cold War. It opens daily from 10am to 4pm, with last admission at 3pm, and there is an admission charge, with family tickets available.

Best for: NELSAM suits families and aviation fans, and works well on a day when the weather is uncertain.

Hylton Castle, Castletown

Hylton Castle is a gatehouse-tower built around 1400 by Sir William Hylton. Its front still carries heraldry including the Hylton arms and the white hart badge of Richard II. The castle is owned by English Heritage and run by the Hylton Castle Trust as a community venue, with guided tours, events and a tearoom. Tours and events must be booked in advance through the Trust's website, and the tearoom is generally open from Wednesday to Saturday at lunchtime. The castle grounds are also home to the local legend of the Cauld Lad, a stableboy's ghost.

Best for: Hylton Castle suits families who like a ghost story and anyone interested in medieval heraldry.

Washington Old Hall, Washington Village

Washington Old Hall is a National Trust manor house that incorporates parts of the medieval home of George Washington's ancestors, the family who took their surname from the village. The present building was completed in the 17th century and was saved from demolition in the 1930s by a local campaign. Inside, the rooms tell the story of the house and the Washington family, and outside there are formal gardens and a nuttery. Opening is seasonal, so check the National Trust page before visiting.

Best for: Washington Old Hall suits visitors with an interest in American history or English country houses.

Donnison School Heritage Centre, East End

The Donnison School Heritage and Education Centre occupies a Georgian charity school built in 1798 with a bequest from Elizabeth Donnison to educate poor girls of the parish. After years of dereliction, it was restored and reopened in 2007. It tells the story of the school and Sunderland's East End, and hosts talks, open days and seasonal fayres. Opening is tied to events rather than fixed hours, so check the programme. Next door, Holy Trinity Church has been restored by the Churches Conservation Trust as Seventeen Nineteen, a heritage venue usually open from Wednesday to Friday.

Best for: The Donnison School suits anyone curious about Georgian Sunderland, and pairs naturally with Seventeen Nineteen.

Sunderland Antiquarian Society, Douro Terrace

With the main museum closed, the Sunderland Antiquarian Society Heritage Centre on Douro Terrace is one of the main places to look into local history in person. The society was founded in 1900, and its archive includes census returns, Ordnance Survey maps, newspapers (including copies of the Sunderland Echo from the 1930s to 1975), military records and local history books. It is open to members and the public on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, 9.30am to noon.

Best for: The Antiquarian Society suits family historians and researchers who want original sources.

Arts and exhibitions

For exhibitions rather than history collections, Arts Centre Washington in Fatfield runs a year-round programme of exhibitions alongside music, theatre and classes in a converted farmstead. It is closed on Mondays and Sundays.

Best for: Arts Centre Washington suits visitors to Washington who want exhibitions and a cafe in one stop.

Further afield and other heritage sites

Two larger regional museums are within easy reach. Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, near Stanley in County Durham, recreates life in the North East across several periods; in November it opens from Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm. The Discovery Museum in Blandford Square, Newcastle, covers the region's science, industry and maritime history, and has no admission charge.

Back in the city, St Peter's Church in Monkwearmouth, founded in 674 to 675, is one of the oldest church buildings in England. See our guide to historic churches in Sunderland for more.

Planning your visits

The Fans Museum, St Peter's and Seventeen Nineteen can be combined on foot using our heritage walking trail. Hylton Castle, NELSAM and Washington Old Hall are best reached by car or bus. For more ideas, see our rainy day in Sunderland and things to do in Sunderland guides, or browse the heritage hub and the families hub.

Know a museum or collection we have missed? Get in touch.