Archives

A family enjoys outdoor exploration in the gardens of The Bowes Museum, with two children using binoculars and a magnifying glass near the water’s edge.

Heritage Open Days

Enjoy a fantastic free day out with family and friends at The Bowes Museum as we celebrate England’s largest festival

8 Jul 2025
Three colourful origami animals—a pink cat, green rabbit, and brown dog—displayed on a yellow table in a creative workshop setting.

Animal Origami

Stop by Pet Project to enjoy a self-led craft activity, where you’ll make adorable origami animals inspired by the ceramics

20 Jun 2025
A woman with curly blonde hair wearing a teal sleeveless top looking at a museum guide in front of a deep blue wall displaying three framed paintings, with a bright, art-filled gallery visible through an arched doorway.

LGBTQIA+ Object Trail

Explore The Bowes Museum’s collection through a different lens and learn about the stories and emotions objects hold through the

19 Jun 2025
Three colourful peg dolls, dressed as whimsical characters with handmade accessories, stand on a yellow table in a brightly lit pink room, with a tag reading 'Moving to the Yorkshire Dales'.

Memory of a Journey

Decorate a wooden peg doll inspired by your own memorable journey or story. Your creation will become part of a

13 Jun 2025
An opulent still life painting featuring a vibrant and overflowing arrangement of flowers, fruits, and vegetables set on a kitchen table. Roses, lilacs, and daisies burst from a central bouquet, surrounded by grapes, apples, peaches, asparagus, pumpkins, and red berries. Copper and ceramic vessels, along with a glimpse of a townscape through a window, complete the richly detailed and atmospheric composition.

Artist Makers: Natural Still Life

Mark the summer solstice and join artist Jane Young to create your own still life masterpiece. Take inspiration from Josephine

10 Jun 2025
A girl and her mum doings crafts in the create space.

Bird Habitats

Join us this summer as we support local wildlife in the museum’s parkland by building your own birdhouse from recycled

10 Jun 2025
A patterend vase made from tissue paper.

Artist Makers: Decorative Paper Ceramics

Explore Charlotte Hodes’ vibrant, layered ceramics in the museum’s Trendsetters and Trailblazers exhibition. Inspired by Hodes’ bold colours and collage

27 May 2025
Person shaping clay to make a shaped filled with seeds at a craft table with tools, tins and a seed packet.

Artist Makers: Forest of Clay

Join us to sculpt a magical forest, a collaborative creation made from clay and recycled materials. Exploring the relationship between

23 May 2025
A colourful paper craft resembling a whimsical creature with orange eyes, black body, and green and white legs is displayed among other vibrant paper decorations.

Artist Makers: Animal Antics

There are creatures big and small hiding all over The Bowes Museum – peeking out from paintings, playing on ceramics,

22 May 2025
Framed needlework artwork titled 'Study in Pink and Gray by Matt Smith' is displayed against a vivid pink wall, featuring a classical pastoral scene with a pixelated grid obscuring the upper portion.

Matt Smith in Conversation

Craft in the Collection: Matt Smith in Conversation Join us for an in conversation with the multi-disciplinary artist Matt Smith.

22 May 2025
A young boy peering into a mechanical object

Arty STEAM

Explore the exciting world of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) through The Bowes Museum’s fascinating collections, featuring wonders

21 May 2025
A member of museum staff teaching young people about the collection

The Mini Museum

Experience what it’s like to work with museum collections in this two-hour workshop, bound to spark your imagination and curiosity.  

21 May 2025