Oriental Museum

A free Middlesbrough museum with varied galleries that work well for a shorter rainy-day visit. Families can move from space and natural-history displays to stories of Middlesbrough through time, alongside the museum's standout collections of Linthorpe Art Pottery and Christopher Dresser design. There is also a Victorian-style tearoom and museum shop, making it easy to combine the galleries with a relaxed break.

Hartlepool’s maritime history comes to life through interactive displays, a fishing cobble, the P.S. Wingfield Castle and stories spanning the town’s past. Free entry and family learning activities make it an easy indoor waterfront visit.

Explore aircraft, military vehicles and transport heritage across the museum site. There is a small fenced play area for younger children, toilets near the entrance and disabled parking. Most outdoor paths are grass, concrete or gravel, and wheelchairs cannot access the aircraft interiors. The current visitor page lists daily opening from 10:00 to 16:00, but another public listing gives different weekly hours, so check before travelling. Last admission is one hour before closing.