Museum Facilities
The new £26 million Great North Museum: Hancock now houses the collections which previously made up the Hancock Museum, the Shefton Museum of Greek Art and Archaeology and the Museum of Antiquities.
It is now home for the collection of the Natural History Society of Northumbria, which includes fine Egyptian and ethnographic collections as well as material relating to the geology, flora and fauna of the region. The Shefton Museum collection covers the classical Mediterranean - famous for its range of Etruscan, Ancient Greek and Roman Imperial artefacts, and particularly for its important collections of Classical Greek pottery and armour. New displays show many artefacts for the first time.
Visitors to the Great North Museum can see evidence of the lives of people from the earliest prehistory to the Medieval period and learn about known individuals who lived in the area. The combination of the three collections displays them in their geographical and historical contexts for the first time. The latest technology and an impressive library provides visitors with the opportunity to develop their interests and explore the region with fresh eyes.
The Great North Museum Resource Centre, which is located at the Discovery Museum, houses the reserve natural science and archaeology collections, comprising over half a million items as well as the extensive archives which were previously in the Museum of Antiquities. These include the Hadrian’s Wall Photographic Archive, the Aerial Photographic Archiveand a range of archaeological site archives from across the North East of England. By prior appointment, schools, students and members of the public can visit the Resource Centre for special collections sessions with the curators and to consult the archives. A series of behind the scenes tours and workshops is available throughout the year. Bookings should be made through the Great North Museum: Hancock.