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Discovery Museum

@discovery_mus

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Uncovering Tyneside’s story & how it shaped our world. Inventions. Innovation. People. Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

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Tyne & Wear Archives is based in Discovery Museum. This is their oldest document. taken in Discovery Museum by @discovery_mus

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6 months ago

Things That Go! is open. Free. Floor 1. Things That Go! is sponsored by @lumotravel, @stagecoach_bus and @my_metro
With support from @heritagefunduk and The Wolfson Foundation. by @discovery_mus

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3 months ago

Inside Turbinia, the little Tyne-built ship that changed the world. Engineer Charles Parsons created Turbinia, the first steam-turbine powered ship, in 1894, but it was 1897 when it officially became the fastest vessel in the world. It dazzled onlookers at Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Naval Review at Spithead in 1897, when 165 British battleships in four lines, each five miles long, were inspected by the Prince of Wales, with Turbinia steaming up and down the lines of ships at a speed of (then unheard of) 34 knots in a display of speed and revolutionary propulsion. taken in Discovery Museum by @discovery_mus

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6 months ago

AD | Trafalgar Flag, Discovery Museum, Newcastle: A landmark acquisiton, North East Museums have secured a flag hoisted at the decisive Battle of Trafalgar. The flag was aloft the ship sailed by Newcastle’s own Lord Collingwood. Now, over 220 years later, it’s on public display at the Toon’s free-to-visit Discovery Museum.

📅 17th October 2026 - 1st November 2026
🕰️ Mon-Fri: 10am-4pm; Sat-Sun: 11am-4pm
📍 Discovery Museum, Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4JA

Images:
🖼️ Lonsdale, James. Portrait of Admiral Lord Collingwood. Before 1812, Laing Art Gallery, North East Museums, Newcastle upon Tyne.
🖼️ Carmichael, John Wilson. The Opening Engagement at Trafalgar; H.M.S. ‘Royal Sovereign’ raking the stern of the Spanish flagship ‘Santa Ana’. 1856. Private Collection. taken in Discovery Museum by @discovery_mus

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a day ago

The battle-scarred Trafalgar Flag flown on Newcastle-born Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood's ship HMS Royal Sovereign is now on display for two weeks. It's then going into storage while we build a new permanent display for summer 2027. 🇬🇧

📅 From Saturday 17 October - Sunday 1 November
🆓 It's free, you don't have to book
🎫 We're open every day: weekdays 10am - 4pm weekends 11am - 4pm.

The Battle of Trafalgar was a pivotal naval battle led by Vice-Admiral Nelson where the British Royal Navy defeated Napoleon Bonaparte’s combined French and Spanish fleets, permanently halting his plans to invade Britain. When Vice-Admiral Nelson fell in battle, Vice-Admiral Collingwood took over leadership and led the British fleet to victory.

Crewed by mostly men of the North East dubbed the 'Tars of the Tyne', HMS Royal Sovereign led the battle charge - and this flag, that flew on the ship, was hand stitched on the way to battle by those very men.

#Trafalgar #Collingwood #NavalHistory #HoratioNelson #TarsOfTheTyne #MaritimeHistory #Napoleon #HMSRoyalSovereign by @discovery_mus

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2 days ago

We’ve been getting the Trafalgar Flag of Lord Collingwood ready for display.

The battle-scarred, hand-sewn flag was flown aboard HMS Royal Sovereign, flagship of Newcastle-born Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Here’s a little peek behind the scenes as it goes on display.

See it for yourself from 17 October to 1 November, free at Discovery Museum. 🇬🇧

The acquisition of the flag was supported by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Sir James Knott Trust, Community Foundation North East, XTX Markets, the Drapers' Charitable Fund and several other generous donors. taken in Discovery Museum by @discovery_mus

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4 days ago

Thanks so much @discovery_mus for letting me visit and see these original sealed Pokemon cards get put on permanent display 🥹

It’s sometimes hard nowadays to find any Pokemon packs at all, let alone one this special ✨
The magic of it is that everyone will be able to enjoy these from now on 🌈
Many new collectors or kids without money to spend, may never otherwise get this chance to see where it all started 💛

📍Discovery Museum, Newcastle (ground floor gallery)
🗓️ Every day of the week (free entry)

#pokemon #pokemoncommunity #pokemoncards @pokemonnewsuk @pokemon taken in Newcastle upon Tyne by @discovery_mus

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10 days ago

"The night Newcastle and Gateshead burned"

On 6 October 1854, a fire broke out in Gateshead – but what followed became one of the most devastating disasters in Tyneside’s history.

The flames spread through buildings close to the River Tyne, eventually reaching a warehouse containing highly combustible materials.

Then came the explosion.

The blast was so powerful that debris was thrown across the River Tyne into Newcastle, starting new fires on the opposite bank.

Buildings burned, streets filled with smoke and chaos, and people on both sides of the river found themselves caught in a disaster unfolding before them.

By the time the fires were brought under control, large parts of Newcastle and Gateshead had been devastated, 53 people had lost their lives, and hundreds more were injured.

#GreatFire #Newcastle #Gateshead taken in Discovery Museum by @discovery_mus

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12 days ago

Thank you @discovery_mus for inviting me in to do this project 💛

Does Pokemon belong in the museum? 👀

Museums aren’t just for ancient artefacts 🏛️🏺
A social history museum like Discovery Museum in Newcastle collects items that are significant to people in the here and now 💫
Do that for long enough and you’ll find you have a very impressive collection 🥳

Pokemon has had an impact on so many people’s lives - especially those with a millennial childhood - and the franchise is still extremely popular with people of all ages today.
I’d say that’s definitely important to preserve!

As part of the museum, these vintage Pokemon cards belong to everyone 🌈
The museum will keep them safe, for the community to see and enjoy forever 💛
…the Base Set booster pack isn’t going to fall victim to anybody’s ‘pack opening video’ any time soon 😉

Right now I’m working on a project with Discovery Museum to get these two things on to permanent display 👀

Follow along, because next week I’ll let you know where you can see them for yourself 🙂

#pokemon #pokemoncommunity #pokemontcgcommunity @pokemonnewsuk @pokemon taken in Newcastle upon Tyne by @discovery_mus

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13 days ago

I've been looking in box folders again 😂

Why did I miss these shows first time around?

👉 Famous Faces at Discovery Museum
👉 Diana in the North East at Discovery Museum
👉 The World of TinTin at Discovery Museum
👉 Pharaoh: King of Egypt at Great North Museum: Hancock
👉 Treasures from the Lost Kingdom of Northumbria at Laing Art Gallery.

Did anyone visit any of these? Long shot, I know...

If you could go back in time to visit an exhibition, what would you pick? taken in Discovery Museum by @discovery_mus

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17 days ago

Sign up to our mailing list before 20 September and you’ll get 20% off selected Christmas events 🎁
Find it at: https://shorturl.at/Y44bn by @discovery_mus

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a month ago

Discovery Nights tickets are £10 - bargain! Book now and do something different with your Friday night. Find the full event line-up on our website.

📍 Discovery Museum
📅 Friday 25 September 6-9pm
🎟️ Book at the What's On link in our bio

@forbesfinishings @incubate_printmaking @ncl_smls by @discovery_mus

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a month ago