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- 9th Oct 2026
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Woodhorn Museum turns 20 and it’s your things to do in Northumberland sorted
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Woodhorn Museum in Ashington is turning 20 this month, and it’s giving us even more reasons to visit.
It’s been two decades since the old colliery was transformed into one of Northumberland’s favourite days out, and there’s more to see now than ever.
This half term you can expect a pumpkin trail the little ones will love, the chance to add your own memory to the museum’s story and a fresh look at a part of the site that’s been closed for almost a year. But that’s not all, Woodhorn plays host to two art galleries, Coal Town and daily talks and tours so you can learn all about life underground in the mines; there’s something to see and do all year round.
The big day itself is Wednesday 28th October, and every birthday activity is free with an annual pass.
Here’s everything you need to know…
LEAVE YOUR MARK ON WOODHORN’S NEXT CHAPTER
Saturday 24th October to Sunday 1st November
Mining for Memories, created with artist Bethan Maddocks, invites you to share your favourite Woodhorn moment through a simple paper-making activity.
You’ll shape a black diamond inspired by coal, add your memory and watch it join a growing installation in the museum’s Cage Shop. Maybe it’s a school trip you’ve never forgotten, your first look at the Pitmen Painters or a sunny day at the Miners’ Picnic. Together, every diamond builds a collective portrait of the people who’ve made Woodhorn what it is.
Bring your stories. They’re part of the next 20 years.
STEP INSIDE A FOREST MADE OF LIGHT
From Saturday 24th October
The showstopper is Luminarium Arborialis, a monumental walk-in sculpture by Architects of Air that’s arriving at Woodhorn for six days. If you’ve never been inside a Luminarium, picture a huge inflatable artwork you can wander through. You kick off your shoes, step through an airlock and find yourself in a labyrinth of winding paths, glowing forms and canopies drenched in colour.
There’s no set route and no need to rush. Drift from one space to the next, pause to watch the colours change around you or find a spot to sit and soak it all in. It’s fully accessible for wheelchair users and welcomes visitors with SEND, so the whole family can enjoy it together.
The design wasn’t picked at random either. Its tree-like forms nod to the ancient forests that eventually became the coal that built Ashington. The name plays on the aurora borealis too, a fitting link for a county that’s home to Europe’s largest Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park.
Architects of Air has been touring its Luminaria since 1992, welcoming more than four million visitors across 47 countries.
Each one is handcrafted in Nottingham from more than 3,000 individual pieces, and Woodhorn’s visit is made possible thanks to funding from the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, with support from Northumberland County Council.
It’s proving to be popular already, with bookings flying out. If you miss out, fear not, Woodhorn is guaranteed to have something the whole family will enjoy.
FROM WORKING PIT TO NORTHUMBERLAND FAVOURITE
Image credit: Last Man Out, Woodhorn Colliery 1981, ©Mik Critchlow
It’s hard to picture Woodhorn without the things that feel so familiar today. Back in 2006, a £16 million redevelopment turned the former colliery into a major visitor destination and archives centre, adding new exhibition, learning and community spaces, a café and the striking Cutter Building.
That building became the permanent home of the world-famous Ashington Group collection, the paintings by the miners we now know as the Pitmen Painters. It also brought together the collections of Northumberland Archives under one roof. Since then, more than 1.4 million visitors have come through the doors.
Woodhorn sits in what was once the largest pit village in the world, and the site is a scheduled monument of national importance. Alongside the Pitmen Painters, you’ll find a striking collection of Northumberland Miners’ Banners, Mik Critchlow’s Coal Town photography collection and an ever-changing programme of exhibitions. It’s also home to the annual Northumberland Miners’ Picnic.
Community runs through everything here. The Age UK Woodhorn Weeders help care for the grounds, the Museum Marras look after the collections and a Community Pass gives local groups free access. The museum’s also exploring how Northumberland’s mining heritage connects to the green energy shaping its future.
This is heritage that’s very much alive.
MORE OF THE OLD PIT TO EXPLORE
If it’s been a while since your last visit, there’s even more reason to return. Woodhorn’s two iconic pithead frames, known locally as heapsteads, have just finished 11 months of specialist restoration to protect them for generations to come. With the work complete, the historic colliery buildings beneath them can reopen, letting you explore more of the site once again.
“Turning twenty is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate everything Woodhorn has become over the past two decades, and the communities who have been part of that journey. Completing the restoration of the heapsteads makes this anniversary particularly special, allowing us to protect an important part of our industrial heritage while reopening more of the historic site for visitors to enjoy.”
Jo Raw, Northumberland Venues Manager for North East Museums.
PUMPKIN SEASON’S BACK ON THE TRAIL
Wednesday 14th October to Sunday 1st November
Woodhorn’s popular Pumpkin Trail returns for autumn, giving little explorers a good excuse to roam the site from mid-October right through to the end of half term. Pair it with a trip into the Luminarium and you’ve got a full day sorted.
FEATHERS FLY ON HALLOWEEN
Saturday 31st October
On Halloween itself, a birds of prey display comes to Woodhorn. It’s a cracking way to spend the day.
PLAN YOUR WOODHORN VISIT
Woodhorn Museum is at QEII Country Park, Ashington, Northumberland NE63 9YF. It usually opens Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm, and during Northumberland school holidays it opens on Mondays and Tuesdays too, so you can visit any day of half term.
Your ticket is an Annual Pass, giving you unlimited visits for 12 months. That means you can pop back for the Pumpkin Trail, then again for the birds of prey, without paying twice.
Location: Woodhorn Museum, Ashington, Northumberland
Price from: Under 18s go free; adults £11 (£10 without optional donation); concessions £10 (£9 without optional donation)
Key offer: All 20th birthday activities are free with an Annual Pass
Rachael Ellis
Head of Content
After gaining a first in her BA Media and Journalism degree at Northumbria University, Rachael worked at Newcastle’s leading regional newspaper with her stories being picked up in national and global newspapers. She spent two very successful years giving a voice to those communities across the North East who otherwise…
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