Beamish shortlisted for top museum prize
Beamish Museum has been named one of five finalists for the world’s largest museum prize.
Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025 recognises inspiring projects and activity, with judges looking for impactful projects that spotlight the wide range of remarkable people - including museum staff and volunteers - who bring museums to life by engaging with communities, families and younger visitors, artists and creatives.
As well as the prestige which goes with the title, the winning museum will also be awarded £120,000 in prize money.
The County Durham attraction is up against Chapter in Cardiff; Compton Verney in the West Midlands; Golden Thread Gallery in Northern Ireland; and Perth Museum in Scotland.
Rhiannon Hiles, chief Executive of Beamish, said: “It’s an absolute honour to be a finalist for this prestigious award.
“At Beamish, we have been described as a ‘beating heart of the region’ - we’re proud to bring the North East’s history to life, while also being an active part of today’s communities, including through health and wellbeing, inclusion and learning.
“It’s absolutely brilliant that the museum has been recognised in this way, as a finalist alongside other wonderful organisations from around the UK.
“It feels particularly special as the museum celebrates its 55th anniversary year and the completion of the Remaking Beamish project, the biggest development in our history.”
The Remaking Beamish project, completed over the past year, involved more than 32,000 community members, 14,338 schoolchildren, and 35,000 volunteer hours, resulting in 31 new exhibits, including a recreated 1950s Town and aged miners’ homes used for award-winning wellbeing programmes.
In 2024, the museum welcomed over 838,630 visitors and remains the region’s most visited attraction and museum.
Jenny Waldman, director, Art Fund, said: “Congratulations to Beamish, The Living Museum of the North on being shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025.
“This year’s finalists are inspiring examples of museums at their best – deeply connected to their local communities, responsive to the world around them, and alive with energy and ideas.”
The winner will be announced on June 26 at a ceremony in the Museum of Liverpool - the first time the event has been held outside London. All finalists are guaranteed a prize of £15,000.