It’s always a pleasure to revisit somewhere familiar and discover it transformed. Preston Park Museum & Grounds in Stockton-on-Tees has just reopened after a multimillion-pound redevelopment, and we couldn’t resist seeing what’s new. The museum has long been a family favourite: cobbled Victorian streets, hands-on galleries, that sense of nostalgia, but this latest chapter brings space, light and fresh discoveries.

Exterior view of the new Spence Building at Preston Park Museum in Stockton-on-Tees, featuring glass walls and landscaped paths — The modern Spence Building at Preston Park Museum, Stockton-on-Tees — a bright new addition to this much-loved North East museum.

Getting there

Preston Park is about a 45min drive away from Durham. Alternatively you can catch the X12 to Middlesborough and change to the no 7 bus to Preston Park

A New Heart: The Spence Building

The newly opened Spence Building is the star of the show. Bright, modern and welcoming, it houses a new café (see “A Sweet Pause” below), expansive foyer, and the Open Store, a place where the museum’s collections are displayed to the public for the first time. Cabinets form mini stories in glass: objects old and curious that invite you to slow down and lean in.

Victorian Street display at Preston Park Museum showing historic shopfronts including a printer, stationer and silk mercer in Stockton-on-Tees. — Shops along the cobbled Victorian Street inside Preston Park Museum — a much-loved glimpse into 19th-century life in Stockton-on-Tees.

Upstairs Wonders: Art, Flowers & Firsts

The art installation Corridors by Rebecca Louise Law lets you walk through hanging dried flowers with petals brushing the air, colour overhead, delicate scent lingering. It’s immersive, beautiful, a quiet surprise.

Next door hang three of William Powell Frith’s iconic scenes: Ramsgate Sands and The Railway Station (on loan from the King), and Derby Day from Manchester Art Gallery. Seeing them together is an event in itself.

Corridors art installation at Preston Park Museum showing walls of hanging dried flowers forming a colourful, immersive walkway. — “Corridors” — a striking installation of suspended dried flowers filling the passageway at Preston Park Museum, creating a dreamlike tunnel of colour and light.

Play & Discovery: ‘All Aboard’ Gallery

The third gallery, All Aboard, is an interactive, child-friendly space (ages eight and under). With levers to pull, tracks to build and tactile elements to explore, it encourages playful curiosity.

A Sweet Pause: The New Café

After wandering, we paused in the café in the Spence Building. Light-filled, comfortable and well-placed, it’s exactly the kind of spot you want mid-visit. A slice of cake and a cup of tea, small comforts that make the day feel complete.

Gardens & Bees

If you still have energy, walk over to the Victorian Walled Garden, just a short stroll away. Even late in the season it’s lush: rows of vegetables, fruit trees, and buzzing bees. The museum shop stocks Preston Park Honey, a delicious souvenir that captures a bit of the place to take home.

If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out Durham Pointers’ Days Out from Durham guide for more hidden gems around Durham city.

Heather isn’t a Durham Pointer but actively supports us with her anecdotes and photos.

Heather’s Highlights: Preston Park Museum